MA drug plans vs PDP

[bekahsack]

For those that offer both Med Adv and Med Supps, how do you feel the drug plans compare when looking at the MA drug plans vs. Part D? Is it always on a case-by-case basis, or do you feel one is consistently better coverage than the other?

I don't have much experience with MA drug plans and appreciate any insight!

 

[LostDollar]

For those that offer both Med Adv and Med Supps, how do you feel the drug plans compare when looking at the MA drug plans vs. Part D? Is it always on a case-by-case basis, or do you feel one is consistently better coverage than the other?

I don't have much experience with MA drug plans and appreciate any insight!

Not an agent.

Don't think the real issue is quite as simple as you've posed it.

I think the first question would be whether or not the client's overall medical needs are better served by Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare plus Medigap plus a PDP.

Drug comparisons are likely not always the whole answer to that question.

 

[JimmyCrappedCorn]

Not an agent.

Don't think the real issue is quite as simple as you've posed it.

I think the first question would be whether or not the client's overall medical needs are better served by Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare plus Medigap plus a PDP.

Drug comparisons are likely not always the whole answer to that question.

Quick thought on this is if you are not flat out broke and unemployed then for the love of all things sensible just get a medicare supplement and a drug plan and move on with your life. What you don't want to do is get yourself so hung up on figuring out Medicare's many idiosyncrasies that you get yourself tied up on a Medicare insurance forum on the internet whittling away what little time you have left on this planet.

For the most part the drug plans on the MA's are the same thing as PDP's . Neither one is particularly better then the other. To be safe you would have to check each case which we know all these MA agents always do.

 

[Chazm]

In my area it depends. I can easily find mapd plans that have much better copays that any part d plan you can throw at me.

But those mapd plans that have ridiculously low copays and coverage in the gap most likely have a weak doctor network.

The only exception WAS Aetna PPO. Up until this year, they would cover insulin at a $5 tier 2 in and out of the coverage gap and they had an extensive network.

 

[vic120]

There are too many variables, What area zipcode state all make a big difference

Also, the meds that a person is on makes all the difference.

There just is no one answer no one size fits all

 

[sshafran]

For those that offer both Med Adv and Med Supps, how do you feel the drug plans compare when looking at the MA drug plans vs. Part D? Is it always on a case-by-case basis, or do you feel one is consistently better coverage than the other?

I don't have much experience with MA drug plans and appreciate any insight!

When I lived in Ohio near Columbus, we had several strong MAPD plans and if someone was on a lot of medication, the difference in cost between a MAPD and a PDP for the Rx portion alone could be in the thousands. i.e., MAPD (quite often) better than PDP when looking at this factor.

Now that I'm in NC - the county I'm in has ONE MAPD (seriously, I went from 31 to ONE). I doubt I'll ever sell it!

As far as Jimmy Crap saying that we don't check both options - well, that says more about Jimmy than it does about some of us on the forum. I know, when I run reports, I click to show both PDP's and MAPD's. I want to know if there is a big spread either way, as I don't care which type of plan they buy.

In short, the advice I'd give is this: Just Check - it won't hurt to do so.

 

[Chazm]

When I lived in Ohio near Columbus, we had several strong MAPD plans and if someone was on a lot of medication, the difference in cost between a MAPD and a PDP for the Rx portion alone could be in the thousands. i.e., MAPD (quite often) better than PDP when looking at this factor.

Now that I'm in NC - the county I'm in has ONE MAPD (seriously, I went from 31 to ONE). I doubt I'll ever sell it!

As far as Jimmy Crap saying that we don't check both options - well, that says more about Jimmy than it does about some of us on the forum. I know, when I run reports, I click to show both PDP's and MAPD's. I want to know if there is a big spread either way, as I don't care which type of plan they buy.

In short, the advice I'd give is this: Just Check - it won't hurt to do so.

Must be nice! What’s the premium for T65 NS female Plan G and N?

 

[WCMason]

For those that offer both Med Adv and Med Supps, how do you feel the drug plans compare when looking at the MA drug plans vs. Part D? Is it always on a case-by-case basis, or do you feel one is consistently better coverage than the other?

I don't have much experience with MA drug plans and appreciate any insight!

When I run a drug plan finders on clients I find that in general HMO plans tend to have lower estimated annual costs than PPO plans do, and Advantage plans--HMO and PPO--have generally lower annual cost than stand alones, but that's mostly due to the higher premiums, which are included when plans are ranked by annual cost. It is always on a case-by-case basis, however, so these generalizations aren't really that helpful.

 

[Todd King]

Not an agent.

Don't think the real issue is quite as simple as you've posed it.

I think the first question would be whether or not the client's overall medical needs are better served by Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare plus Medigap plus a PDP.

Drug comparisons are likely not always the whole answer to that question.

Once again, you want to read into things. Go back and read her question. She simply asked (those who actually sell Med Advantage and Supps) how we FEEL about something. You don't even have the right to begin to answer this question! You're not an agent, you don't sell and therefore your feelings about this, matter about as much as a turd on the side of the road with the crap beat out of it!

 

[WCMason]

Once again, you want to read into things. Go back and read her question. She simply asked (those who actually sell Med Advantage and Supps) how we FEEL about something. You don't even have the right to begin to answer this question! You're not an agent, you don't sell and therefore your feelings about this, matter about as much as a turd on the side of the road with the crap beat out of it!

It's a common ploy with this one. Can't answer the question asked so criticizes the OP for not asking the right question. It's as predictable as it is irritating.