[Villageswimmer]

Originally Posted by jnieman

Not on this visit but on a previous visit to a surgery center last year I received a bill from an anesthesiologist who was out of network and the surgery center was in network. The customer service representative is the one who told me the doctors at the hospital go in and out of plans and that it is hard to keep track. I can't prove this, I just am quoting what she told me.

Thank you for your posts. I think your experiences give us a lot to think about. It’s unfortunate that we need to verify who’s in and out of network, especially at a time when we’re sick or hurt and the doctor’s current status is the last thing on our minds.

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by Villageswimmer

Thank you for your posts. I think your experiences give us a lot to think about. It’s unfortunate that we need to verify who’s in and out of network, especially at a time when we’re sick or hurt and the doctor’s current status is the last thing on our minds.

No one can say you should buy this one or that one because all of our situations are different. Some people can afford to be riskier when it comes to insurance because they have large bank accounts to fall back on. Some people do not.

[784caroline]

Going with BC/BS BASIC along with Medicare Parts A and B is
not risky...its smart especially with the $600 return of medicare premiums (per person) they offer.

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by 784caroline

Going with BC/BS BASIC along with Medicare Parts A and B is
not risky...its smart especially with the $600 return of medicare premiums (per person) they offer.

Can you please refresh my memory on what is part A and what is part B?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by jnieman

Can you please refresh my memory on what is part A and what is part B?

Part A is for in-patient hospital charges and has no annual premium. Part B is for doctor visits, surgery charges, lab testing, and out-patient care, but it does not cover any prescription drugs. The Blue Cross catastrophic limit applies to all types of copays and coinsurance. I can understand your skepticism about the Blue Cross catastrophic limit. But, I know first hand that it works. I had a close friend who had cancer for 3 years. She had massive medical bills and reached her catastrophic limit within the first few months of the year for 3 years. After spending $5,000 in copays and coinsurance, Blue Cross paid everything for the remainder of the year. That is the way it works, and I am depending on it and don't see any reason not to because it is a contractual agreement with Blue Cross. I don't plan to pay $3,300 in Medicare B premiums while Blue Cross offers a $5,000 catastrophic limit. It just doesn't make financial sense to me.

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Part A is for in-patient hospital charges and has no annual premium. Part B is for doctor visits, surgery charges, lab testing, and out-patient care, but it does not cover any prescription drugs. The Blue Cross catastrophic limit applies to all types of copays and coinsurance. I can understand your skepticism about the Blue Cross catastrophic limit. But, I know first hand that it works. I had a close friend who had cancer for 3 years. She had massive medical bills and reached her catastrophic limit within the first few months of the year for 3 years. After spending $5,000 in copays and coinsurance, Blue Cross paid everything for the remainder of the year. That is the way it works, and I am depending on it and don't see any reason not to because it is a contractual agreement with Blue Cross. I don't plan to pay $3,300 in Medicare B premiums while Blue Cross offers a $5,000 catastrophic limit. It just doesn't make financial sense to me.

I have the Federal BC/BS Basic plan and I have to admit that I know nothing of the "catastrophic limit. I guess it does not pertain to me. When an operation costs over $20K and you pay $150 co-payment, I will be satisfied with that. And we did not have Medicare at the time, either. The Federal plan premiums are about one third for me and the rest is paid for by the government. I have no intention of paying a couple of grand a year for Medicare B when I do not need it and never will. That kind of redundancy is not for those that live on a limited fixed income.