Just found out have colon cancer while in supplement open enrollment

[Todd King]

Thanks again for the info.

I'm originally a Montana boy and have been planning to go back to a little place I have up there when I finally got around to retiring...I guess I've gotten around it....

I know I can use original medicare and the supplement any place that takes medicare but if I change my state of residence from Utah do I have to get new policy in Montana when I get there ?

The rates seem a little better down here than up there so it might make sense to get the new/better policy in Utah sooner rather than later if I can keep it once I move.

Also if my open enrollment begins July 1st does it end January 1, 2019 or December 31, 2018?

Yes, you will need to get a new supp when you have a permanent move to an different area.

 

[sshafran]

Yes, you will need to get a new supp when you have a permanent move to an different area.

When you are first eligible for Medicare, you have a seven-month period to sign up. This seven-month period begins three months before your 65th birthday, includes the month you turn 65, and ends three months after you turn 65. So your open enrollment starts April 1st and ends Ocotober 31st.

Todd - respectfully - you may want to revisit MedicareTraining101 (and/or re-read his posts) if you think the above is accurate.

 

[Todd King]

Todd - respectfully - you may want to revisit MedicareTraining101 (and/or re-read his posts) if you think the above is accurate.

No, no...that's why I deleted it right after I posted it. I just copied and pasted too quick, then I realized it was already answered.

 

[GreenSky]

Yes, you will need to get a new supp when you have a permanent move to an different area.

Nope. I've had several clients move from CA to other states. In each case they kept their current plan along with the much higher rates compared to their new state.

I've complained about this but at least for the 3 companies in question they kept the higher rate.

Rick

 

[Todd King]

Nope. I've had several clients move from CA to other states. In each case they kept their current plan along with the much higher rates compared to their new state.

I've complained about this but at least for the 3 companies in question they kept the higher rate.

Rick

If they drop the plan and get a new one with a different company they'll get new rates...LOL

I really don't get why this would happen though. I would bet if the rates were higher where they moved to, then the rates would change!

Furthermore, I'm not sure how they can legally charge them more than they are charging other clients in the same area. I wonder how the state's DOI would feel about that?

 

[somarco]

The concern I have is from my experience with Veterans Choice many of the civilian providers occasionally screw up the codes

Most "civilian" providers know how to properly code Medicare claims if they want them paid.

I'm concerned with having to call customer service of an unknown company and if they stink I'm stuck.

Claims submitted to Medigap carriers come in pre-approved. Pretty much a no-brainer from there.

Nothing special about the USAA Medigap plan. Could be wrong but I believe they don't participate in cross-over. Other than that they pay claims just like everyone else.

Like Rick and others, I have had clients leave GA and move to other states. They kept their Medigap and I still get paid. They don't get new policies unless they are healthy and can find lower rates. So far of the dozen or so that have moved none have dropped their policy.

Well, one died, so he did drop his. But other than that . . .

 

[goillini52]

If they drop the plan and get a new one with a different company they'll get new rates...LOL

I really don't get why this would happen though. I would bet if the rates were higher where they moved to, then the rates would change!

Furthermore, I'm not sure how they can legally charge them more than they are charging other clients in the same area. I wonder how the state's DOI would feel about that?

All the clients I've had that moved from Illinois to other states, kept the lower Illinois rates when they moved. If in doubt, call the company and ask them. That's what I did.

 

[Chazm]

Yeah I’ve never had a client drop a supp by moving out of state. You just give them your new address and they get a new rate. I haven’t had many move out of FL but when they do, their rate drops significantly

 

[LostDollar]

I realize all supplement companies are supposed to pay if medicare pays. The concern I have is from my experience with Veterans Choice many of the civilian providers occasionally screw up the codes. I'm concerned with having to call customer service of an unknown company and if they stink I'm stuck...

First, if you have not already done so, I would suggest that you create mysocialsecurity and mymedicare accounts. Those will be useful to you for information purposes.

I don't think you will get away from coding issues in the Medicare environment. However, my experience with claims for the past year suggests two things in regard to dealing with them.

If you disagree with Medicare's payment or non-payment decisions, I think your attempts to change those decisions will involve dealing with the provider and/or Medicare. (And by the way-Medicare (but not social security) has a 24 hour phone service-so folks on the forum have said you can get through easily in the wee hours of the morning.)

I think the only time you would have to deal with the Medicare supplement carrier is if/when information does not flow properly from Medicare to the supplement carrier-and then you are just working to see that the Medigap carrier has the correct information from Medicare. (If the situation would get very sticky, I think there is a way to get Medicare involved in support of that process-just can't tell you how that would work.)

For most (but not all) of my claims over the past year, the flow of Provider billing to Medicare MSN to Medigap EOB to provider billing to me has worked very smoothly.

Unfortunately, even with Medicare, you will still be in the situation where you will have to deal with some medical bills or insurance issues, and then you drop back to the standard decision criterion: Is this worth my time to argue over or shall I just pay it and be done?.

 

[LostDollar]

No - you won't need to get a new policy. A Med Supp policy is guaranteed renewable - so they can't cancel your policy or make you change plans even if you move out of the area where it was originally issued.

Open Enrollment is 6 months and begins the first day of July - so it ends at the end of Dec.

Which date controls the rules under which the Medigap policy is issued, the policy application date or the policy effective date?

If he applies for a policy in December 2018 which will be issued on Jan 1, 2019; will the policy be issued under open enrollment/initial enrollment rules or under underwritten policy rules?