The Villages Health primary care does not accept original/standard Medicare
 

The Villages Health primary care does not accept original/standard Medicare, and only 1 or 2 Medicare Advantage plans.

You will be able to find many primary care docs in the area - even in Villages-owned plazas. Attached is a list. The office of my PCP is adjacent to Lake Sumter Landing.

Specialists are also convenient. My cardiologist and gastroenterologist are adjacent to The Villages Hospital. My podiatrist is adjacent to Colony Plaza.

My imaging services office and lab services office are in Villages-owned plazas.

He has lots of time typing away from his mother's basement.

Why can you not use the Villages Heath system for your primary care provider? I have seen this multiple times, but I have not understood why

I believe they only accept Medicare Advantage Plans, not Medicare & Medicare Supplemental insurance.

I can’t believe what a nightmare healthcare is here. I came from a place with excellent healthcare with competent doctors, responsive service, and clean, well-run medical offices. I’ve had three of my doctors “retire “ or move since I’ve been here, one I left of my own accord because he was unprofessional, and another doctor who complained to ME about The Villages! I had a totally unsatisfactory experience with The Villages Health which included not being assigned a primary care doctor for several months because the one they had me with suddenly quit before I ever saw them. So I’m no longer with TVH, but my new provider is not much better. “Hokey” is the word I’d use to describe my experience with healthcare in The Villages.

In a word, YES. Without a doubt. This is exactly the coverage we have.

Speaking for myself, expecting—and receiving∏[[‚competent care::

Within TV (i.e., even golf cart accessible!): dermatology (including cancer If oine is etreatment), pain management, podiatry, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, pulmonology (including sleep studies)
Immediately adjacent to TV within, say, a mile): primary care, cardiology, hand surgery (intermittent(

Heakth care a du=istance frin TVL nine,
_
IMHO there is no advantage to an advantage plan. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is..A healthy person may dquestion those opposed to advantage plans. but check out actual costs (deductioble, copays, ans moew).Onemay switch to an advantage plan, but it is often made extremely difficult to switch back, and then one is then stuck.


Do your homework amd exercise due diligence!!!

It is difficult to find a doctor accepting new patients in this area that meet my basic criteria. For primary doctor, I want a doctor who went to medical school in the United States. I am not on medicare yet. I selected a primary physician from The Villages Health who was not educated in the US. The Villages Health has a limited number of primary doctors who are accepting new patient.

Tvh
 

Incorrect information; The Villages Health accepts Medicare Advantage plans from United Healthcare, Blue Cross and 1 plan from Humana. No other plans are accepted. I am an agent and sell those plans.

Did not know Advent Health was not considered first line cancer care.

Doctors
 

You will find doctors. However, you cannot use The Villages Health Primary Care, because you have Medicare Supplement. It is much better, in the end, to have original Medicare, with supplement (not Medicare Advantage) but the big disadvantage for you is not being able to use The Villages Health Primary Care. You can see the specialists with them. You can see pretty much any other doctor with medicare supplement.

With "advantage" - really it should be called disadvantage - you could only see doctors who were in-network (or pay fees to see out of network) plus you could get denied care for things your doctor says is necessary if Advantage - which is an insurance program - decides not to cover it. Advantage covers some drugs but you have no coverage for infusions, which are very expensive. (What I am saying about Advantage is true for all the companies - only the "perks", for instance some medical supplies shipped free to you in order to get you to sign up and keep you signed up, will vary)

TV Health Care is good. However, only certain people - those who have certain forms of Medicare Advantage - can use there Primary care. Otherwise, primary care is hit and miss. I am happy with my primary care, which is outside TV Primary. It is with a very good nurse practitioner. I know some people are against nurse practitioners but I find they have addressed my needs beautifully. There are at least two very well reputed nurse practitioners in The Villages area.

Medicare
 

Does everyone know that if you are on Advantage and have a "health event" (generally, a major illness, e.g., heart attack/stroke/cancer, etc.) you cannot go on original Medicare with Supplement (or if you do, the prices will be unaffordable). So please, if you can afford a Supplement plan, and be accepted, get it. When you have major needs, you will be glad you have it.

That would be like buying a used car with a major dent in it - insuring it and then trying to get it fixed under the insurance. Hint as of last year over 45% of seniors are on advantage plans and projected to grow to over 50% in two years. My particular advantage plan has a $2700 out of pocket max with unlimited inpatient hospital care. So is the gamble $2700 vs whatever a supplemental plan would cost ? If I'm that ill the last thing I'll be worried about is $2700.

Best advice, and I'll borrow it from Village Thinker's playbook:

Contact SHINE and get the correct information.

Any idea why The Villages Healthcare does not accept traditional medicare?

How does SHINE address this major local healthcare issue?
"Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city"

The percentage of people with Medicare Advantage Plans is actually less than half but it continues to grow and one estimate has it at 50% in a couple of years. There is no doubt that the plans have become more and more popular. I was on the fence when deciding because I would have liked to have kept my Villages Health PCP. My Supplemental plan runs about $1500 a year and I can see any provider that takes Medicare. My only other cost will be the $200 Part B deductible plus some providers may charge up to a $20 co-pay. I can also change my Supplemental Plan whenever I want with no underwriting. Everyone's situation is different. Fortunately, there is no shortage of information to help you decide.

Not what I was responding to

I understand. From what I know, SHINE provides health insurance advice but does not address this local healthcare issue. SHINE is a Health insurance agency in Rockledge, Florida (Shine/Serving Health Insurance Needs).
"Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city"

I think we have a non-sequitur here.

You are responding to the OP
I was responding to the misinformation in the 3 sequential posts I quoted
SHINE will give the proper advice and information---of course they can't solve the problem.

Correct. I was responding to the original post. To navigate Medicare choices, Shine seems like a good resource.

SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and your local Area Agency on Aging. Specially trained volunteers can assist you with your Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information. SHINE services are free, unbiased, and confidential.
Our Mission

The SHINE program supports the Florida Department of Elder Affairs’ mission by providing free and unbiased health insurance counseling through a dedicated network of volunteers, empowering Florida seniors to make informed health care choices.

I think we can all assume that the doctors who practice here ARE qualified. That says nothing about their experience, personal interaction skills, or the quality of their various support personnel. But they do meet minimum standards to practice in Florida, or else they wouldn't be here.

But that is only part of the issue. Another part is that The Villages (and Florida in general) seems to be a jumping-off point for Doctors, qualified CNPs and other medical personnel to get their start in America. So far here I've been served by a total of six such; three MDs, two CNPs, and two dentists. Doctors are from the Philippines, Mexico and Kosovo, CNPs from the Philippines and Columbia, and dentists from Canada and Ukraine. Other than one doctor (and my dissatisfaction was not so much with him as with his "support" staff) their service has been excellent. But one of the dentists and one of the CNPs have already moved on, and my current MD is looking to move his practice out of TV. From what I've read here and information I've gathered from speaking to to others, turnover of staff is a significant issue. It is a pretty human thing that, as you advance and gain experience, you want to go where the pay is better.

I have a niece who, next month, will be entering her first year of two of medical residency; her first year in the Philippines (where she is in med. school) and her second year of Thailand, which is her country of origin. Her plan after that is to come to America to work as a G.P. for a year or so, then go on to obtain a more specialized ticket. Her plan is Florida at this point for three reasons; family, climate and numerous openings for doctors. But if she follows her plan, she won't be here long. Greener pastures will beckon.

As they have apparently for a lot of the doctors who practice, or who have practiced, in The Villages.

I wouldn't be all that quick to jump to that conclusion. About 7 years ago when my late wife was in the hospital, a medical subspecialist told us something that was the most ridiculous utterance by any physician I ever knew, so I asked him where he had heard that. He gave me the name of his supervising physician in his fellowship---unfortunately for him it was a doctor I had trained, so I knew it was total BS. And he is not alone. Minimum standards---yes, but I would hope we could strive for something better

I am not sure how to interpret this. . . ie, the doctor you trained is full of BS. . .
so you didn't train him well or he passed the exams but is incompetent in the profession. . . .
or the BS statement is one you trained him with when the answer is unclear. . . he is not alone in the doctors you have trained?

again, not sure how to interpret this statement . .

Try this, the physician was originally well-trained and now flies by the seat of his pants. Like that doesn’t happen…. :mornincoffee:

I guess I wasn't very clear. Part of the responsibility of 2nd and 3rd year medical residents is to teach interns and medical students. From 1984-6, one of my medical students and subsequently interns went on to do a fellowship in a medical subspecialty, returned to the hospital that we both had trained at, and eventually became head of that department. While he was dept. head, he had a fellow in that subspecialty that he trained, obviously one that was younger than both of us. It was this physician that I encountered here in TVRH and gave an ignorant answer as a solution to a diagnosis, and claimed he heard that particular info from his head of dept., who I had taught. I knew the dept head pretty well and know that he would never have told anyone the BS that this guy here in TV was laying on me. Hope that clarifies the issue.

umm, yes, that makes sense! my respect for teaching doctors has been restored!

Would do you consider "first line cancer care"? Moffit & Shands aren't on your list?

Which Advantage Plans allow subscribers to go to Moffitt Cancer Center.

I did my health care research the hard way. I went to the ER at the Villages Hospital with a life threatening infectious disease, had the worst experience one could possibly imagine, was in a hell hole for about 12 hours, finally got misdiagnosed and given medication I didn’t need, and was sent packing to go home in my golf cart after midnight to die (I was in absolutely no shape to drive). If I didn’t get to a real hospital in Gainesville in short order for proper care and treatment, I wouldn’t be here today. I love the lifestyle of The Villages, but I am in constant fear of needing competent health care while here. BEWARE!

Another Troll Fail
 

This is interesting, the original post was by a troll hoping to disparage The Villages health care options. But, in spite of his negativity the resulting discussion was very positive and informative. Another fail for the troll and another win for Villagers with helpful advice to add to the comments section.

We moved here in 2009 and never an issue with health-care. We have TVH and couldn't be happier. It's been our experience that some of the "stand alone" dr's are the ones that cause issues for their patients. We've been fortunate to circumvent those, so far. That said though...we have a family member who lives on the frozen tundra whose at their "end of life". The care there has them falling through the cracks even with hospice. I think the way our health-care in this country is designed it will continue to slide with more and more people not getting what they need. It's not just in Florida!!

*****edit. we had good health-care in our previous community in the mid-west. BUT we've been away for years now and by what I can tell things have changed up there. NOT so sure if we'd ever go back (no plans as yet) we'd find the "comfort" we once had there.

You can find docs who take these here, but I had to go to Winter Park to get a "good" endocrinologist and to Clermont to get an OB/GYN when there were none who were taking patients nearby.