Medicare Insurance (inside The Villages)

[DrHitch]

Hi all,
Are there any SPECIFIC reasons to choose any certain carrier for Medicare insurance while renting in The Villages for months(s)?

It was rumored that United Healthcare may make it easier to find a PCP than if we're under Blue Choice or other provider.

For Medicare part D, were ok I think with Walgreens or mail order Rx.

If you're a Medicare advisor or carrier, please understand we're already under an annual broker, just making decisions based on several months in The Villages....

[villagetinker]

We have been using AARP United Health care for supplemental insurance with no problems for several years.

[Stu from NYC]

Shine is a great resource for advise on medicare

[Joeint]

Shine is a great resource for advise on medicare
I'm too familiar with Shine I do know they are volunteers. You might be better off with an independent agent who can offer a choice tailored to your needs.

[villagetinker]

I'm too familiar with Shine I do know they are volunteers. You might be better off with an independent agent who can offer a choice tailored to your needs.

SHINE does not sell insurance, they offer advice on various options. OP stated they have Medicare and appear to be questioning if there better options for the SUPPLEMENTAL coverage plan. The OP probably needs to contact one or more supplemental insurance coverage vendors and see what they offer in each area where to OP will be living.

[rustyp]

Hi all,
Are there any SPECIFIC reasons to choose any certain carrier for Medicare insurance while renting in The Villages for months(s)?

It was rumored that United Healthcare may make it easier to find a PCP than if we're under Blue Choice or other provider.

For Medicare part D, were ok I think with Walgreens or mail order Rx.

If you're a Medicare advisor or carrier, please understand we're already under an annual broker, just making decisions based on several months in The Villages....

If you are only renting here for a few months why would you let this area dictate your carrier ? That's like the tail wagging the dog. I would make sure the area of my primary residence satisfies my needs then look up who accepts that carrier here while you rent. Better yet give your present broker that assignment.

[Ellwoodrick]

I have UPMC for Life as a supplement. The reason is both coverage at home (Pennsylvania) and in the Villages (Florida) when we are there. Finding providers that accept UPMC something else. Thankfully have not had any issues yet.

[GizmoWhiskers]

At first was thinking OP is new to ToTV, been on here since 2017.

First time to visit and rent in T V? - if so WELCOME!

I am sure there are gobs of medicare insurance posts. OP says they have a broker so OP's broker shld figure this one out. Also previous posts on the fact that finding PCP in T V is not always timely is a thread I'm sure. As a new patient getting an appt with one can be a 3 month wait. Urgent Care is a more likely place to have to go to when on vacation in T V but I'm pretty sure ToTV threads have covered that too.

Thinking PO's best option is call their broker on this one and get the best and most accurate info. on how to be protected.

Open season for enrollment is starting soon. Good topic on ToTV for lengthy $$ ad generating revist thread though.

[bowlingal]

Joeint....they are medicare personnel. Don't know if they are volunteers or if they are paid but are medicare specialists....NOT insurance people. No better way to go than to talk to the people at SHINE. They do not steer you to insurance people who make money off you. They DO take your needs into consideration. Medicare is a federal program, can be used anywhere in the US, as is the supplement. You may want to change your post.

[huge-pigeons]

Your Medicare supplement is covered where ever your Medicare is accepted, except for the villages health group. The villages health group only accepts Medicare advantage plans, so if you have one of the BETTER F/G/N supplement plans, you won’t be able to go to these group of doctors. I would never buy an advantage supplement and have no issues finding great doctors and specialists in the villages or surrounding areas.

I went thru an insurance broker years back to help thru the maze of Medicare supplement plans. She told me as long as I could afford the cheap f/g/n/p plan, keep using it, they are far superior than the advantage plans.

[RustyN]

This does not make any sense. First of all if you have real Medicare, i.e. red, white and blue card, then you don’t have a carrier that is your insurance. That means when you walk into an office, you hand them, the red white and blue card, your supplement, and your drug care. The second part of this is if you have a really good broker, they would be telling you this. Otherwise you do not have Medicare you have an advantage plan, or some other type of insurance through an employer past employer. Once again, if you have real Medicare, red white and blue card, then your supplement will always follow that and there would be no problem no matter where you go. Unless you try to use something like the villages advantage. Type plan for your PCP.

[airstreamingypsy]

Can someone explain Freedom Health? I have Aetna plan G for my supplement, I keep getting Freedom Heath literature which sounds like they will not only give me money but food if I sign up. I know that sounds sketchy.

[tophcfa]

Hi all,
Are there any SPECIFIC reasons to choose any certain carrier for Medicare insurance while renting in The Villages for months(s)?

It was rumored that United Healthcare may make it easier to find a PCP than if we're under Blue Choice or other provider.

For Medicare part D, were ok I think with Walgreens or mail order Rx.

If you're a Medicare advisor or carrier, please understand we're already under an annual broker, just making decisions based on several months in The Villages....

Get a Medigap plan with national coverage that is accepted by any provider that accepts original Medicare, not an Advantage plan with a limited local network.

[gatorbill1]

UHC Medicare Advantage plan has the most doctors and no need for a referral for specialist. Why waste money on supplement? Also be wary of money back from providers who have limited doctors in their network.

[Snowbirdtobe]

Do NOT change your medicare plan without a plan to change back! After you first signup the providers can ask medical questions and charge more for those with health issues. I'm healthy now but the numbers tell me that 1/3 of the guys in my high school class are dead.

[maistocars]

We have been using AARP United Health care for supplemental insurance with no problems for several years.
I agree Tink - we have the same and it's been great for us.

[Boomer]

An AARP UnitedHealthCare supplement to Medicare has taken care of us.

We have Medicare as the primary and the supplement is a Plan F (grandfathered in— no longer offered) but this year I am going to look at switching to Plan G which might not be quite as high a premium, has a small deductible instead of none, but as
I understand it, Plan G offers the same freedom of choice as Plan F, so I want to take a look.

As I understand Plan C, aka, Advantage Plans, the premiums are less and they sometimes offer extra things, but they operate like HMOs. The government gives the Medicare money to the insurance company to manage with Plan C.

I understand that a lot of people like Advantage Plans because the premiums are less, and they work well for them. I don’t know anything about The Villages plan though. I think it is a Plan C, but someone here will know all about that one. We decided that for us the plan with the most freedom was what we wanted.

Boomer

[Marsha11]

Not sure if you are a temp in the Villages. Your ins back home would probably do something fir you. Buying it here for a few months, I'm not thinkin about it

[jminnis]

If you are talking about supplemental insurance, AARP United Healthcare is accepted everywhere Medicare is accepted....which is everywhere...

[dougawhite]

If you are talking about supplemental insurance, AARP United Healthcare is accepted everywhere Medicare is accepted....which is everywhere...

Wrong. Supplemental plans are NOT accepted at The Villages Health.

[tophcfa]

Wrong. Supplemental plans are NOT accepted at The Villages Health.

I thought I understood Medicare, but now I am confused. My understanding is that any provider that accepts original medicare (part a and b) is required by federal law to accept all Medigap (supplemental) plans regardless of the insurance company and that there is no network within the 50 states. My understanding is also that providers who accept original medicare have the option to choose which Medicare advantage planes the are willing to accept, effectively creating networks like with traditional private insurance.

This begs the obvious question, how can the Village’s Health accept original medicare but legally refuse to accept a Medigap (supplemental) plan? Are they somehow not participating in original Medicare while still accepting a specific Medicare advantage plan? If that’s the case, beware, that is a very unusual and shady practice?

Inquiring minds want to know?

[rustyp]

I thought I understood Medicare, but now I am confused. My understanding is that any provider that accepts original medicare (part a and b) is required by federal law to accept all Medigap (supplemental) plans regardless of the insurance company and that there is no network within the 50 states. My understanding is also that providers who accept original medicare have the option to choose which Medicare advantage planes the are willing to accept, effectively creating networks like with traditional private insurance.

This begs the obvious question, how can the Village’s Health accept original medicare but legally refuse to accept a Medigap (supplemental) plan? Are they somehow not participating in original Medicare while still accepting a specific Medicare advantage plan? If that’s the case, beware, that is a very unusual and shady practice?

Inquiring minds want to know?

Copied off The Villages Health website:


"If you are Medicare Eligible, you have an important choice to make about Medicare and the primary care services you receive in this community. The Villages Health is a health care system specifically designed for your lifestyle, but when it comes to Medicare we only partner with a few Medicare Advantage plans.

We only accept Medicare Advantage because we care about the physical, emotional and financial needs of our patients. With Medicare Advantage, our patients stay healthier, experience less stress and save money on health care."

[tophcfa]

Copied off The Villages Health website:


"If you are Medicare Eligible, you have an important choice to make about Medicare and the primary care services you receive in this community. The Villages Health is a health care system specifically designed for your lifestyle, but when it comes to Medicare we only partner with a few Medicare Advantage plans.

We only accept Medicare Advantage because we care about the physical, emotional and financial needs of our patients. With Medicare Advantage, our patients stay healthier, experience less stress and save money on health care."

Anybody who believes the last two sentences of the above statement from the Villages Health is stupider than a bag of rocks.

[RPDaly]

///

[rustyp]

Anybody who believes the last two sentences of the above statement from the Villages Health is stupider than a bag of rocks.

For the record I just posted the info from the Villages Health website - It was not intended to be an endorsement on my part for plan types or local providers.

[Smalley]

I thought I understood Medicare, but now I am confused. My understanding is that any provider that accepts original medicare (part a and b) is required by federal law to accept all Medigap (supplemental) plans regardless of the insurance company and that there is no network within the 50 states. My understanding is also that providers who accept original medicare have the option to choose which Medicare advantage planes the are willing to accept, effectively creating networks like with traditional private insurance.

This begs the obvious question, how can the Village’s Health accept original medicare but legally refuse to accept a Medigap (supplemental) plan? Are they somehow not participating in original Medicare while still accepting a specific Medicare advantage plan? If that’s the case, beware, that is a very unusual and shady practice?

Inquiring minds want to know?
The Villages Health is a Medicare Advantage Plan. As was written previously, it's an HMO with benefits offered and choice of doctors limited. There is a network of doctors. I'm pretty sure the Medicare Advantage subscriber get a free membership to Genesis Health Club.

[Boomer]

I thought I understood Medicare, but now I am confused. My understanding is that any provider that accepts original medicare (part a and b) is required by federal law to accept all Medigap (supplemental) plans regardless of the insurance company and that there is no network within the 50 states. My understanding is also that providers who accept original medicare have the option to choose which Medicare advantage planes the are willing to accept, effectively creating networks like with traditional private insurance.

This begs the obvious question, how can the Village’s Health accept original medicare but legally refuse to accept a Medigap (supplemental) plan? Are they somehow not participating in original Medicare while still accepting a specific Medicare advantage plan? If that’s the case, beware, that is a very unusual and shady practice?

Inquiring minds want to know?


I never understood it either. I remember when it was first offered, I kept thinking I was reading wrong because it looked to me like they would accept only their own advantage plan, and that was it. No Medicare primary or supplements.

It sounded like a “company store” routine to me.

We never had to use The Villages Health, but we never planned to be full time at our house in TV, so I never looked any further beyond my initial cringing at what I thought was going on. We have no intention of giving up our Medicare and supplement — unless “they” make us, as in………

Medicare recipients, now and future, need to keep in mind that some of those loud “promises” we hear about “protecting Medicare” — including even a very special signing of said “promise” a few years ago right in TV — with great fanfare and flourish — mean that the goal is to turn allllllll the money over to insurance companies and take away your choice of having Medicare as primary and a supplement chosen by you. Advantage Plans all-around……

Your old self is up for sale to insurance companies.

Don’t kid yourself. Insurance company lobbyists matter.

Soooo, looks like it all depends on what “protect” means.

Read between the lines.

If you’re OK with insurance companies making even more profit on you, well then, so be it. But I am not OK with that and want to continue to be able to choose Medicare as my primary. It works.

Cassandra Boomer

[mtdjed]

Wrong. Supplemental plans are NOT accepted at The Villages Health.

But Is Basic Medicare accepted? If they don't accept a supplement, then they likely don't accept Basic Medicare. An Advantage program is not Basic Medicare.

[Joeint]

Joeint....they are medicare personnel. Don't know if they are volunteers or if they are paid but are medicare specialists....NOT insurance people. No better way to go than to talk to the people at SHINE. They do not steer you to insurance people who make money off you. They DO take your needs into consideration. Medicare is a federal program, can be used anywhere in the US, as is the supplement. You may want to change your post.
Taken from the Shine web site; "SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and your local Area Agency on Aging. Specially trained volunteers can assist you with your Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information. SHINE services are free."
They are not Medicare Personal, I talked to them and I knew more than the counselor I talked to. IMO you are better off talking to an independent agent who deals with many of the different Medicare Insurance providers.

[Pgcacace]

Call your benefits provider for a list of doctors in your zip code and surrounding zip codes. Then call the Drs office to confirm.

[DrHitch]

If you are only renting here for a few months why would you let this area dictate your carrier?

True "tail wagging the dog" but it's also a litmus test for living in The Villages in the future. I just don't want to make a decision (e.g., on a particular Medicare advantage provider) and then find ourselves locked out of services went out of state down in The Villages...

[rustyp]

True "tail wagging the dog" but it's also a litmus test for living in The Villages in the future. I just don't want to make a decision (e.g., on a particular Medicare advantage provider) and then find ourselves locked out of services went out of state down in The Villages...

Are you saying what advantage plan is driving your decision of where to live in the future ?

[Dusty_Star]

Anybody who believes the last two sentences of the above statement from the Villages Health is stupider than a bag of rocks.

:BigApplause: Right you are.

[dougjb]

SHINE is an incredible resource. I was able to get non-biased, fact filled information from a well trained volunteer when I first became eligible for Medicare. Since I live in several different locations, they were able to point me in the right direction to get additional information. I was elated to get this information from individuals who were not beholded to a company that was paying them an income. They were truly independent. I have the highest respect for these fine, giving volunteers and recommend, without hesitation, that anyone seeking Medicare info to go to them...several times if necessary!