Why arent high deductible medigap plans more popular?

[Millwood]

On the other side of the fence, I spoke with a couple recently who have 2,000 per month income, and both have Plan G. His premium is $400 and hers is $300. Both tobacco, age 83 and 74. He has taken memory meds in the past, and doesnt go to the doctor.

What do you do for someone like that. They scrape by to pay medigap premiums....

Use the New Oklahoma
Birthday Rule.

 

[rmhaire]

dandandandandandan, you about to get the wrath of Mhaire and the MSO's. Sounds like a made up name for a band but they are actually a real group of MA haters. No way anyone that has been paying deductibles, copays, and has had to follow a network or have a test pre approved would ever want to continue doing that. It's OK for 64.999 years of their life but not a day more.

Nope. No wrath here. Sounds like @dandan is doing it the way I do. Explain both and give them a choice. After all they're grown ass men and women.

And as far as being a MSO, I'm not. I'm just as certified and bonafide with AHIP as you are.

 

[GoPokes]

Use the New Oklahoma
Birthday Rule.

I should have clarified, they live in KS.

I was trying to illustrate how sometimes, there really isnt a medigap solution for a situation.

 

[renee15]

I sat down with a client last week, he had done all of his homework and knew what he wanted. I usually go over Med Supp coverage first and then Medicare Advantage and answer questions along the way, I don't intentionally sway anyone to either option but try to inform them so they can make an educated decision, as soon as I went over Plan G he pulled out a piece of notebook paper and he said tell me why I would give this money away?

Dental $2000
Eye glasses $250
GYM (his) $660
Fitness Allowance $600
Foreign Travel $250,000
Over the counter and healthy foods $720
$4230.00 not including travel bene

Maximum out of pocket if I max out $5500.

most members do not use the eye glasses9they had cataract surgery) or gym benefit. Some will use the dental-but unlikely they will reach the 2K. Plans in my area have an avg of $40 x4 for OTC=$160. So the tradeoff of $160 and maybe $400 for dental versus the copays for hospital and surgery?

 

[Cenla Agent]

Because those who have heard of Med Supp have heard that it is supposed to pay what Medicare doesn't pay, which to their mind means that it pays EVERYTHING that Medicare doesn't pay. It was hard enough getting some people to accept that Plan G was a better buy than Plan F when F was still available to everybody, much less a HD. Those looking to save premium gravitate towards MAPD with the additional benefits and lower out of pocket on Rx. And as a previous poster noted, even some rich people think a supp is a ripoff and will go with MAPD.

Most people these days, especially those on a fixed income, don't want a high deductible, especially not one that goes up every year. It is why middle class people who can afford a Supp prefer G (or F in the old days) to anything else.

Perhaps the biggest selling point of HD is that the premiums don't go up as much as Plan G. With the birthday rules that seem to be more and more common, that may be less of a factor in the short term.

 

[LostDollar]

Perhaps the biggest selling point of HD is that the premiums don't go up as much as Plan G. With the birthday rules that seem to be more and more common, that may be less of a factor in the short term.

Then there's "Who gets to manage your money, You or the Insurance Company?"