Turning 65 Florida - Medicare Help, Please

[samgood]

For how much I read and try to understand it, I draw a complete blank on Medicare. Maybe I am shocked I got this old, but.....

Turning 65 in Sept. I have been told I need to register either 3 months before, or in September, or 3 months after. Huh ?

Then, what to choose.... I have friends on Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
They tell me different things regarding coverage and traveling. One who is on Medicare Advantage tells me she can travel and get care because she has a PPO. For sure I don't want an HMO.

I live in Sumter County. I don't need the Part D, but have been told I will get a penalty if I decline it. I also do not have any chronic conditions that need a lot of care. I think it is a good idea to have blood work done at least once a year.

I am a new RV'er. I hope to travel soon and may be gone for months at a time. So I need a plan that I can use wherever in the U.S.

I am currently on Obamacare and have been told through the Marketplace that I will keep that plan until the end of the year, then go on Medicare.

Any help with this will be appreciated. What to do? Thank you.

 

[FLM2]

For how much I read and try to understand it, I draw a complete blank on Medicare. Maybe I am shocked I got this old, but.....

Turning 65 in Sept. I have been told I need to register either 3 months before, or in September, or 3 months after. Huh ?

Then, what to choose.... I have friends on Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
They tell me different things regarding coverage and traveling. One who is on Medicare Advantage tells me she can travel and get care because she has a PPO. For sure I don't want an HMO.

I live in Sumter County. I don't need the Part D, but have been told I will get a penalty if I decline it. I also do not have any chronic conditions that need a lot of care. I think it is a good idea to have blood work done at least once a year.

I am a new RV'er. I hope to travel soon and may be gone for months at a time. So I need a plan that I can use wherever in the U.S.

I am currently on Obamacare and have been told through the Marketplace that I will keep that plan until the end of the year, then go on Medicare.

Any help with this will be appreciated. What to do? Thank you.

Find a local independent agent who is qualified to review all of this with you. Don't rely on a captive agent who will give you only one side of the full story

Your IEP begins 3 months before you become Medicare eligible but the reality is that until you receive a Medicare card there isn't much you can do. Once you reach June you can have a meaningful conversation, until then focus on finding a reputable agent.

 

[Newby]

For how much I read and try to understand it, I draw a complete blank on Medicare. Maybe I am shocked I got this old, but..... Turning 65 in Sept. I have been told I need to register either 3 months before, or in September, or 3 months after. Huh ? Then, what to choose.... I have friends on Medicare and Medicare Advantage. They tell me different things regarding coverage and traveling. One who is on Medicare Advantage tells me she can travel and get care because she has a PPO. For sure I don't want an HMO. I live in Sumter County. I don't need the Part D, but have been told I will get a penalty if I decline it. I also do not have any chronic conditions that need a lot of care. I think it is a good idea to have blood work done at least once a year. I am a new RV'er. I hope to travel soon and may be gone for months at a time. So I need a plan that I can use wherever in the U.S. I am currently on Obamacare and have been told through the Marketplace that I will keep that plan until the end of the year, then go on Medicare. Any help with this will be appreciated. What to do? Thank you.

1. If you are receiving social security payments you will be signed up for A&B automatically. If you aren't drawing social security you will get A automatically but need to sign up for B

2. Yes you need to get an RX plan. If you aren't taking expensive Meds you can get a cheap one ($17ish) so you don't pay a penalty in the future.

3. If you are going to travel I would definitely stay on original Medicare. No way I would go on a PPO and plan on being out of network if I were you. You can but why would you? Medicare is as good as it gets network-wise. Take advantage of that. And if you can afford gas for an RV you can afford a Med Sup premium.

4. You will go off Obamacare on September 1st and be covered by Medicare and your supplement and RX plan. And you will breathe a huge sigh of relief.

5. Find a good local insurance broker that specializes in Medicare in your town and have him show the rates for all the companies to you. Pick one and call him any time you get a rate increase for the rest of your life.

 

[axeman462]

5. Find a good local insurance broker that specializes in Medicare in your town and have him show the rates for all the companies to you. Pick one and call him any time you get a rate increase for the rest of your life.

I'm a local broker who specializes in Medicare in Sumter County

 

[j10]

To me, it sounds like a choice between PPO MAPD or Medicare supplement.

For the top of the line Supplement, which both gives you that ubiquitous network that you're looking for, and 100% payment when using your A and B Hospital and Medical coverage. The typically lowest rates for this plan I'm seeing in a sample sumter county zipcode are around $175 a month. You'll see rates like that through AARP/UHC and BCBS around there usually. And yeah, the cheapest drug plan would be around $18.40 a month just to avoid the penalty. Plan N, with a $166 deductible and up to $20/$50 copays at the Dr's/ER respectively, comes in around $125 a month.

You could also go with a PPO MAPD, of which there are a couple available for $0 a month from a few companies available from national carriers. These do allow you to use your plan without referrals at any A and B provider that accepts Out of Network payments. With the national carriers you usually do get the ability to transfer in-network benefits out of state at participating providers. (UHC and Humana come to mind with this ability sometimes) These could cover your Part D at no additional premium, and you get a first year trial right where you get to go to a Supplement at any time, no questions asked if it doesn't turn out to be a good fit. You don't get the same right in the opposite direction, so take that into account as well.

Without knowing more, those are the two enrollments I'd be comfortable assisting with.

 

[samgood]

Thank you for the replies FLM2, Newby, Axeman2 and the pm's.
Newby, you helped clear some of this up especially.

 

[yogooglethis]

For how much I read and try to understand it, I draw a complete blank on Medicare. Maybe I am shocked I got this old, but.....

Turning 65 in Sept. I have been told I need to register either 3 months before, or in September, or 3 months after. Huh ?

Then, what to choose.... I have friends on Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
They tell me different things regarding coverage and traveling. One who is on Medicare Advantage tells me she can travel and get care because she has a PPO. For sure I don't want an HMO.

I live in Sumter County. I don't need the Part D, but have been told I will get a penalty if I decline it. I also do not have any chronic conditions that need a lot of care. I think it is a good idea to have blood work done at least once a year.

I am a new RV'er. I hope to travel soon and may be gone for months at a time. So I need a plan that I can use wherever in the U.S.

I am currently on Obamacare and have been told through the Marketplace that I will keep that plan until the end of the year, then go on Medicare.

Any help with this will be appreciated. What to do? Thank you.

Make sure the agent is competent and certified in both MA and Medicare supplement so you get to hear both side of the story.If you choose med supp ask if agent if certified to sell PDP.PDP is what you probably need help with more since med supps are standardized and you are basically shopping for lowest current premium and rate increase history which in Fl. is almost always UHC/AARP.

The government subsidizes part D at about 100.00 a month so remember whether you use it or not it's valuable coverage- some times more valuable then medicare supplement coverage.Even without a medicare supplement you are only responsible to pay only 20% of the very discounted medicare approved charges whereas going without part D you are exposing yourself to pay 100% of retail cost of outpatient drugs which can be 300-3000 per month for brand name drugs.

 

[Iwillpay]

Thank you for the replies FLM2, Newby, Axeman2 and the pm's.
Newby, you helped clear some of this up especially.

If you are in good health you can also take a High deductible plan F and the Part D plan. That will work just fine.

 

[Chazm]

If you are in good health you can also take a High deductible plan F and the Part D plan. That will work just fine.

HDF in Florida is around $65. It's not a bad option but for $125 I'd probably choose the N myself.

 

[Iwillpay]

HDF in Florida is around $65. It's not a bad option but for $125 I'd probably choose the N myself.

Yes AARP plan N is also attractive, in Florida, very hard to beat.