I like having he Blue Cross supplement as I can go just about anywhere and do not need referrals to see specialists.

Seems strange. Per the HHS gov site, that is not allowed since Jan 1 2014. Pre-Existing Conditions | HHS.gov .There may be more to the story. We switched over to to The Villages Advantage with pre-existing conditions with no problem. Totally pleased with the level of care and doctors. And referrals are not required to see a specialist.

Alternate care is available, but not within The Villages Health System (which is a subset of the much larger UHC medicare network).

It appears talking to SHINE is an essential move on your part.

Be careful. If you are healthy and do not need a lot of care now you will be OK. However should you become ill and need specialist services out of the immediate area you may be limited in your choices. Not all health care facilities accept The Villages Medicare Advantage (United Health Care). Particularly some of the major Hospitals that offer special services.

Contacting Shine is an excellent suggestion!

We have been members of UHC TV since it started and are very pleased with it.

Check carefully to see what skilled nursing facilities are included in The Villages Health. My mother has a Humana advantage plan which has been fine until she needed skilled nursing. Very limited choices. We liked The Villages Health system very much but we would not switch to the advantage plan so we had to find a new provider. With the supplement plans, you have a full range of choices which becomes critical not only for specialists but particularly in instances such as when you need skilled nursing care.