Cool Mike
Mendocino. Calif.
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Joined: 06/24/2006
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For you that have Medicare, what supplemental insurance company did you go with.
I did a search on this and found nothing. I know its not only RV related, but it certainly is a concern for a lot of RVers over 65, including me. Im faced with making this decision vary soon.
And value your opinion.
Thanks.
2001 27' Four Winds Class-C E-450 V-10.
Buick Park Ave Ultra, Ford Ranger PU, JD 500 backhoe.
1941 Farm All "A"
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bldrbuck
Boulder, Colorado
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Joined: 02/11/2001
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AARP, Kaiser, Blue Cross, and many more provide this coverage.
93 Ford F350 Turbo Diesel, DRW, Crew Cab. PullRite Hitch. 90 Nomad 28' 5er, 375 Watts Solar, 2800 Watt Yamaha Generator, 1750 Watt Inverter, 4 Trogan T105 Batteries, Spare tire and wheel and folding ladder. Me, wife and 2 spoiled Maltise furkids.
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burgess001
Springfield, MO USA
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Joined: 04/08/2002
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It takes a lot of research to arrive at a good answer for yourself and your spouse. If you are away from home a lot, the Advantage Plans may not be best for you. Make sure they will pay emergency benefits "out of netword" and that the out of pocket costs are consistent with what you want.
Personally, the plan "F" medicare supplement from AARP is looking like the best way to go. There are scores of companies that provide the coverage. Just make sure you know what you are getting. Have a few agents explain the plans to you, but keep your sales resistance at maximum level. After a few have talked you through the process, you will begin to understand what is important to you and who addresses that best.
DON'T buy from the first guy that tells you how young you look and insists you can't be ready for Medicare....or...the hot young thing that flirts with you.
Jerry and Katie
More than 20 great years motorhoming and still loving it...
2004 DSDP 3810 (more than I needed...less than I wanted)
2004 Trailblazer (too heavy but well worth dragging)
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Sluggo54
Madison, SD
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Joined: 03/10/2006
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burgess001 wrote:
....or...the hot young thing that flirts with you.
Oh, hey - send her on over. I already bought mine... FWIW, and advantage plan was no advantage for me, as we are fulltimers. I will never understand the geographical component to health insurance... Anyway, the supplement idea worked best for me. DW is still on my COBRA, and finding coverage in any area out of our old home base is a real pain. Then half the time the benefits administrator doesn't bother to check the extended network - though the provider is a thousand miles from home base... sheesh.
AARP/United Healthcare Plan F is what I ended up with. So far, so good. Don't forget you will need an RX plan, too - they are separate. They will also infuriate you when you read them, but they are all pretty much alike vis-a-vis the so-called doughnut hole.
Sluggo
DH = Bruce, DW = PK, DD = Maggie (Lab, Pointer, Viszla)RIP 4/13/2007
Apprentice Princess = Kaia Grace (Blue Heeler - Wire Haired Terriorist) Thanks, New Nodaway Humane Society, Maryville, MO!
TV = 2005 Chev CC LWB Max & Allie
5'er = 2005 Excel R30CKW
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JFG
TN
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Joined: 07/01/2007
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Read and ask questions... especially about the cost. We bought my mother a Blue/Cross supplemental plan and the coverage was great.... it picked up and paid in full anything medicare didn't. No drug coverage though. The problem was that when mom turned 65 it was very affordable.... then each year the rates escalate. My mother just died this month at the age of 91. The premiums had escaleted to $2,200 per year. At one time we were thinking about dropping it, but we didn't. In mom's last two years she had some falls and had to spend 100 days in skilled re-hab facilites. They paid over $10,000 out on both occasions.
Good luck and good health.
Fred
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Crsoleykid
central Illinois
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Joined: 06/08/2004
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Hi Cool Mike,
We have medicare and the highest plan of Blue Cross Blue Care. My wife has had four major surgeries in four years and we didn't have to pay anything for the hospital or doctors. We can go in any state and still be covered, where some require you to be in network for doctors and hospitals.
Paul
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MFinCA
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
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Joined: 06/09/2004
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Classic Medicare Supplement Plan F is the best value for the $$.
It really doesn't matter which company you choose.
All of the Classic Medicare Supplements are labeled "A" through "L". "A" is very limited, and benefits get better with each letter up to "J". "K" and "L" were added later and DON'T have as good a benefits.
Classic plans are accepted by any physician or hospital that accepts Medicare nationwide. The provider bills Medicare directly, and then Medicare submits the balance to the Supplement carrier. There should be no paperwork needed from you.
You'll also need to choose a Medicare Part D Rx plan. California has about 48 different plans to choose from. Medicare has a website that allows you to enter your Rx medications into and will rank the plans by the estimated annual out-of-pocket costs.
See: Medicare Rx Plans
Enjoy your travels!
MFinCA
2004 Homestead Settler 255RS
1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2500
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Vaultman
Greenwood,La, USA
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Joined: 01/13/2004
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I choose Plan F. All plans are the same with all insurance companies, only the premiums change.I suggest you pick a company you feel comfortable wtih.
Larry Richardson
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eaglewatchers
Bellevue, NE
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Joined: 03/18/2006
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We also have a Blue Cross supplement F level, and have been very pleased with it. I have had two hip replacements, breast cancer, cataracts done (sounds like I'm a mess, doesn't it! Not really, all fixable.) and now my husband is being treated for lung cancer. We have had no out-of-pocket costs so far, but yes the premium does go up annually. We feel it is just something we have to budget for since the alternative (no supplement) could be even worse. Ours also allows medical care throughout the US, and I am pretty sure they have a temporary rider you can purchase for short term trips out of the country.
Liz
George & Liz
Ole (the cat)
1987 27' Mallard Class C
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Cool Mike
Mendocino. Calif.
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Joined: 06/24/2006
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After reading all of these posts, and every thing I could stand, it really can give you a head ache, you people helped more than every thing else. We decided to go with Plan F, and with United (AARP) It looked like a toss up with AARP and Blue Cross, in fact there all vary close.
Thanks for the advice, it really did help to know what others whose opinion you trust went with.
Liz, you dont sound any different than we do, but we had Kaiser for the last 42 years, and they payed for numerous surgeries including two heart bypass's and my wife's cancer, and others. But we couldn't take there Senior Advantage because we live over 50 miles from one of there hospitals. We could have keep paying regular prices, but at 65 it went from $1200 per month to almost $2000. per month plus lots of co pays, so we had to dropped them.
My DW Ginny is up and around now, and it is amazing how she recovered, including me, thanks to all for your support, that really helped.
Now if there's enough summer left to go some place will do it, the nights are getting cool, even out hear, so I can tell Fall is in the air.
Thanks to all, and the best of health to you and yours, plus happy and safe traveling. And dont forget to take your meds. It may just help. lol.
PS: Im still working on getting Ginny to make a post, just dont hold your breath, but maybe.
Mike.
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