Are you staying with TVH next year?

[Rainger99]

With all of the issues with TVH, is anyone considering dropping The Villages Health
(TVH)?

I am currently with Advantage UHC but I am waiting to see what the options are for next year.

I think the period to change from Advantage to Medicare is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. The MA plans have to come out with their prices in the next six weeks and with all of the uncertainty of the TVH bankruptcy, I am definitely looking at other options.

At this point, we don't know if TVH will still be in bankruptcy next year and we don't know how many doctors will leave and what will happen if Humana buys TVH. There are a lot of questions and it is tough to make any decision because no one is giving us any answers.

If you are considering changing, I would suggest looking into the various options sooner rather than later.

[Mrprez]

I dropped them at the end of 2024, the level of care seemed to have fallen off. Getting an appointment to see my pcp was getting harder and harder. Forget about getting anyone on the phone.

[shut the front door]

My spouse switched from TVH to Humana this year and it's been a nightmare. Every single screw up, the Dr.'s office employee says "this happens a lot with Humana". No idea what to do for next year.

[asianthree]

Traditional Medicare, starting in 2022, was my first choice. I like the ability to choose my physician’s based on needs. My entire life I have never used a PC, last year I made an appointment, that was one and done. While he was excellent, came from medical schools and facilities I grew up with, we both agreed I needed to just stick with the 2 specialist I currently use.

Made my first dermatologist appointment, who admitted his services weren’t needed. Call if I notice something out of the ordinary. Apparently my skin is in great shape.

I don’t want to be locked into a plan with someone who doesn’t understand rare hereditary medical issues.

[Dotneko]

Quite happy with TVH, so I am crossing my fingers that I will be able to continue with the new version of them. I have BlueCross MA while husband has UHC. Never a problem with my primary or the PAs. Got right into whatever specialist I needed. Expensive infusions covered.

[oldtimes]

My TVH doctor sent out a letter that she was retiring but that they would find me another PCP. Since I don’t like surprises I went to another practice.

[Snowbirdtobe]

If you plan to shift to traditional Medicare with a supplement you may need to medically qualify.
When my wife switched from TVH years ago she just made it below a limit by 10%.
She would be rejected now because of Afib. BCBS said one of the upcodes was “specified Heart Arrhythmia.” This may be a problem if it is in your medical records and you want to transfer to Traditional Medicare.

[Rainger99]

My spouse switched from TVH to Humana this year and it's been a nightmare. Every single screw up, the Dr.'s office employee says "this happens a lot with Humana". No idea what to do for next year.

I am confused.

How do you switch from TVH to Humana? Were you still in advantage or did you go to Medicare? Humana is an advantage insurer and TVH takes Humana advantage.

What doctor’s office are you referring to?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

With all of the issues with TVH, is anyone considering dropping The Villages Health
(TVH)?

I am currently with Advantage UHC but I am waiting to see what the options are for next year.

I think the period to change from Advantage to Medicare is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. The MA plans have to come out with their prices in the next six weeks and with all of the uncertainty of the TVH bankruptcy, I am definitely looking at other options.

At this point, we don't know if TVH will still be in bankruptcy next year and we don't know how many doctors will leave and what will happen if Humana buys TVH. There are a lot of questions and it is tough to make any decision because no one is giving us any answers.

If you are considering changing, I would suggest looking into the various options sooner rather than later.

I don't start Medicare until May, and can't start enrollment until February. I have no idea what I'm going to do when the time comes, because I have no idea what plans will be available to me until then.

I have a normal "bronze" plan now, which has low premiums but high out of pocket costs and limited coverage (my radiation therapy cost me $80/day, five days a week, for 5 weeks, and that didn't even put a dent in my out of pocket cost maximum for the year).

I don't even know what I'm going to do for the January-May period. Maybe I'll stick with what I have and hope I don't get sick or injured until Medicare kicks in. Or maybe I'll go for broke, pick an expensive plan with low OOP costs, and hope I need an emergency hip replacement during the first quarter of the year.

I'll have to wait until October, when the insurance companies finally inform us all what the new plans will be and how much it's going to cost us.

[Topspinmo]

I really don’t care as long as I can get appointments close when needed, close meaning within 20 miles. Liked VHC before I got booted out and still see some specialist. IMO got snookered into UHC now chickens have come home to roost….:faint:

[Rainger99]

For those of you that do not have Medicare Advantage, how difficult is it to find a primary care physician and/or a specialist? How far do you have to travel? Are you satisfied with the quality of your doctors? Any other comments?

[elle123]

With all of the issues with TVH, is anyone considering dropping The Villages Health
(TVH)?

I am currently with Advantage UHC but I am waiting to see what the options are for next year.

I think the period to change from Advantage to Medicare is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. The MA plans have to come out with their prices in the next six weeks and with all of the uncertainty of the TVH bankruptcy, I am definitely looking at other options.

At this point, we don't know if TVH will still be in bankruptcy next year and we don't know how many doctors will leave and what will happen if Humana buys TVH. There are a lot of questions and it is tough to make any decision because no one is giving us any answers.

If you are considering changing, I would suggest looking into the various options sooner rather than later.
If you can switch to Medicare with a supplement. You may need to be underwritten. Advantage Medicare was never to "your" advantage. ������

[elevatorman]

If you plan to shift to traditional Medicare with a supplement you may need to medically qualify.
When my wife switched from TVH years ago she just made it below a limit by 10%.
She would be rejected now because of Afib. BCBS said one of the upcodes was “specified Heart Arrhythmia.” This may be a problem if it is in your medical records and you want to transfer to Traditional Medicare.

Florida Blue is accusing TVH of falsely entering a diagnosis of "Coagulation Defects and Other Specified Hematological Disorders and specified Heart Arrhythmia" in patient records as part of a scheme. This according to an on line news source. If this is true then traditional Medicare won't be an option for many.

[rustyp]

With all of the issues with TVH, is anyone considering dropping The Villages Health
(TVH)?

I am currently with Advantage UHC but I am waiting to see what the options are for next year.

I think the period to change from Advantage to Medicare is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. The MA plans have to come out with their prices in the next six weeks and with all of the uncertainty of the TVH bankruptcy, I am definitely looking at other options.

At this point, we don't know if TVH will still be in bankruptcy next year and we don't know how many doctors will leave and what will happen if Humana buys TVH. There are a lot of questions and it is tough to make any decision because no one is giving us any answers.

If you are considering changing, I would suggest looking into the various options sooner rather than later.

It's a tough situation. Staying with TVH means facing an uncertain future, while leaving could mean long wait times in doctor's offices due to the influx of 55,000 new patients.

[rsmurano]

If you go with a POS advantage plan when you hit 65, you probably have a 5% chance of converting to a Medicare supplement plan in the future. Any supplement plan has the right to refuse you if you have ANY medical issues in the past 2 years. I had a supplement plan from out of state and I looked to get a local supplement plan from any insurance company, even my current provider but from Florida and I was refused by all of them. So what they say about good luck to be able to switch to a supplement in the future is true. Get a good supplement when you turn 65

[MichiganKid]

Going to Humana soon as possible

, I would suggest looking into the various options sooner rather than later.[/QUOTE]

[golfing eagles]

It's a tough situation. Staying with TVH means facing an uncertain future, while leaving could mean long wait times in doctor's offices due to the influx of 55,000 new patients.

TVH can't just close it's doors and leave even one, much less 55,000 patients out in the cold with no physician----it's called patient abandonment, and it is a felony.

[BlueStarAirlines]

For those of you that do not have Medicare Advantage, how difficult is it to find a primary care physician and/or a specialist? How far do you have to travel? Are you satisfied with the quality of your doctors? Any other comments?

I've thankfully stayed far away from TVH and all advantage plans. No issues finding primary/specialist and easy to get in once you get past the initial "new patient" visit. All doctors are local except one that I purposely travel to Tarvares to see. Its easier to get an initial visit when the snow birds are not here, but as an existing patient have no issues getting appointments during high season.

[1golfergal]

When I turned 65 I went straight to an AARP/UHC Medigap/Supplement policy. I am a Retired RN and no one will tell me where to go, who I can or cannot see, when to go or, how to get there. I am extremely anti- HMO.... POS is a PITA but at least it is doable.

Wish everyone luck... I am sure it will all work out. The Dr's want to stay employed... they have to put food on the table as we all do. The same with all of the employees. They aren't in on the "politics" of this so no one needs to panic. As long as the lights stay on the employees can and will work.

I have no intention to ever darken the door of TVHC... my Husband uses them... he can have at it. He isn't concerned in the least.... it will be what it will be. People on here (sometimes) just want to stir up stuff.... SMH!

[elevatorman]

For those of you that do not have Medicare Advantage, how difficult is it to find a primary care physician and/or a specialist? How far do you have to travel? Are you satisfied with the quality of your doctors? Any other comments?

Both my wife and I have traditional Medicare and had no problem finding primary care or specialists. We have traveled to Shands for a procedure, but that was by choice. Most of our doctors are in the villages or within a mile of The Villages. This includes primary care and specialists. We consider the care to be good and if it was not we would switch to another doctor.

[Angelhug52]

Cannot use their primary care since they didn't accept our insurance which is a Medicare plan government retired. Love the specilty doctors and fingers crossed they won't get booted out or run for the hills. Already looking for backups 6 month waits! More concerned about Citizens Bank involvement so pulling out of there. The friendly home town is starting to turn toxic. Guess another dysfunctional family!

[eeroger]

Anyone know what will happen to those who were grandfathered into TVH when Humana takes over? My husband has std Medicare and TriCare but is still allowed to use TVH because he was already in the system and was > 65 when they switched to the advantage plan.

[MX rider]

We have UHC MA and use the TVH. We've had very good care but are concerned about how this will all shake out.

We've been on UHC MA since we went on medicare and like it. But when the new enrollment comes around, we''ll do our research and choose the best ma plan for us. Just like we did when we first started.

[NoMo50]

For those of you that do not have Medicare Advantage, how difficult is it to find a primary care physician and/or a specialist? How far do you have to travel? Are you satisfied with the quality of your doctors? Any other comments?

Thankfully, neither my wife nor me have been involved with TVH or MA. Our doctor is with Orlando Health, and we have been very happy with him. Appointments are never a problem, and his office is an easy 15 minute drive. We both have traditional Medicare A & B, with Blue Cross Federal as a supplement. Since getting on Medicare, we have not paid a dime out of pocket for any medical expenses, including a surgery. I feel bad for the thousands of people waiting for the TVH situation to unfold. Challenging times are coming.

[bragones]

I plan to switch from UHC to Humana. Even though TVH does not accept Humana today, I'm thinking of gambling that once the sale goes through, TVH will accept Humana. Hopefully we'll get some clarity prior to the enrollment deadline.

[biker1]

I had no problem finding a new PCP, whom I am quite happy with, when I turned 65 and could no longer use The Villages Health Care for primary care. Specialists are not a problem. My PCP is inside The Villages so travel hasn't changed.


For those of you that do not have Medicare Advantage, how difficult is it to find a primary care physician and/or a specialist? How far do you have to travel? Are you satisfied with the quality of your doctors? Any other comments?

[dougawhite]

I plan to switch from UHC to Humana. Even though TVH does not accept Humana today, I'm thinking of gambling that once the sale goes through, TVH will accept Humana. Hopefully we'll get some clarity prior to the enrollment deadline.

TVH currently accepts Humana MA plans.
Accepted Insurance - The Villages Health (https://thevillageshealth.com/accepted-insurance/)

[CBarrett]

With all of the issues with TVH, is anyone considering dropping The Villages Health
(TVH)?

I am currently with Advantage UHC but I am waiting to see what the options are for next year.

I think the period to change from Advantage to Medicare is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. The MA plans have to come out with their prices in the next six weeks and with all of the uncertainty of the TVH bankruptcy, I am definitely looking at other options.

At this point, we don't know if TVH will still be in bankruptcy next year and we don't know how many doctors will leave and what will happen if Humana buys TVH. There are a lot of questions and it is tough to make any decision because no one is giving us any answers.

If you are considering changing, I would suggest looking into the various options sooner rather than later.

I’m happy with TVH and my doctor. I am currently with Advantage UHC and I anticipate that after the Humana sale, they may drop UHC for a few reasons.
1. UHC currently withholding payments
2. UHC is notorious for slow payments and has been for years.
3. Attempting to prevent the sale.
The sale is expected to be completed in October so we should have time to explore insurance options.

[tophcfa]

TVH can't just close it's doors and leave even one, much less 55,000 patients out in the cold with no physician----it's called patient abandonment, and it is a felony.

Interesting information. So TVH’s threats to the bankruptcy court about keeping the lights on and it’s doors open are hollow threats?

[ChicagoNative]

We have been very happy with the care we get from TVH with UHC Advantage plans.

My care center is very busy. We see the PCP twice a year and the appointments are always made 6 months in advance. There have been only a couple times when we've sought medical services between appointments. They were non-emergency situations and we were able to get in within a day, but saw NP or PAs, which was fine. Our PCP has always called us personally to follow up to make sure all was ok. Overall, we’re pretty healthy, so that may make a difference in our situation. We’ve never been denied a procedure or had any issues with specialists not accepting our plan. People who need to see a doc all the time may have a different experience.

We happen to have our PCP and endocrinologist as neighbors. When I asked what they thought might be an outcome of all this, the endo told me he thought the big changes would be “at the top” and that it would hardly be noticed at the patient level. We shall see. We’re not making any changes unless we have to.

[Lisanp@aol.com]

I like to live by an "if", then" motto. IF things change and you are not happy, THEN you look into other options. How can you predict the future? How do you know what your care situation will be? My TVH doctor "retired" following this news, and we have been assigned to a NP. I haven't even met her yet so why would I judge her competency or the level of care that she may provide? Yes, I would prefer a physician over a NP and TVH says they are actively looking to replace my physician asap. But, I assure you that the sky is not falling! Give them a chance before you just drop them without cause. If you were happy this past year maybe you will be happy in 2026 too? Bankruptcy is a financial play to make the asset more desirable for sale as it brings some debit forgiveness. Didn't American Airlines go through bankruptcy in 2011? Delta in 2005? United in 2002? Do you not fly because there was a bankruptcy filing once upon a time?

[drducat]

Anyone know what will happen to those who were grandfathered into TVH when Humana takes over? My husband has std Medicare and TriCare but is still allowed to use TVH because he was already in the system and was > 65 when they switched to the advantage plan.
Centerwell takes traditional Medicare and most Medicare advantage insurance. However advantage plans will vary by location. Standard Medicare is covered by what is listed. They may not be the future owner...wait and see.

[Aces4]

I like to live by an "if", then" motto. IF things change and you are not happy, THEN you look into other options. How can you predict the future? How do you know what your care situation will be? My TVH doctor "retired" following this news, and we have been assigned to a NP. I haven't even met her yet so why would I judge her competency or the level of care that she may provide? Yes, I would prefer a physician over a NP and TVH says they are actively looking to replace my physician asap. But, I assure you that the sky is not falling! Give them a chance before you just drop them without cause. If you were happy this past year maybe you will be happy in 2026 too? Bankruptcy is a financial play to make the asset more desirable for sale as it brings some debit forgiveness. Didn't American Airlines go through bankruptcy in 2011? Delta in 2005? United in 2002? Do you not fly because there was a bankruptcy filing once upon a time?

Apples and oranges. My life didn't depend on whether one of the airline carriers at a time were having financial issues and I couldn't fly with them during that period. Now we're talking medical care and that needs to be top notch and not a facility running on fumes, since they are filing bankruptcy. It's concerning and the most the public can do is hold their breath and hope for a good outcome as the whole mess shakes out.

[CosmicTrucker]

I've only been in TVHN for a little over 3 years. I believe the quality of care never approached the high quality of care I received before retiring to TV.
I've been fortunate to have good health, but I am not comfortable with a NP making their best guess as to the direction of care.
There are too many reasons that have accumulated over the past few years to list, but I was thinking about finding a new doctor before this news hit the fan.

I can recommend those who are now looking to visit Sinai Internal Medicine
2986 Co Rd 503, Wildwood, FL 34785

[Rainger99]

I like to live by an "if", then" motto. IF things change and you are not happy, THEN you look into other options. How can you predict the future? How do you know what your care situation will be? My TVH doctor "retired" following this news, and we have been assigned to a NP. I haven't even met her yet so why would I judge her competency or the level of care that she may provide? Yes, I would prefer a physician over a NP and TVH says they are actively looking to replace my physician asap. But, I assure you that the sky is not falling! Give them a chance before you just drop them without cause. If you were happy this past year maybe you will be happy in 2026 too? Bankruptcy is a financial play to make the asset more desirable for sale as it brings some debit forgiveness. Didn't American Airlines go through bankruptcy in 2011? Delta in 2005? United in 2002? Do you not fly because there was a bankruptcy filing once upon a time?

The problem is that we may not know how TVH is going to be next year - even if the bankruptcy is resolved prior to the enrollment period.

So you have to compare an uncertainty (TVH) against a certainty (Medicare).

I think people should start looking into all options now - rather than in late November.

[golfing eagles]

Interesting information. So TVH’s threats to the bankruptcy court about keeping the lights on and it’s doors open are hollow threats?

They would have to hold on to the medical records and ask patients to either provide the name of a new physician or come and pick up the records themselves. They could dump most non-emergent issues on urgent care centers, but they will still need to have a way to renew prescriptions. Basically, it would be a mess. The best outcome would be a smooth transition to whoever wins the stalking horse race. Also, the patient abandonment issue usually applies when a physician kicks a patient out of his practice--he is obligated to make sure that patient has a new physician and that records are forwarded. I have no idea what happens when an entity with 55,000 patients goes bankrupt.

[golfing eagles]

I've only been in TVHN for a little over 3 years. I believe the quality of care never approached the high quality of care I received before retiring to TV.
I've been fortunate to have good health, but I am not comfortable with a NP making their best guess as to the direction of care.
There are too many reasons that have accumulated over the past few years to list, but I was thinking about finding a new doctor before this news hit the fan.

I can recommend those who are now looking to visit Sinai Internal Medicine
2986 Co Rd 503, Wildwood, FL 34785

Just the very name of that practice suggests a level of religious involvement that I would avoid in medical care.

[Aces4]

Just the very name of that practice suggests a level of religious involvement that I would avoid in medical care.

There are a number of health organizations with a religious word in their name that offer wonderful care. Of course, if one has a religious paranoia, they should seek a faithless medical center. Of course, that would rule out St. Jude's medical center. Great plan, eh? :thumbup:

[Northwoods]

I will stay with TVH. Have been extremely happy with them. Love my PCP. I think all the drama will shake out in time.

[ridge]

No issue in finding primary care doctor or specialist in The Villages or nearby. Primary care near Lake Sumter and two specialist Spanish Spring area. Get appt. when needed.

[golfing eagles]

There are a number of health organizations with a religious word in their name that offer wonderful care. Of course, if one has a religious paranoia, they should seek a faithless medical center. Of course, that would rule out St. Jude's medical center. Great plan, eh? :thumbup:

Hey, I was on the faculty of St. Joseph's Hospital and go to church regularly. But in the back of my mind, when it comes to physicians, I want antibiotics for an infection, not prayer:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[Aces4]

Hey, I was on the faculty of St. Joseph's Hospital and go to church regularly. But in the back of my mind, when it comes to physicians, I want antibiotics for an infection, not prayer:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

I want both for an infection and I've heard St. Jude's uses antibiotics.:pepper2: