# Medicare Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488 "2022-08-28T21:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488/21 "2022-09-05T20:52:03Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’d research what to do independently, but once you have a good idea of what course to take I found the SS office excellent in navigating the intricacies of the system. The strategy we used would be difficult or impossible to implement with their on-line system, but the SS people handled it no worries. > Any immense system is going to have a few things that go wrong, but SS is at least as good as any businesses I have dealt with, and a lot better than many. This was my experience also dealing with Social Security face to face. It worked out optimally for me. The online system can be very oblique and well-nigh inscrutable if you are trying to set up anything more than bog simple. I also was well served by the advice I got from my state’s SHIP, mentioned above. The secret is to resist every effort to sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan. They sound good (i. e. cheaper) but you will be paying something for nothing. People die waiting for needed services, meds, treatment or equipment to be authorized. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488/22 "2022-09-12T02:32:29Z")
Ah yes, Hawaii has a SHIP program too for consulting, and I will be checking with them. Now I even remember seeing their TV commercials. Funny, but looks like I started a similar thread more than a year ago and completely forgot about it. See it [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-medicare-thread/944339). I was talking to my buddy in Thailand recently about local health insurance. The same age as me, I am exactly one month older. He was in my Peace Corps group and unlike me, who spent a few years back in the US, he has never moved away from Thailand, been there ever since the 1980s. Through his wife, he owns a large parcel of land (foreigners can’t own land in Thailand) in the Northeast and has a very nice house. And I mean, a _very_ nice house. Holding Permanent Resident status, he recently retired from the international company he worked at for 30 years – he was the manager of the local area office – and I asked him what he’s arranged about insurance. The answer was nothing. He has been uninsured since leaving the company but does not want to pay for private insurance. But he does have a rather unique solution. The younger of his two daughters is in university, finishing up pharmacy school. She will be entering public service in the next couple of years as a government pharmacist, and parents of civil servants, even foreign parents, get free healthcare. So he’s hoping nothing major healthwise pops up between now and then. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488/23 "2022-10-09T23:21:12Z")
I’ve learned the Medicare Part B premium next year will be $165 a month. Still have to look into it more closely, but I think I’m just going to take Parts A and D, as I do not have $165 worth of medical expenses to cover after my private coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488/24 "2022-10-09T23:59:45Z")
When my husband went on disability, we had a medigap plan for him. it was very good and covered almost everything. Medigap covers the 20 percent of whatever Medicare covers. If Medicare doesn’t cover it the medigap plan wont either. Our mistake was missing a payment to the medigap plan. At least at that time it couldn’t be auto drafted and we just didn’t get it sent. I don’t remember why. Anyway, in that case your medigap plan may take you back, but it has to go through underwriting. As mentioned above my husband is/was disabled with several health issures. No one would take him or if they did it was not affordable for us. Sooo, Medicare Advantage i.e. part C i.e. privatized Medicare. We haven’t had many problems with it. The only thing I don’t like is co-pays can be high, and it doesn’t cover 100% of hospital stays. We just never really know when we’re going to get hit with a bill. At least it covers his glasses and hearing aids. Though I don’t know why that matters since he won’t wear either. Grrr ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488/25 "2022-10-10T19:47:55Z")
For those trying to make sense of the Medicare / Social Security / Medicaid systems out there, there are companies that specialize in doing this. They are typically free to you because they make their money as a referral fee for signing you up. Their only request then is that you let them sign you up but they do all of the leg work. Or, in the case of Social Security, they provide you with all the information you need to do it yourself. Naturally you will have to vet the company to make sure that it isn’t some fly-by-night operation, but my wife and I found a good local advisor who looked at all of the plans, compared them to what we could get in the private marketplace, and made recommendations for us. We followed her advice and so far have been quite pleased using Medicare, Medigap, and a Part D plan. Further, they review our specific situation once a year when the letters of change come out and advise if there is a cheaper, or more inclusive plan to switch to. Like I said, we’ve been using this for several years now and are very pleased with them. If you want to try this, Google search for “Medicare advisors.” Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2022, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488/26 "2022-10-11T00:21:02Z")
Social Security is very easy to sign up for, I couldn’t imagine needing anyone to help. Heck, when we were hacking it it said we needed a copy of our marriage license, but it turns out the gummint knows we are married so it wasn’t required. Medicare is a bit trickier, but there are good books out there. If they steered you to Medigap I trust them, but I’d worry about companies getting money under the table to steer people to specific Medicare Advantage providers. By the way, Medicare Advantage suppliers are facing lawsuits for ripping off the government by providing false diagnoses. It seems they get paid more for people with more serious illnesses, so all they have to do is to invent some. > **[Anthem must face U.S. government lawsuit alleging Medicare Advantage fraud](https://www.reuters.com/legal/anthem-must-face-us-government-lawsuit-alleging-medicare-advantage-fraud-2022-10-03/)** > > A federal judge ordered Anthem Inc to face a U.S. government lawsuit claiming it submitted inaccurate diagnosis data, enabling the health insurer to fraudulently collect tens of millions of dollars in annual overpayments from Medicare. Yet more evidence JohnT is right. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2022, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488/27 "2022-10-11T00:50:37Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > By the way, Medicare Advantage suppliers are facing lawsuits for ripping off the government by providing false diagnoses. It seems they get paid more for people with more serious illnesses, so all they have to do is to invent some. Big article at the NYTimes about it. (Gift link) > **[‘The Cash Monster Was Insatiable’: How Insurers Exploited Medicare for...](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/08/upshot/medicare-advantage-fraud-allegations.html?unlocked_article_code=g-dw7mQO8MyvTeMcntPnMMXdZXlRdIignEkA394YNi967kxWCgylq_W_h3OXZo69rI3vWToDvKUC9fOxoK1xx-oVM25ZB7WJKR-hZglpAVCRBhzfIEkItm_KUEm0_va4xjqW6zUBlYOogqVbxHDdwiiZ3-rEbaVr4ITNnx2onLOgcPeABupP6qY1diVmkeYG7q93GR-VuRr-XFiEvg32aQOXgkPRa8NmP5GzJD3sVmQe30n-fSVw31BE92npYA7aqJjpSicvTbMFiy8OC8TJRv_90irTaxxrOL71DgnrGkijjtY1i_XrMwz463O-q-eF9_sT_bCMONs-azbvcHXu_qGiXZdXWUZVk9aJk30&smid=share-url)** > > By next year, half of Medicare beneficiaries will have a private Medicare Advantage plan. Most large insurers in the program have been accused in court of fraud. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-thread/970488.md?page=1)