I can't find the original discussion for this but I finally have supplemental insurance info from a friend who is on Medicare. She reports that with this policy and Medicare, she has not had to pay out of pocket .... she has major ongoing medical issues with expensive monthly prescriptions, transfusions, infusions, ect. She was referred to this policy by an Oncology Insurance Specialist .... wish the person at my clinic was such an advocate!!
It's a BC/BS medicare supplement. She has both a medical and prescription supplement. She lives in IA but this link should give you the basics to look for in your own BC/BS region. If not, try Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicare Supplements to see what is available.
www.wellmark.com/medicare/index.asp
My friend said the monthly premiums are affordable for her, especially compared to what she would have to pay (and have to go without) out of pocket.
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Medicare Supplemental Insurance
- By chloemom
- Posted March 6, 2009 at 8:46 am · 10 replies
- In Financial issues
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- By frannyv
- Posted March 7, 2009 at 12:56 pm
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I am also on SS Disability and now medicare. As long as you sign up for supplemental insurance within 6 months of the effective date on your medicare card, there are no pre-existing conditions. You can not be turned down. I did, however, have some trouble finding a supplemental policy that will take people on medicare because of disibility (under a certain age). AARP offers 3 plans to those of us who are on
medicare because of SS disibility. I chose the plan I, because it gave me the best coverage, but it is not cheap. I currently pay $345 per month, but it certainly is cheaper that paying 20% of the $3,000 every month I went to Johns Hopkins for treatment. All I pay now is the Part b deductible, which is about $135 for the year.
- By barb366
- Posted March 7, 2009 at 7:44 pm
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Frannyv
What plan is that from AARP? And is it good? I have been asking this question and you are the first person with an answer.
My husband is a writer and works at home as his own one man PR company in NJ. Thank God we got regular insurance instead of the HSA he wanted (long story but the moral being God knows what He's doing.) But it is outrageously expensive! I thought if I could be taken out of the picture on the policy it may be much less for him and the boys. I started medicare Nov1. Getting out of NJ would help too- Godwilling : )
- By frannyv
- Posted March 7, 2009 at 8:02 pm
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Hi Barb366,
The plan is AARP Health Care Options plan i, and is is from the United HealthCare Insurance Company. You can call this number and tell them you need information on all of their medicare supplemental insurance plans. They will ask you a few questions so that they can give you a quote for all the plans available for you. I was just 50, so there were just 3 plans available for me to choose from. I choose plan i. When I started the plan 9/07 it cost 295, but it is now 345. It does go up every year, but what else is the alternative? read them carefully. They even have the option for electronic fund transfer paying it automatically from a checking account and it saves you $2 per month to do that. 800-523-5800, m-f 7-11, sat 9-5. Good luck!
- By barb366
- Posted March 7, 2009 at 8:08 pm
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Thanks so much! Doesn't it always go up each year! I will check it out. : ))
- By chloemom
- Posted March 8, 2009 at 12:53 pm
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Addendum to original post:
Sorry to not have included costs with the original post.
Medicare monthly: $97.00
BC/BS supplement: $146./mo
Pharmacy supplement:$50.00/mo.
She has had no co-pays for medical as medicare & insurance together take care of everything. (So Far!)
Small co-pay for medications.
She was in her mid 40's when she received Medicare and these supplemental policies.
Franny thanks so much for adding the 6 month window and your insurance info to this information.
I hadn't thought of AARP as a resource to check out.
- By SallyJ
- Posted March 25, 2009 at 10:27 am
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Can I clarify something? So when you go on Medicare and look for a supplemental policy, no one can turn you down for preexisting conditions, or does that mean they cover preexisting conditions? Thank you!
- By frannyv
- Posted March 26, 2009 at 3:52 pm
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Sally J,
To answer your question, its both. As long as you sign up within the 6 months from when your medicare became effective (you must have medicare part A & B ) you have to be covered and accepted. There is no exclusions for pre-existing conditions. You are covered for all your medical conditions, regardless of when you were diagnosed. The only problem I ran into was finding a plan that would cover me because of my age. AARP offers about 10 plans, but only 3 of those plans are offered to those of under the age of 62, on medicare because we are on social security disability. I believe they offer plans a, c and i. The prices are different depending on what they cover. I have plan "i" and am very happy with it, except for the price. I dont ever see a doctor bill (except in the beginning of the year when I have to pay the $135 medicare part B deductible) Plan c covers that deductible, but plan i offered more coverage in other areas that I liked better like home care. The hospitals, doctors, labs, etc. bill Medicare and then your supplemental insurance and you dont pay a dime. You dont have to file any paperwork they do it all for you. So far, I have not run into a doctor or hospital, etc that does not accept medicare and my supplemental plan.
- By hillbillygirl
- Posted March 27, 2009 at 1:49 am
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hi, just a note. medicare will also pay for six masect. bra's per year and a new prost. every 2 years. It will also pay for a few other item ench year. check it out if you need these things. mary
- By SallyJ
- Posted March 28, 2009 at 7:10 pm
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Thank you, all. My next task is to clarify how strict Medicare would be for being on clinical trials. I feel I must need to keep those options often, particularly with being relatively close to a hospital that offers lots of them. After all, who deserves the latest and (hopefully) greatest more than folks like us?!
- By chloemom
- Posted March 28, 2009 at 7:22 pm
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Hi SallyJ,
here is a link to the Medicare Clinical Trials policy:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewncd.asp?ncd_id=310.1&ncd_version=2&basket=nc d%3A310.1%3A2%3ARoutine+Costs+in+Clinical+Trials
Hope this helps!
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