Original Medicare or Humana Advantage PPO

[Barbaraok]

Jim,

 

Have you looked at other companies? You never know until you ask if they will cover you or not.

[Kirk W]

......and presumably no other provider would sign me up on a new policy now that I'm not guaranteed coverage............... So I'm going to be stuck with the choice I made at 65 forever.

We fit the exact same situation which you bring up but we did change from F to G, and in the process we also changed carriers. We do have some advantage in that my previous employer has contracted with AON Retiree Health Exchange to assist their retirees in this process, but we had no problem in locating an underwriter to cover both of us and at a lower premium than our previous one. I believe that their services are available to the public so you may want to at least take a look at them. I don't think that you will be able to change carriers until the next open enrollment period, but it may be worth your time to investigate these services.

[whj469]

What I am finding is that no plan Medicare or Advantage Medicare will allow me to keep all of the doctors

that I would want to see. If I got with the Advantage plan that I am looking at then I must give up my heart

doctor who put in my pacemaker more then 8 years. If I go with regular Medicare and pay for a supplement

I get to keep the heart doctor but the Advantage plan is the only Medicare that they will take.

[Barbaraok]

What I am finding is that no plan Medicare or Advantage Medicare will allow me to keep all of the doctors

that I would want to see. If I got with the Advantage plan that I am looking at then I must give up my heart

doctor who put in my pacemaker more then 8 years. If I go with regular Medicare and pay for a supplement

I get to keep the heart doctor but the Advantage plan is the only Medicare that they will take.

Could you add names of plans above because it sounds like a run around by the heart surgeon

[whj469]

I hope not. The heart doctor seems to want me and they do take regular Medicare, Chick-Fung Wei, MD,

and also some Advantage plans. Kelsey- Seybold Advantage Plan is the only Medicare that they take

and they have a number of doctors that I see. Whichever way that I do choose I must give up

some of those doctors.

[Barbaraok]

We changed all our physicians 2 years ago when we decided to have our primary care done in Mesa where we spend every winter. And it was a good thing, because as new patients, we had new eyes looking at us and our problems. Found a squamous cell carcinoma on my husband's scalp because new internest decided we both need to see a dermatologist. So change isn't necessarily bad. Plus, at any time your physicians could get hit by a beer truck and die. Change is something everyone needs to get use to. Don't be afraid of it. Might be beneficial.

[Kirk W]

Change is something everyone needs to get use to. Don't be afraid of it. Might be beneficial.

Do we ever agree with that! I had a mole on my left ear that Pam had been concerned about but my doctor was not. Changed doctors about 10 years ago and the new doctor saw it and sent me to a dermatologist. Turned out to be melanoma and just at a point where it was starting to grow. Had it been checked 2 - 3 years before, precancer. We now both see a dermatologist on a regular basis.

 

I must say that the change 10 years ago was more difficult than our more recent change as we moved things out to the Tyler area from east Dallas. It was somewhat difficult to locate doctors willing to accept new Medicare patients 10 years ago, but 3 years ago when we moved to where we are now, not only was it pretty simple, but the electronic medical records were simply transferred and things went very smoothly. It seems like most doctors here now accept Medicare patients.

[Sehc]

A beer truck?

Some of what I'm reading does sound strange based on my experience with medicare. I had no problem changing supplement plans during open enrollment last year. Any doctor can refuse new patients, or not accept medicare assignment, but I have had no problem finding a doctor that accepts medicare.

[docj]

 

 

I must say that the change 10 years ago was more difficult than our more recent change as we moved things out to the Tyler area from east Dallas. It was somewhat difficult to locate doctors willing to accept new Medicare patients 10 years ago, but 3 years ago when we moved to where we are now, not only was it pretty simple, but the electronic medical records were simply transferred and things went very smoothly. It seems like most doctors here now accept Medicare patients.

 

Our population is aging as Baby Boomers become seniors. Since virtually all seniors are on Medicare it would seem pretty foolish for a doctor to eliminate a large percentage of his potential customer base by not accepting Medicare.

[whj469]

While that is true with all of us on Medicare, there are a large number of doctors who will not

take new Medicare customers. Some say that they don't make enough money with Medicare.

Two years ago my friend's wife who is a GP doctor was selling her partice so that they could retire

and some of the doctors who were looking to see if they wanted to buy it stated that they were not interested because

she had to many Medicare customers! She didn't like that and told then that she takes anyone who shows up.

[Sehc]

I have had a few doctors tell me that medicare pays better than most other insurance. They said they rather take more medicare, but are limited by hours worked.