Confused by Medicare supplemental: Also, how to find policy good in both CA and AZ?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve been doing research on Medicare supplemental. (That option seems better for us than Medicare Advantage.) I’ve read a bunch on the Medicare site, so I know a LITTLE, but not enough. Here are some questions:

First and most important: is there an active forum (like this one) that addresses Medicare issues? That would be a GREAT resource to have.

Next: My spouse needs to sign up for Medicare next month while we are living in California. About 5 months later, we are going to be moving to Arizona. How do we go about finding a Supplement plan that is good in both states?

Next: I’m having difficulty finding an insurer for the plan(s) I’m interested in. Ok, I can go to the Medicare website and find the definition of the Plans: A, B, C, D, F, etc. How do I find which insurers actually offer those plans to me, including their cost, sign up methods, etc.?

Do I have to go to each of their sites and try and find the plan, or is there a site I can go to that lists all of the insurers, which plans they offer, and links to their specific sites?

Medicare Part D drug coverage: Can I get this EITHER from Medicare or a private insurer? What are the advantages / disadvantages, if this is true?

Also, just in general, what resources are available that will help me navigate thru this maze? I consider myself a moderately intelligent person, but this whole process seems designed to create confusion.

I’m sure the answers here will generate additional questions, too…

Thanks,
J.

2

Easy enough to find out which insurers offer which plans in which states. The official government Medicare site has a tool for just that. But it does not list exact prices. Take their estimates with a whole ocean full of salt, not merely a pinch.

When you run a search using the zip code it will give you a table showing details about each plan. Click the link on the far right of each line to see which companies offer that plan in that area. If your spouse is newly eligible he/she can sign up for any plan regardless of health during the first six months of Medicare eligibility.
I’m not entirely sure how it works when you move from one state to another, but presumably if the company you go with does business in both states then they would have some means to take care of this. Your premium might change though.

Are you moving permanently or will this be a seasonal snowbird-type situation?

3

This site should help with companies and prices. Don’t fill in name/address - just check the no email box and continue.

When you move to Arizona, that should be a qualifying event that would let you switch providers without underwriting. Call and ask. The should be a California or Arizona state office that can help - there was in WA.

Part D is always via an insurance company. It might be billed with Medicare (and is often bundled with Advantage plans) but I pay mine separately.

You probably know this, but there is a limited ‘guaranteed issue’ period with MediGap/Supplemental plans. If you miss it, the insurers can deny coverage.

It is almost a national shame that our leaders have foisted something this complicated on the elder members of our society. An insurance broker might help.

( I went with an F plan)

4

Ignore link above. Will be back with a better one, I hope. It does not appear to list all plans in a given state.

5

This will be a permanent move, not a snowbird situation.

J.

6

Here is a link I found for all California approved plans.

https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/survey/survey?type=medicareSurvey&event=medicareSearch

And Arizona - link at top of page.

https://insurance.az.gov/medicare-supplement-insurance-premium-comparison-2015

Both have rates shown.

7

It is my understanding that the (private) insurance companies which issue the Advantage and/or Gap policies are limited to a single state.

You will, if my understanding is correct, take out new policies when you move.

Again, look up the ‘window’ for signing up.

I was told by my insurer that the policies would be in force for 30 days after a permanent move - after that, they would hand me off to their ‘sister company’ in the new state. This was Blue Shield of CA.

8

For the Medicare Part D use the Medicare site:
https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/home.aspx

You plug in your current subscriptions and it will tell you how much your total drug expenses will be for each plan. Different plans will be cheaper depending on whether you currently just take a few generics or are using thousands of dollars worth of drugs each year. And you can easily change once a year in the fall.

9

Thanks to all to have replied so far!

I know I’m going to have ongoing questions as I go through the process:

Is there any forum that specializes in Medicare questions and discussions?

Also, is there any site that gives “user ratings” of the different insurance company’s policies?

Thanks,
J.

10

Call an insurance agency that represents multiple companies. They will drive to your house, sit down and explain Medicare to you and your spouse. Then they’ll try to sell you a policy tailored to meet your needs.

11

You know, I’ve always been suspicious of this type of thing.

How does the salesman get paid?
Do I end up paying him through a higher monthly premium than I would have otherwise?
How do I know that he is actually recommending the best policy for me and not the one with the best commission for him?
Can I trust his answers to my questions, or is he just “selling”?
And if none of these concerns are actually valid, how do I find a “good” agent?

Thanks,
J.

12

Here are a couple of forums that seem to have intelligent discussions about Medicare even though they are not dedicated to that subject.

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=123920

13

Great! Thanks, I’ll check them out.

J.

14

Salesmen get paid on commission. For health insurance policies they typically will get an ongoing commission as long as you keep renewing the policy. The way they make a living is by keeping you happy so you keep renewing the policy.

If the salesman doesn’t get a commission because you buy direct from the insurance company you are not going to get a discount. An in-house licensed agent at the insurance company’s office might get a bit of commission but possibly not.

He should be asking questions about your needs to determine which plan is best for you. If he isn’t asking questions then you might ask him how he could possibly know which plan is right for you.

Most states require an insurance salesman to give you some written documentation that explains the various plans in language approved by the state’s insurance commissioner. Since Medicare supplement plans are standardized (Plans A, B< C, etc… covers the same thing regardless of which state you are in, for example) then many of the common questions can be answered by the documents you receive. Or check the Medicare website. It really is pretty good.

Ask around for recommendations for a good agent. Agents really depend on word of mouth to spread their reputation.
Final note… There are two methods of pricing these plans. Most companies price their plan based upon the “attained age” of the insured. As they get older the premium increases every year. This is analogous to term life insurance pricing.

A few companies offer plans priced based upon “issue age” of the insured. The premiums are higher in earlier years but do not increase as you age. This is analogous to whole life insurance pricing.

Not all independent agents offer issue age priced plans. If such a plan appeals to you then you may have to ask around or contact such a company directly.

15

Ok, a question about Medicare Part B Excess Charges. Plan F covers 100% of Part B Excess Charges. Plan N doesn’t cover this. My questions:

How often do Part B Excess Charges actually occur? (I thought Medicare reimbursement amounts were fixed.)

In what situations do these charges occur? Are they extremely rare, or moderately common?

Are the Excess Charges, when they do occur, typically large, medium sized, or trivial?

Thanks,
J.