[Gigi3000]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Very happy with our medicare advantage plan,

Sorry OP, off topic i know. Aren't there problems with the medicare advantage plans in FL? In my mind, i've ruled them out but i can't remember why?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by maistocars

When you move to Florida, file a Declaration of Domicile with the State/County and you should be good. You must advise your helath insurer that you moved as they may not cover that state or the premiums may be different.

If Massachusetts can prove that you spend more than 183 days in their state, they can tax you as a resident. It doesn't matter what form you filed in Florida.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Whitley

Go to the ER with chest pains and if you are not admitted, there was a 1,200.00 penalty. That and charging people who could not afford insurance a penalty for not having it.

That "fine" was never implemented. It never happened, no one ever had to pay it.

With Medicare, if you have social security, $165/month (or whatever the current Part B cost is) is automatically deducted from your SS check to cover the portion for part B. If you fail to sign up for it in time, and realize after the fact that you need health care coverage afterall, you'll pay a monthly penalty, until you die.

You don't have to sign up for Medicare at all if you don't want to, but that means you'll have to pay the full premium price for whatever health care you choose. For most insurance companies, that's generally around $1500-2000 per month, plus deductible, any co-pays, and out of pocket expenses. Or you can just pay as you go, but you'd need to be insanely wealthy to risk that - cancer treatment alone is more than the average homeowner's house AND savings are worth, combined.

A trip to ER, paying in cash with no health insurance discounts or contributions, will set you back over $4000. And that's just for ambulance, paramedic, intake services, testing, and a few bags of fluids to treat dehydration.

A yearly physical costs several hundred dollars. A mammogram, the same. Colonoscopy? Same.

The ACA (commonly known as Obamacare) covers all the yearly routine stuff for just the cost of the monthly premium, which is based on a sliding scale depending on your income.

[Karmanng]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

I’m still several years away from qualifying for Medicare - until then, I am also stuck with the horrible and expensive Obamacare. From the research I’m starting do, I think I will be going with traditional Medicare and add a supplement when the time comes, vs having my medical managed by an insurance company through an “advantage plan” - Will be great to get off of Obamacare and see my monthly medical premiums dramatically reduced when I turn 65.

Try contacting UHC they have a 3 year short term plan that is very affordable I will never do obumercare as the cost is worse than what I am paying now.......

[Emkay56]

We have a zero premium plan with Humana. Not sure why you're paying so much. I've never had a plan with a monthly premium.

Originally Posted by tjdmlhw

In 2018 when I first retired and started using Medicare, my Medicare supplement plan with Humana was $141 a month. On the anniversary month in 2019, it increased 5%. Every year since then it has increased 10% and now my premium is $211. A 50% increase over 5 years.

I'm curious as to what others are seeing. Is this normal?

[Marsha11]

Focal Insurance agency lady Lake they don't charge you anything for United Health Care. They retrieve what you automatically pay through social security check shandra at focal is your contact no more of yours for sure

[Indy-Guy]

Below is a link to a video that may answer many of the questions you may have.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pWQ...st=WL&index=27

[Emkay56]

I retired young so I had to get my own insurance till I went on Medicare. I had a fabulous agent here in WI and I had what is called catastrophic insurance. In other words, I am perfectly healthy and only go to the dr once a year for a physical so I could get away with that for if insurance. If I had to go to the dr for something like a sinus infection or step throat, I simply told them I was paying on my own and they automatically gave a 40% discount off your bill. I did this for 8 years and it saved me a lot of high monthly insurance premiums. I opted for a plan that had a low monthly premium and a high deductible since I wasn't really using it.

Originally Posted by tophcfa

If a person is not eligible for Medicare and doesn’t have insurance through an employer or a business they own, you are pretty much stuck with Obamacare. You don’t necessarily have to buy your insurance through a state exchange, but the law requires all policies to be priced based on Obamacare, so what’s the difference?

[Boilerman]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

as long as you stay healthy, only incur health accidents which are routinely fixable, such as broken bones, etc, and don't require specialty drugs / procedures to live, you will be fine.

medicare advantage plans get finicky is when you require expensive drugs/ medical care to live. . that scenario creates hits to the budgeted profit growth, and they can get finicky about coverage at that point. . . which is the uncertainty about the advantage plan as you age. . .

The insurance companies are predicting / expecting healthy living and average payouts per year per population age and risk pool

former finance guy

We’ve been delighted with our UHC advantage plan. No premium, several expensive surgeries (back fusion, neck fusion, total knee replacement), no referrals needed to see specialists and combined we are on a dozen prescription medications. Each surgery cost $250 co-pay total, $40 co-pay for specialists and we see doctors in network in both the Villages and up north. Any doctor we’ve wanted to see have been in network. Not sure why everyone hates advantage plans.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

I get a kick out if those who dispise Obamacare (ACA) but enjoy its benefits. Kind of like the politicians who boast about the infrastructure bill but voted against it.

In general, people who like Obamacare are those with lower incomes who get either free or substantially subsidized insurance depending on their level of income relative to the national poverty level. People who typically despise Obamacare are those whose income is above 400% of the national poverty level. Those people aren’t eligible for subsidies and have to pay outrageously high premiums because someone has to pay for the people who are getting the subsidies. Before Obamacare, I was paying less than $300 a month for great insurance (not through an employer) with both a low deductible and max out of pocket. After Obamacare, my insurance went up over 400% for an inferior plan with a much higher deductible and max out of pocket. Who in their right mind would not despise that?

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Gigi3000

Sorry OP, off topic i know. Aren't there problems with the medicare advantage plans in FL? In my mind, i've ruled them out but i can't remember why?

We had a Humana plan in Va and was happy with it and when we moved here met someone who recommended a physician and they took Humana Gold so we switched to it.

Only disadvantage is physician acts as gatekeeper and must approve referral to specialist. Been happy with our doc and the referrals they found for us.

Has saved us a lot of money and so far so good.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Boilerman

We’ve been delighted with our UHC advantage plan. No premium, several expensive surgeries (back fusion, neck fusion, total knee replacement), no referrals needed to see specialists and combined we are on a dozen prescription medications. Each surgery cost $250 co-pay total, $40 co-pay for specialists and we see doctors in network in both the Villages and up north. Any doctor we’ve wanted to see have been in network. Not sure why everyone hates advantage plans.

At one point in the Villages, there was only one Advantage plan option. And they decided they weren't going to participate the next year so everyone whose doctor was with that plan, were out of luck unless they paid extra for a Medicare plan their doctor did participate in. Not all doctors accept Advantage plans, and you can't just go to any doctor. If you need a hip replacement, you might discover that there's only one choice of surgeon offered to you and he's booked solid for another 8 months.

[Glewellen]

SHINE is a great group of volunteers to explain all the options. They aren't selling anything. Numerous personal meeting sites in The Villages. SHINE - Home

[Boilerman]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

At one point in the Villages, there was only one Advantage plan option. And they decided they weren't going to participate the next year so everyone whose doctor was with that plan, were out of luck unless they paid extra for a Medicare plan their doctor did participate in. Not all doctors accept Advantage plans, and you can't just go to any doctor. If you need a hip replacement, you might discover that there's only one choice of surgeon offered to you and he's booked solid for another 8 months.

I understand that’s possible but that’s not been our experience. Every doctor recommended to us by friends and neighbors have been in network.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Boilerman

I understand that’s possible but that’s not been our experience. Every doctor recommended to us by friends and neighbors have been in network.

Your lucky, lots are not