[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Mrs Bogie and I have been on the managed plan for15 years…..neither of us has suffered!

Yet.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I know. It's unfortunate that Medicare didn't turn out like it was designed and so many Americans are stuck buying Advantage plans, because they can't afford Medicare & Supplemental insurance. It's a national tragedy.

I thought ACA was supposed to fix that? I guess they didn’t read it did they?

[dhdallas]

Originally Posted by dano121

I am going to be kind and just say that I am very disappointed with TVHS.. My current Doctor (for some reason... money?) refuses to see me regarding an ailment that the Practical Nurse says could be "Serious". I have been ill now for almost two months. Getting the required imaging is taking a month. I know the "Snowbirds are here but I live here year round. Shouldn't that account for something?

Anyway, can anyone, please, recommend a Doctor that is responsive, please!

As a retired ER/ICU RN, paramedic supervisor, and county coroner let me just state that almost all LPN's know just enough to be dangerous. Note that you also quoted her/him as saying "could be". Yes, pretty much every ache, pain, dizzy spell, upset stomach, heartburn, etc "could be" signs of something more serious but Doctors train for 12 years and they might know a thing or two that a LPN somehow missed in their brief 12 months of training or if fast tracked, in only 6-9 months. A Practical Nurse (or anyone other than another doctor who has also assessed the patient) should never offer a patient their opinion or even worse, contradict a doctor's working diagnosis. It's a good way to end up unemployed. Know your place. There is an established hierarchy in every health care system and woe be to those who talk out of turn.

[Randall55]

I do not know if this is correct, but I go to the emergency room when this happens. They always see me and I do not have to pay a dime. When one medical professional tells me I am dying and another tells me to wait my turn, I take matters into my own hands.

My wife was told by a doctor that she may have cancer. I took her to the emergency room. It ended up being a bladder infection. That was 35 years ago. Not a single doctor has told her she has cancer since. She remains healthy as a horse. True story.

[elevatorman]

Originally Posted by dano121

I am going to be kind and just say that I am very disappointed with TVHS.. My current Doctor (for some reason... money?) refuses to see me regarding an ailment that the Practical Nurse says could be "Serious". I have been ill now for almost two months. Getting the required imaging is taking a month. I know the "Snowbirds are here but I live here year round. Shouldn't that account for something?

Anyway, can anyone, please, recommend a Doctor that is responsive, please!

I needed an MRI and called Shands and 3 days later it was done. My wife needed an MRI called Lake Imaging and was told there would be a 3 week wait. She called Rayus and got it done the next day. My neighbor needed a CAT scan and was told 2 weeks by Lake. I mentioned my wife's experiance and he called Rayus and got in the same day. Lake Imaging is convenient but there are other options. Rayus has offices throughout the US.

[Marathon Man]

We are both on the advantage plan with TVHS. Nothing but great care. There has to be more to the original story.

[blueash]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

I thought ACA was supposed to fix that? I guess they didn’t read it did they?

Apparently you didn't read the ACA. It is a law to provide care and establish minimum levels of coverage for private, not governmental, health plans. You know the ones you or your employer buy. It forced insurance to cover women, ignore pre-existing conditions, cover mammograms and colonoscopies, cover your children to age 26, the list goes on.

But it did not change Medicare, or supplements. Now if you think that supplements are too expensive, guess how much the government controls that cost. Zero. They are sold by the private insurance industry and are not part of Medicare.

Now the ACA did impact Medicare Advantage plans cutting the payment to them as they were making too much of a profit and a few other tweaks including lowering the cost of the "donut hole" for seniors and some adjustments in Medicare taxes for high earners.

[Rainger99]

I have Medicare Advantage so there is no need to buy a supplemental policy or dental and vision insurance.

For those of you that have traditional Medicare and medigap, what does a medigap policy cost??

And if you have dental or vision, how much is that?

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I have Medicare Advantage so there is no need to buy a supplemental policy or dental and vision insurance.

For those of you that have traditional Medicare and medigap, what does a medigap policy cost??

And if you have dental or vision, how much is that?

I have Medicare Supplemental in MA, which is different than most states, as it doesn't allow Insurers to sell their "low cost - low coverage" policies. My Supplemental costs about $115/month.

Here are the various levels of Supplementals you can get. Not all are available in all states.

Compare Medigap Plan Benefits | Medicare

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I have Medicare Supplemental in MA, which is different than most states, as it doesn't allow Insurers to sell their "low cost - low coverage" policies. My Supplemental costs about $115/month.

Here are the various levels of Supplementals you can get. Not all are available in all states.

Compare Medigap Plan Benefits | Medicare

I went online and found this tool. Medicare is very complicated. There are a lot of different plans but it appears that the monthly price ranges from $68 a month to $369 a month. This is in addition to your part B premium.

Find a Medicare plan

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I went online and found this tool. Medicare is very complicated. There are a lot of different plans but it appears that the monthly price ranges from $68 a month to $369 a month. This is in addition to your part B premium.

Find a Medicare plan

The plan you select, should be dependent on your anticipated needs in the coming year. Once you're on a program, you can always change it (upgrade). The worst that can happen, is you're behind for 9 months or so, until the next enrollment cycle, when you can change (upgrade) plans (at least that's how it's been explained to me).

[dano121]

Originally Posted by rustyp

Please specify what you mean by TVHS. I am enrolled in The Villages Health System (the official system owned / operated by the developer). In my experience there is no way your scenario would happen there.

You must be lucky or very healthy. Thank you for your post

[dano121]

Originally Posted by dhdallas

As a retired ER/ICU RN, paramedic supervisor, and county coroner let me just state that almost all LPN's know just enough to be dangerous. Note that you also quoted her/him as saying "could be". Yes, pretty much every ache, pain, dizzy spell, upset stomach, heartburn, etc "could be" signs of something more serious but Doctors train for 12 years and they might know a thing or two that a LPN somehow missed in their brief 12 months of training or if fast tracked, in only 6-9 months. A Practical Nurse (or anyone other than another doctor who has also assessed the patient) should never offer a patient their opinion or even worse, contradict a doctor's working diagnosis. It's a good way to end up unemployed. Know your place. There is an established hierarchy in every health care system and woe be to those who talk out of turn.

Thank you for your thoughts!

[Djean1981]

Not all advantage plans are the same, some are PPO/open plans. But, my understanding is that TVHS' plan is not.

[dano121]

Originally Posted by elevatorman

I needed an MRI and called Shands and 3 days later it was done. My wife needed an MRI called Lake Imaging and was told there would be a 3 week wait. She called Rayus and got it done the next day. My neighbor needed a CAT scan and was told 2 weeks by Lake. I mentioned my wife's experiance and he called Rayus and got in the same day. Lake Imaging is convenient but there are other options. Rayus has offices throughout the US.

Thank you!