[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by kingofbeer

It's a stupid rule to charge extra if you have higher income. The medicare premium should be zero for all.

Agree, especially considering those are the same people that typically have been paying more towards Medicare during their working careers since there is no cap on working income like there is for social security.

[HappyTraveler]

Originally Posted by Aces4

Research regarding your MD may be the answer if you've run into a "cut happy Dr". I am sure I am not the only person not to have Drs. that try to sell me something. I'm talking about tests that could help with the prevention of strokes, heart attacks, aneurysms, etc. for which the elderly have a propensity. Ct scans, MRIs, Doppler ultrasound testing are great tools for diagnosis without a scalpel in sight. As far as the KA-CHING for Drs. treating Medicare patients, have you ever seen a traditional Medicare statement? Yeah, those Drs. are rolling in the dough, lol.

Everyone who has reached a mature age has run into "cut happy" Doctors whether they comprehend that or not. (Plenty don't) You can't have upwards of 2.5 million+ unnecessary surgeries/procedures every year in this country without that being the case. It happens in the dentistry and the veterinary realms too. Caveat emptor.

The last couple sentences are a good indicator that you weren't employed in the business arena during your working career. The evaluation criteria you used isn't accurate or complete.

My Mother was on TM for 30 years and she mused to me why her Doc would tell her to come back and see him for some minor thing she went in for. She'd say, "I healed fine and there are no problems so why does he need me to come back?" I replied, "For the billing, so he can fill the calendar and get paid." She'd be in there all of 2 to 3 minutes for the return visit and Medicare got billed. She stopped going back when she knew there was no need. She lived until one week shy of 98.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by HappyTraveler

Everyone who has reached a mature age has run into "cut happy" Doctors whether they comprehend that or not. (Plenty don't) You can't have upwards of 2.5 million+ unnecessary surgeries/procedures every year in this country without that being the case. It happens in the dentistry and the veterinary realms too. Caveat emptor.

The last couple sentences are a good indicator that you weren't employed in the business arena during your working career. The evaluation criteria you used isn't accurate or complete.

My Mother was on TM for 30 years and she mused to me why her Doc would tell her to come back and see him for some minor thing she went in for. She'd say, "I healed fine and there are no problems so why does he need me to come back?" I replied, "For the billing, so he can fill the calendar and get paid." She'd be in there all of 2 to 3 minutes for the return visit and Medicare got billed. She stopped going back when she knew there was no need. She lived until one week shy of 98.

Yes, because a Dr was thrilled to make the $3.00 off your mother's visit. It never occurred to you that her Dr. was following up to insure her issue was completely recovered. On the other hand, it does sound like the Drs that the two of you had chosen may not have been vetted by you.

Hate to disturb your visions but I have worked in healthcare, dentistry, the health insurance and LTDB arena. Why do you think physicians don't want to work in Florida, old people aren't as profitable for them.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Expect MA price increases coming to your account:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/...increases.html

when asked about a subscription, just click on the No Thanks link to continue reading. .
Does not discuss your MA plan, just and example of MA companies needing large price increases to maintain solvency. .

good luck to us!

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

Expect MA price increases coming to your account:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/...increases.html

when asked about a subscription, just click on the No Thanks link to continue reading. .
Does not discuss your MA plan, just and example of MA companies needing large price increases to maintain solvency. .

good luck to us!

If they cut back and there is no financial advantage - no dental, vision, or OTC products - there does not seem to be much of an advantage to pick MA.

[elevatorman]

We have TM. I was given a stress test about a year ago all was fine. Recently I went in for my annual cardiologist check up. I told the doctor I was having shortness of breath. After his exam he said everything sounds good and he gave me some options. 1.) loose weight. 2.) get a pace maker device (my pulse has always been very low). 3.) Get a heart catheterization. I told him I would try to loose weight first and see if that helps. But when I got home my wife said I should get the catheterization as well. loosing weight does not happen over night so try everything to see if there are other problems. I called the doctor back and told him to schedule the catheterization. So a week later I had it done and the doctor found a 95% blockage. Placed a stent and I went home.
So my question is: Would a cardiologist have given me the same choices on a MA plan? Or would I have had to lose weight and when I got to the proper weight see how I felt. For that matter would my GP have even sent me to a cardiologist if I was on an advantage plan?

[elevatorman]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

Expect MA price increases coming to your account:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/...increases.html

when asked about a subscription, just click on the No Thanks link to continue reading. .
Does not discuss your MA plan, just and example of MA companies needing large price increases to maintain solvency. .

good luck to us!

I think the article is talking about Medicaid not Medicare.

[HappyTraveler]

Originally Posted by Aces4

Yes, because a Dr was thrilled to make the $3.00 off your mother's visit. It never occurred to you that her Dr. was following up to insure her issue was completely recovered. On the other hand, it does sound like the Drs that the two of you had chosen may not have been vetted by you.

Hate to disturb your visions but I have worked in healthcare, dentistry, the health insurance and LTDB arena. Why do you think physicians don't want to work in Florida, old people aren't as profitable for them.

Doc made more than $3...that is just silliness. He told her to come back for the billing.

I guess you'd also be shocked to hear that the Medical Director at the nursing facility where she later lived for a few years into her 90s isn't primarily there for the patients/residents - he's there for the owners of the facility. And his starting point in making decisions is what benefits them (and his monthly or annual bonus). The real world....

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by HappyTraveler

Doc made more than $3...that is just silliness. He told her to come back for the billing.

I guess you'd also be shocked to hear that the Medical Director at the nursing facility where she later lived for a few years into her 90s isn't primarily there for the patients/residents - he's there for the owners of the facility. And his starting point in making decisions is what benefits them (and his monthly or annual bonus). The real world....

Talk about silliness, traditional Medicare allows VERY little for a brief office visit. The physician has booked time that could have gone to a patient who pays a normal fee plus he has overhead for the medical assistant or nurse, room set up and cleaning afterward, office rent, malpractice insurance, supplies and on and on. If one feels their Dr. or their mother's Dr. are fake billing shysters, why would one continue or allow their mother to continue with that physician? I am sorry to hear your mother ended up in a skilled nursing facility but if you felt she was being poorly served by the Medical Director, why wasn't she removed from the facility? THE REAL WORLD... BTW, we also were fortunate to have a parent live into their nineties but we constantly advocated for this parent. We wouldn't think of leaving them in an unsavory medical situation.

[HappyTraveler]

Originally Posted by Aces4

.... traditional Medicare allows VERY little for a brief office visit. The physician has booked time that could have gone to a patient who pays a normal fee plus he has overhead for the medical assistant or nurse, room set up and cleaning afterward, office rent, malpractice insurance, supplies and on and on.

Yes, indeed.....you made my point. It's like empty airplane seats are 100% lost revenue for the airline just as the open calendar spots are lost $$ for a Doc.

If one feels their Dr. or their mother's Dr. are fake billing shysters, why would one continue or allow their mother to continue with that physician?

She chose her Doctor, lived hours away from me and he was otherwise capable. Maybe you would force your parent to do something but, I would not unless it was a danger. I got no indication of that. She solved it by not returning for unneeded follow-ups. (Plus, who says the next Doc wouldn't do the same?)

I am sorry to hear your mother ended up in a skilled nursing facility but if you felt she was being poorly served by the Medical Director, why wasn't she removed from the facility?

And I am sorry that you continue to conflate things erroneously. It seems to be a habit and only creates negative interactions and faulty assumptions.

Here's the reality, she DID get pulled from there when I figured out what was going on. While my 3 brothers were clueless about it all and the one that was her caretaker and had all the POAs was largely AWOL. (Note to all: don't ever give one person all the POAs) They overbilled her for 10s of thousands and were feeding her too many sedatives - like they do most of the inmates. He never got the $$ back. It was atrocious.

We can end this here. I'm not interesting in dialoguing with anyone who wantonly conjures and believes things that aren't factual.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by HappyTraveler

Yes, indeed.....you made my point. It's like empty airplane seats are 100% lost revenue for the airline just as the open calendar spots are lost $$ for a Doc.


She chose her Doctor, lived hours away from me and he was otherwise capable. Maybe you would force your parent to do something but, I would not unless it was a danger. I got no indication of that. She solved it by not returning for unneeded follow-ups. (Plus, who says the next Doc wouldn't do the same?)


And I am sorry that you continue to conflate things erroneously. It seems to be a habit and only creates negative interactions and faulty assumptions.

Here's the reality, she DID get pulled from there when I figured out what was going on. While my 3 brothers were clueless about it all and the one that was her caretaker and had all the POAs was largely AWOL. (Note to all: don't ever give one person all the POAs) They overbilled her for 10s of thousands and were feeding her too many sedatives - like they do most of the inmates. He never got the $$ back. It was atrocious.

We can end this here. I'm not interesting in dialoguing with anyone who wantonly conjures and believes things that aren't factual.

Yup, it's ending here. Holding all physicians up to the same light because of bad choices on the patient's end and then concluding Drs. are all getting rich off of traditional Medicare because of an appointed followup office visit doesn't float
the rational boat. (BTW, nothing was conflated, comments were based on the information that was provided.)

[HappyTraveler]

Originally Posted by Aces4

Yup, it's ending here. Holding all physicians up to the same light because of bad choices on the patient's end and then concluding Drs. are all getting rich off of traditional Medicare because of an appointed followup office visit doesn't float
the rational boat. (BTW, nothing was conflated, comments were based on the information that was provided.)

Good grief, that entire comment ^^^ is nothing other than a complete conflation and assignment of views that are not mine. Simply mind-boggling and shocking that you don't grasp that! Adios....smh.

[Rainger99]

We have had more than 5,000 views and more than 100 replies.

Although a lot of people have said MA is bad because it denies necessary treatment, I don’t think a single person has provided one example where that happened to them.

[Blueblaze]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

There are two that seem to fit his description. I am trying to find out which one he recommends.

HumanaChoice Florida Giveback H5216-452 (PPO)

Humana Full Access Giveback H5216-393 (PPO)

We're on the 1st one, but that's not a recommendation. You need to do your own research. I'm just saying I don't understand why people defend paying twice what they probably paid for their employer's insurance for a Medicare add-on, after paying 3% of their income for their entire career towards Medicare. The result they get seems no different than what they'd get for free, so far as I can tell.

I chose the "giveback" deal because Humana is the only one offering it, and I'd rather have the money in hand than beg for it through the various gimmicks United was doing, like free "stuff" from some weird online store that mostly had "stuff" I don't need.

I apply that same logic concerning the $1000/mo it would cost for a Medicare supplement. $12K/yr in the bank buys a lot of healthcare that I probably won't even use, anyway. I buy insurance for disasters, not groceries. My "free" MA plan (that I already paid for) pays at least 80% of the disaster costs, and I've saved $12K/yr towards the 20%, in the meantime.

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by Blueblaze

the various gimmicks United was doing, like free "stuff" from some weird online store that mostly had "stuff" I don't need.

The free stuff you are referring to is over the counter products like toothpaste, sunscreen, bandaids, aspirin, etc. it is stuff that I would buy anyway.

You can buy it online but you can also buy it at many stores including Sam’s Club, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc. I find that easier.