I just posted on another thread that if you happen to live in Baltimore then the Hopkins Medicare Advantage plan isn't that bad. The network is high quality and you get a lot of Hopkins providers and access to their facilities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it seems that one should just stay with original Medicare and purchase a gap policy. If this is not possible, is not having the 20% coverage still a better option than signing up for an advantage plan?

No, it is not better to go with original Medicare and no Medigap policy if you can't afford the 20% coinsurance. I'm no fan of MA, but it is certainly better than being swamped with medical bills.

Even if you can afford the 20%, it's the hospitalization coverage of $0 for days 61 to 365 that make me want to pay $200/month per person to avoid. Sure we could go without Medigap and just self pay (we can afford it), but mathematically, it seems like a no brainer to pay for the guaranteed Gap plan and owe nothing.

Anonymous wrote:Ideally you should get Medicaid to match Medicare and then your premiums are taken care of. Not possible with higher SS benefits I guess

Yes, many of us are not medicaid eligible (which is a good thing...I suspect many on DCUM will not be medicaid eligible)

Yes don't get Medicare advantage, get a Gap Plan. Right now the Medigap G plan seems to be the best. It covers the most and all you have to pay is your $257 Part B deducible.

After that, everything is covered. Most importantly the Medigap G (and most of them) extend your hospital coverage beyond 60 days, and covers up to a year. So if something really bad happens and you need to be in the hospital (not a skilled nursing facility ) over 60 days you don't get stuck paying $400+ per day.
In my VHCOLA, most of the G plans are $200-260 per month per person. But well worth that to essentially pay nothing but the $257 and then everything is covered for doctors visits/hospital/medical tests/etc. I figure at 65+, we will likely have 1-2 incidents per year that require more than just a single doctors visit.

Anonymous wrote:it seems that one should just stay with original Medicare and purchase a gap policy. If this is not possible, is not having the 20% coverage still a better option than signing up for an advantage plan?

No, it is not better to go with original Medicare and no Medigap policy if you can't afford the 20% coinsurance. I'm no fan of MA, but it is certainly better than being swamped with medical bills.

Read the advantage plan very carefully.

it seems that one should just stay with original Medicare and purchase a gap policy. If this is not possible, is not having the 20% coverage still a better option than signing up for an advantage plan?

It sounds like such a scam. I really hate how the healthcare system is set up in the us.

Say no to medicare advantage.

Only 1 rehab place in our county would take it. All the others, including the plush one, do not take it.

Anonymous wrote:Ideally you should get Medicaid to match Medicare and then your premiums are taken care of. Not possible with higher SS benefits I guess

This is why they want to limit Medicaid access. It's not supposed to be universal.

Ideally you should get Medicaid to match Medicare and then your premiums are taken care of. Not possible with higher SS benefits I guess

Think about it. You pay less for allegedly more. Then you pay in terms of trying to get in network care, being denied or rationed care via pre-authorization or long waits for specialists...no.

Anonymous wrote:Avoid Medicare Advantage if you can. Pays docs even less than Medicare, and they are already jumping ship from Medicare. While you save money on premiums, and may get dental coverage, if you have anything go wrong, you will not be happy with an Advantage Medicare Account

+1
Our hospital quit taking Medicare Advantage. It's not an "advantage"

Avoid Medicare Advantage if you can. Pays docs even less than Medicare, and they are already jumping ship from Medicare. While you save money on premiums, and may get dental coverage, if you have anything go wrong, you will not be happy with an Advantage Medicare Account

Thanks for this OP. I watched the whole thing. It's super confusing.

If you are trying to navigate the signup for yourself or an elderly relative, I found this video enlightening and worth a watch