[martydom]

We'll be moving from CA where we are covered by Kaiser Permanente and will be switching our federal health benefits coverage to Blue Cross Blue Shield...would like to hear from another fed retiree in the Villages who is covered by BC/BS about their experience with BC/BS here, location of offices, recommendation of general medicine doctor, etc...Thanks!

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by martydom

We'll be moving from CA where we are covered by Kaiser Permanente and will be switching our federal health benefits coverage to Blue Cross Blue Shield...would like to hear from another fed retiree in the Villages who is covered by BC/BS about their experience with BC/BS here, location of offices, recommendation of general medicine doctor, etc...Thanks!

My experience may not match yours because I have Medicare as primary and BC/BS as secondary. But my experience has been that when I contact a new doctor and they accept Medicare, they are generally glad to hear that my secondary is FEDERAL Employee BC/BS, which apparently has better coverage than civilian BC/BS.

My own experience, as the covered individual, has been that between the two coverages I have no co-pays or other out of pocket costs in virtually all cases.

If BC/BS is your primary, you may have a different experience, but I'm sure it will still be considered outstanding coverage.

My primary care doctor is Dr. Angel Tafur, whose father operated a clinic in Peru when Angel was a child. He is very dedicated. Initially, he seems somewhat aloof and some people consider him arrogant. I have found him to be the most thorough primary care doctor that I've had in years. I'm now living in Tampa and I still come to The Villages for appointments with Dr. Tafur. His office is near The Villages Hospital.

Similarly, I am very happy with cardiologist Dr. Georg Couturier of Heart of The Villages medical practice in Spanish Springs. He is on staff at The Villages Hospital where he treated me for an Emergency admission. On my first visit to his office he spent an hour with me, assuring that he understood my condition and I understood what he wanted me to do. He has recently added an ARNP named Erica, whom I also find very attentive and thorough.

Welcome to The Villages. I hope you enjoy it here thoroughly.

[tag460]

I am a retired federal employee and I have Fed Blue Cross Blue Shield. I have been here in The Villages for two years and between the wife and I we have seen a few different Doctors for minor issues and they all were preferred providers. Hope this helps!

[KayakerNC]

BCBS Standard is pretty much universally accepted. Not sure about the Network in The Villages for the Basic version.

[laceylady]

My husband has incurred about $1,000,000 of medical bills this year. Federal BCBS is OUTSTANDING! We do not yet have Medicare. You don't know how GOOD your insurance is until you have to use it for a catastrophe. We heard over and over "Medicare won't allow xxxx". ......but BCBS CERTAINLY DID. I DON't think there is anything they didn't provide that we needed. Doctors and hospitals love it. We hit our $6,000 copay max. In July and they have paid 100% since then.

[Sable99]

I was new to Medicare in August. And, in August, I saw my doctor and had labs done at our local hospital here in Michigan.

Both the doctor and the hospital told me that they have found that things changed in July. They both said that if Medicare denied a claim that the secondary insurances are now automatically denying the claims.

The hospital also told me that my standing lab is no longer being paid by either Medicare or BC/BS Standard. The hospital actually told me how the doctor should write up the labs so they would be paid! These were just standard labs -- nothing special.

I asked them why I'm paying for a secondary insurance if they are also going to deny the claim. They both told me to stick it out to open season and then decide what to do.

I did talk to a counselor at Michigan's Department of Aging. She agreed that secondary insurances are now automatically denying claims. But, she thought I should stick with Medicare and have BC/BS Standard as a secondary.

Well, open season is here and I still don't know what to do!

[WCDANCR]

I have followed similar paths as you have Sable99. Grew up in Birmingham and Ferndale, Mi, most of my life in Montgomery Co, Md.
Have found the same experience as you have with BCBS. Their office is right off CR 101 so will be making a trip there this open season.

[784caroline]

The BCBS office off of Rte 101 does not deal with FEHB. They handle only private insurance and really cannot answer questions relating to FEHB.

[Bizdoc]

You need to call the FEP Blue office (or access their website). The local Blues have nothing to do with the actual administration - they process claims and maintain the provider network.

The CIGNA administered plans (like SAMBA) are fairly well represented around here. Note that if you travel a lot, BCBS is the largest network.

Best part is that you won't have to call the Advice Nurse to get preauth to see an outside provider.

[jose2]

Originally Posted by martydom

We'll be moving from CA where we are covered by Kaiser Permanente and will be switching our federal health benefits coverage to Blue Cross Blue Shield...would like to hear from another fed retiree in the Villages who is covered by BC/BS about their experience with BC/BS here, location of offices, recommendation of general medicine doctor, etc...Thanks!

We have been here 14 years and have blue cross blue shield fed and have had no problem finding doctors that are in their plan,