Medicare Supplement Plan F Archives | Page 3 Of 5

Medicare Changes Cost Retirees

Bob Vineyard · March 15, 2015 ·

Proposed Medicare changes in the way doctors are paid could mean YOU pay more for your health care. While Congress tries to contain the cost of Medicare it is obvious they are not thinking of you. Wealthy lawmakers with fat retirement plans are clueless about asking retirees to pay extra when they have outpatient (Medicare Part B) expenditures.

Congressional members, both Republican and Democrat, are proposing $200 billion in cuts to Medicare. This is on top of the $735 billion in cuts to fund Obamacare subsidies for people under age 65.

If passed this will impact Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans alike.

UPDATE: Even more proposals under considerations HERE.

Medicare Money Grab – Part 2

Medicare changes hurt retirees

Under the guise of “bi-partisan” support Committee members are considering the following as a way to save Medicare.

Some of the cost would be offset with $35 billion worth of Medicare savings from beneficiaries over 10 years. Another $35 billion over a decade would come from reducing or delaying higher payments to hospitals and other Medicare service providers over time, the aides said. – Bloomberg

Just what are these $35 billion in savings FROM beneficiaries?

You pay more for your health care. Medicare pays less.

Borrow from Peter to pay Paul.

The other Medicare changes are just as sinister.

Slow pay doctors and hospitals.

Not only does Congress want to pay doctors and hospitals less but they want to drag out payment for services rendered.

Yeah, that will work.

Changes to Medigap plans

That part where Congress wants YOU to pay more so they can spend less on your care?

They are drawing a bullseye on Medigap plans, in particular, Medicare supplement plan F.

The $35 billion worth of Medicare beneficiary savings would be achieved in two ways. Private insurance companies that offer so-called Medigap policies that supplement Medicare’s basic coverage would be required to start paying benefits only after recipients pay $250 in out-of-pocket expenses for doctor visits, aides said.

This is over and above the Medicare Part B deductible that is paid under Medigap plan F.

If you have plan G or N that would mean you are expected to pay the Part B deductible + an additional $250.

Other than the obvious, how does this save Medicare dollars?

Such a requirement would give Medicare recipients an incentive to make fewer doctor visits, thereby saving some costs to the government program.

If you have to pay more to see a doctor you might not go as often.

The folks in Congress must think we LIKE to go to the doctor.

Of course if their plan works, the less we go to the doctor the more likely we are to get sicker. The sicker we are the more it will cost to get us well.

Tell me again how these Medicare changes will save money?

What can we do?

Write and call our members of Congress. If you are a member of a senior lobbying group like AARP, AMAC, ASA or 60 Plus, contact them and tell them to stop this movement in its’ tracks.

We have paid into Social Security and Medicare all our working life. Congress has mismanaged both programs and now they expect us to pay for their sins.

One other thing you can do.

Even if we can’t stop this attempt to take money from retirees I can show you how to save at least $250 per year, and probably a lot more, by switching Medigap plans.

We have access to the lowest rates for popular plans F, G and N. Even if you bought coverage in the last 2 years many of those carriers are increasing rates.

Continental Life of TN is increasing rates on plan F by 9.5%.

Manhattan Life is increasing rates on ALL plans for those under the age of 68 by 9%.

If you own a Medicare supplement plan with either carrier now would be a good time to consider changing plans.

With over 170 different Medigap plans in Georgia you can most likely save money by changing.

Shop and compare GA Medigap quotes.

Your information is NEVER sold!

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#MedicareDocFix #MedicarePartB #MedigapPlanF #GaMedigapQuotes #GeorgiaMedicarePlans

Lagrange Medigap Rates

Bob Vineyard · November 14, 2014 ·

Lagrange Medigap rates vary considerably for the exact same plan. How do you find the plan that is right for you? Medicare supplement plan F is the most popular plan in Georgia and we have the best rates in your area. Medigap rates you won’t see anywhere else.

Lagrange is the county seat for Troup county with a population of 30,000 people

Lagrange College is the oldest private college in the state.

Major employers in the area include Troup county schools, Milliken and Kia.

Prominent people from Lagrange include Fuller Calloway (textiles), Tom Jariel (news reporter) and Louis Tompkins Wright (physician)

Lagrange Medigap Rates

Did you know there are 37 carriers that offer Medigap plan F in Gainesville?

Medicare supplement rates for a female, age 65, non-tobacco range from $129 to $250 per month. Male rates and tobacco rates are slightly higher.

Click here to review Lagrange GA Medigap rates.

One carrier will bill you for the non-tobacco rate if you sign up for their plan when you initially start Medicare Part B.

There are currently 185 different Medigap plans available to Gainesville, Georgia retirees but only 6 Medicare Advantage plans. If you have a Medicare supplement plan you have 30 different Part D drug plans available to you.

Original Medicare and a supplement do not have any networks. You are free to use any doctor, lab or hospital anywhere in the U.S. without suffering a penalty because you used the “wrong” provider.

Medigap plans for people with medical conditions

If you sign up for a Medigap plan when you first go under Medicare Part B there are no health questions. Anyone can purchase any plan from any carrier, regardless of their health. After that you can change plans at any time but you must go through medical underwriting.

If you have any of the following conditions but have been symptom and treatment free for the past 2 years you may qualify for a standard rate with one of our preferred Medicare supplement carriers.

Alcohol or drug abuse
Anxiety, depression requiring hospitalization
Bypass surgery, carotid artery disease, heart attack, valve replacement
Cancer
Diabetes (without complications)
Leukemia
Stroke, CVA, TIA

Apply by phone. Get a decision within 20 minutes. If approved you will be given your policy number.

No other carrier does this!

Lagrange Medicare Advantage

Of the 6 Advantage plans in Troup county, on has a $0 premiums, the others range from $23 to $74.

All Advantage plans are PPO plans and only 4 include drug coverage.

HMO Advantage plans generally have very small networks with only a few doctors and hospitals that participate in the plan. If you go out of network for a non-emergency situation you may have no coverage under your HMO plan.

PPO plans have slightly larger networks and the non-par penalties are not as harsh as with HMO plans.

Lagrange providers

There are 320 doctors in Troup county that will accept ANY Medicare supplement plan. On average, about half that number will take patients with a Medicare Advantage plan. Of the doctors that do take Advantage plan patients you will find that most accept only a few plans and almost no one participates in all Advantage plan networks.

Troup county has 20 hospitals and every one of them will take Medicare and your Medigap plan. If you pick an Advantage plan, check to see which hospitals are in network.

Shop Lagrange Medigap rates now.

Gainesville Medigap Rates

Bob Vineyard · November 12, 2014 ·

Gainesville Medigap rates vary considerably for the exact same plan. How do you find the plan that is right for you? Medicare supplement plan F is the most popular plan in Georgia and we have the best rates in your area. Medigap rates you won’t see anywhere else.

Gainesville is the county seat for Hall county with a population of 35,000 people

Gainesville is known as the poultry capital of the world.

Major employers in the area include Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Fieldale Farms, Pilgrims, Mar-Jac, William Wrigley Company and Walmart.

Prominent people from Gainesville include Tommy Armour (pro golfer), Brantley Gilbert (singer) and Chan Gailey (coach).

Gainesville Medigap Rates

Did you know there are 37 carriers that offer Medigap plan F in Gainesville?

Medicare supplement rates for a female, age 65, non-tobacco range from $127 to $250 per month. Male rates and tobacco rates are slightly higher.

Click here to review Gainesville GA Medigap rates.

One carrier will bill you for the non-tobacco rate if you sign up for their plan when you initially start Medicare Part B.

There are currently 185 different Medigap plans available to Gainesville, Georgia retirees but only 9 Medicare Advantage plans. If you have a Medicare supplement plan you have 30 different Part D drug plans available to you.

Medigap plans for people with medical conditions

Alcohol or drug abuse
Anxiety, depression requiring hospitalization
Bypass surgery, carotid artery disease, heart attack, valve replacement
Cancer
Diabetes (without complications)
Leukemia
Stroke, CVA, TIA

Apply by phone. Get a decision within 20 minutes. If approved you will be given your policy number.

No other carrier does this!

Gainesville Medicare Advantage

Of the 9 Advantage plans in Hall county, three have $0 premiums, the others range from $19 to $139.

One Advantage plan is an HMO the other 8 are PPO plans.

PPO plans have slightly larger networks and the non-par penalties are not as harsh as with HMO plans.

Gainesville providers

There are 941 doctors in Hall county that will accept ANY Medicare supplement plan. On average, about half that number will take patients with a Medicare Advantage plan. Of the doctors that do take Advantage plan patients you will find that most accept only a few plans and almost no one participates in all Advantage plan networks.

Hall county has 35 hospitals and every one of them will take Medicare and your Medigap plan. If you pick an Advantage plan, check to see which hospitals are in network.

Shop Gainesville Medigap rates now.

#GainesvilleMedigapRates

How Not to Shop for Medicare Insurance

Bob Vineyard · August 18, 2014 ·

Do you know how NOT to shop for Medicare insurance? Where is the last place to look for information? What is your most useful guide to Medicare insurance options? How do you find reliable information online about Medicare options? Why you should NOT buy direct from a carrier such as Blue Cross, Mutual of Omaha or through a marketing group such as AARP.

How NOT to shop for Medicare coverage

Most sites and guides tell you how to shop for Medicare insurance. We will tell you how NOT to shop and why.

Many seniors, especially those turning 65, will go online to look for information. Here are some warnings.

Most sites are data harvesting pages. They collect your information and resell it to insurance agents
Avoid sites that don’t have “real people” listed as their contact.
Look for local, real contact information, not just an 800 number.
Ask your friends but don’t just blindly follow their advice. They probably bought the wrong plan and paid too much,
Don’t be pushed into making a decision before you are ready. In most cases you have weeks or even months.
If an agent refuses to discuss or email rates and information, move on to someone else.
Most information and applications can be handled by phone. Very few require carriers the agent to come to your home.

Now some advice on how to shop for Medicare coverage.

Local agents that live in Georgia know more about plans and rates than someone calling from another state.
Make sure you understand the difference in Medicare Advantage (private insurance) and original Medicare and a supplement.
Look for broad coverage, including plans that allow you to keep your current doctor(s).
Name brand carriers are OK, but don’t discount coverage from companies that are unfamiliar
In some parts of Georgia there are as many as 40 different Advantage plans, 30 different drug plans and 170 Medigap plans
At any one site you will rarely see rates on more than 20 plans
Medicare.gov is useful in searching Medicare Advantage and drug plans, but only if you know how to use the site
There are no public or government sites with complete information on Medigap plans

What is the best way to shop for Medicare coverage?

Roy battled melanoma for almost 2 years before qualifying for Medicare. He had a good major medical insurance plan but with medical bills running over $100,000 per year he still had out of pocket expenses of $10,000 each year.

His $600 monthly premium was a stretch but adding in another $800 monthly in out of pocket medical expenses for copay’s, deductibles and coinsurance, Roy was tapped out financially.

The low premium Advantage plans he viewed were attractive but his out of pocket costs were still projected to be over $6,000 per year. Even worse, some of his doctors did not participate in the Advantage plans he considered.

I met with Roy in April before his Medicare benefits began in June. He was very weak from a recent hospital stay, his third one of the year. I listened as Roy and his wife laid out their concerns about Medicare. Which doctors would treat him? How much would his treatment cost? Would he have to satisfy a new deductible? Could he pick a plan and keep it or does he have to go through the process every year?

After listening to their concerns and reviewing my notes, I suggested Medicare supplement plan F and a suitable drug plan. Roy’s monthly premium (including Part B) was less than $250. He could keep all his doctors and have $0 out of pocket for outpatient treatment or hospital stays.

We filled out the paper work on the spot and his application was submitted the same day. Roy’s coverage went into effect on June 1.

Two weeks later Roy was admitted to the hospital for the 4th time that year.

He died less than 3 weeks later.

All of his hospital and doctor bills were paid in full, leaving him debt free with regard to medical bills.

We made it easy for Roy and his wife to shop for Medicare coverage.

That’s what we do.

Roy’s legacy

Roy was a good friend and I miss him dearly. He “found” me on the internet about a year before he was diagnosed with cancer.

At the time he had a Blue Cross plan that was several years old and the premium for his family was $1300 per month. He knew there had to be something better so we had several long conversations, some lasting an hour or more.

After about a month of phone calls and emails, he was ready to make a change, but his wife didn’t want to give up their Blue Cross plan. Even though it was expensive, and going up even more on the next renewal, she felt uncomfortable making a change.

So Roy put her on the phone with me and we talked for maybe 20 minutes. I could tell she was skeptical, but I didn’t push.

She gave the phone back to Roy and we talked some more. I told him I could write a plan just on him and leave his wife with Blue, but he didn’t want to change unless she did too.

About a week later Roy called me back and said they were ready to apply for the new coverage. I took their application by phone and the new coverage was in place two weeks later.

Over the next year and a half they saved over $15,000 in premiums and out of pocket costs. Roy and his wife loved the new plan and told all their friends about the money they saved.

Then Roy got sick.

Even with the high medical bills, they still saved over $8,000 per year vs. their old Blue Cross plan.

We had a lot of conversations during that time, and I coached him on how to save money on his medical bills and prescription drugs. When Roy found out he qualified for Medicare I helped him navigate that hurdle as well.

During the almost 5 years since I first “met” Roy we never met face to face until right before he went on Medicare. Whenever he had a problem, a concern or a question, he would call. If I didn’t know the answer I would research it and get back to him. Often the same day.

Roy lived about 3 miles from my home, yet we never met until he was dying. Still, he trusted me enough to make recommendations and referred several friends my way.

And when Roy was ready to shop for Medicare there was never any hesitation about who to call.

Shop for Medicare coverage the right way

With more than 240 different Medicare options (including 170+ Medigap plans), finding the right plan and helpful guidance is almost impossible. But here is my offer to you.

Give me a call, send an email or get a Medigap quote online instantly. I will give you as much time as you need to get answers to your questions. There is no charge for my time but you will pay a lot more for your coverage than you would if we didn’t talk.

A 15 minute conversation will give you a greater understanding of Medicare than countless hours on the web, attending “seminars” or inviting agents into your home that only want to sell you something and won’t leave until you buy.

Petula Clark recorded the hit “Call Me” in 1965. Don’t be afraid, just call me.

I promise not to sing in your ear but I will do my best to answer your questions about how to shop for Medicare coverage.

What is the Cost of Medigap Plans in Georgia?

Bob Vineyard · June 18, 2014 ·

In Georgia, what is the cost of Medigap plans? What do Georgia Medigap plans cover? Which companies offer Medicare supplement insurance? Is Medicare plan F the best? Should I buy a plan from Blue Cross or Mutual of Omaha?

What is the cost of Medigap plans in Georgia?

Medigap rates are determined by many factors.

If you are turning 65 and ageing in to Medicare your cost of Medigap coverage is less than you would at age 70 or 75. (This is especially true with AARP United Healthcare rates).

Tobacco users pay more than non-tobacco users.

With most companies, men pay higher rates than women. Some carriers offer teaser discounts if you buy multiple policies. Others quote you low, introductory rates then zap you at each successive renewal.

In most cases you will pay more for a “name brand” carrier vs. one you may never have heard of before. But don’t let that stop you. All Medicare supplement plans with the same letter are required by CMS to offer the EXACT SAME COVERAGE, but they are allowed to charge you whatever price they want.

The carriers are allowed to charge more, or less, according to what the market will bear. But you don’t get a “better” plan by paying more. In most cases if you bought a “blue” plan, one from a mutual company or a plan offered by a large senior organization you paid too much.

Comparing plans in Hartwell, Georgia

Bill and Alice are turning 65 and looking at the cost of Medigap plans in their area. Specifically, they have asked about Medicare supplement plan F because that is what their friends have. They have also asked for rates from Blue Cross and Humana.

I never recommend plan F, and I never suggest buying from a name brand carrier. Even if you have money to burn, there is no need to pay more unless you just feel good about making the carrier and the agent wealthy.

Blue Cross rates for Bill are $176 a month, Humana is $175

Blue Cross rates for Alice are $176 and Humana is $168.

If they want Medigap plan F with either of those carriers I will be happy to assist. But I am obligated to tell them they can get the exact same plan for $40 – $50 less each.

They can save even more by picking something other than plan F.

If they follow my advice they will save well over $1400 per year.

Or they can listen to their friends, buy plan F from the Blue company, and fritter away $120 per month and have nothing to show for it. Pride and folly can be expensive.

What do Georgia Medigap plans cover?

All Medigap plans are standardized and the benefit structure is dictated by CMS. Georgia Medicare supplement plans are required to cover approved Medicare Part A and Part B approved expenses.

Medigap plan F covers 100% of approved Part A and B expenses. The 10 other plans available in Georgia pay something less than 100% but still deliver great value.

Over 90% of our clients have something OTHER THAN plan F and enjoy the savings.

Which companies offer Medicare supplement insurance?

There are more than 30 carriers that write Medicare supplement insurance in Georgia. Most seniors focus on the names they recognize and ignore the rest. In most cases they are paying more than they should without getting additional value.

We have been buying gasoline from Costco for several years now. Every time we fill up we save anywhere from $0.05 to $0.10 per gallon and sometimes even more than that. For every 15 gallons we average saving more than $1 per tank.

That may not sound like much but it adds up. Every dollar saved on a tank of gas is a dollar we can use somewhere else.

If you are like Bill and Alice and we could show you how to save $80 – $100 per month on the cost of Medigap coverage, would you be interested?

With over 170 different Medigap plans I know we can help you find a plan that fits your needs and budget. If we help you save over $500 a year then a few minutes on the phone with us was worth your time, right?