Healthcare and the RV Lifestyle

[Kirk W]

"The good news is that the vast majority of healthcare providers in the country still accept Original Medicare. My recommendation is to not do anything to mess that up. In my opinion, the worst thing you can do to your very portable coverage is to trade it in for a Medicare Advantage plan. Instead, I recommend you keep Original Medicare and purchase a Medicare supplement plan to fill in the gaps. Medicare Supplement plans, just like Original Medicare, will go with you wherever you go."

I very much agree with this point. Advantage plans look good because of price but most do not travel well and many doctors do not accept them for payment.

[trostberg]

^{I am under 65 and Blue Cross in my zip code did not have nationwide coverage. My local insurance agent also cautioned about coverage traveling in Canada.}

 

^{From his experience a local HMO had better payment history for emergencies out of state and in Canada. So payment history is an important factor if you have access to that information.}

[GlennWest]

ppo plans do

[richfaa]

I stated in a previous post "We are fortunate to have a Employee provided BC/BS health care that we could carry over into retirement" That plan is "FEHBP"

("Federal Employees Health benefits Plan ) It is as stated a through BC/BS. Both wife and I are retired Federal Employees and like millions before us can take our plans into retirement but contrary to popular misinformation do pay a portion of the premiums like any other Employer provided plan. It is a nationwide plan .FEHBP is similar to the Military health care plans.

 

 

It is nothing new and has been around since 1960. "

 

The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program is a system of "managed competition" through which employee health benefits are provided to civilian government employees and annuitants of the United States government. The government contributes 72% of the weighted average premium of all plans, not to exceed 75% of the premium for any one plan (calculated separately for individual and family coverage).^[1]

The FEHB program allows some insurance companies, employee associations, and labor unions to market health insurance plans to governmental employees. The program is administered by the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

 

BC/BS pays very good on prescription drugs and as stated our out of pocket medical expenses are manageable. I am sure there are many here with the same or similar coverage via FEHBP.

[markandkim]

Medicare and Tricare for life.

[KodiakJack]

I am sure there are many here with the same or similar coverage via FEHBP.

X2

Later,

J

PS Provides coverage worldwide too.

[Jim & Alice]

I very much agree with this point. Advantage plans look good because of price but most do not travel well and many doctors do not accept them for payment.

 

x3... Just went thru the exercise of signing up for Medicare... sought out good advice... and did just exactly that - Signed up for a Medicare Supplement Plan. And I've already used it in Michigan and Arizona - very transportable.

Jim

[sandsys]

BC/BS and United are the only two insurance companies that I know about that cover you anywhere. One of my traveling friends told me only a few months ago, that changing their mail service zip code changed their insurance plan....just a heads up.

Unless your BC is from South Dakota. I've heard they do not play well with others. Our retiree BC was from Minnesota and traveled well with us until it stopped when we turned 65.

 

Linda Sand

[TravelOn]

Still have not heard from anyone on the Medical Savings Plan. Surely someone has tried this plan. It sounds great (maybe too great) and am still looking for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. I was not able to find out much about it and would like verified information so I can update my book, "Healthcare & the RV Lifestyle."

 

This is the kind of stuff I live for, getting information out there so no one steps into a hole because there is no detour sign tacked up. It is always costly getting out of that hole.

[TravelOn]

Oops! You know, I think I forgot to mention that the plans like BC/BS & United mentioned earlier are Medicare Advantage plans, not supplemental insurance. These "advantage" plans often cover other areas that Medicare does not, like dental and optical care. There are quite a few plans offered, most are regulated by state rules, hence traveling out of state may become a problem. Some "advantage" plans even cover the deductible. Very enticing until you travel out of state and need coverage as discussed earlier.

 

Plus, the rules change too. South Dakota, very popular among full-timers, now is in-state only coverage. Under 65ers and Advantage Plan RVers now have to find new domiciles.

[Kirk W]

At least two of the doctors we see will not accept any of the Advantage plans. Be very careful in making your choices.

[richfaa]

I am a old guy but thus far in good health. According to our "My Blue" report My total medical expense for 2014 was under 2K and between BC/BS and Medicare my out of pocket was zero. Went through health care cost with both sets of our parents fortunately they were well insured. My Fathers final Hospital bill was over 25K outstanding balance zero. Same with our Mother we were executer of their estates and the health care cost were totally covered between Their private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI.

[Dave O]

At least two of the doctors we see will not accept any of the Advantage plans. Be very careful in making your choices.

Hi all

 

Most of our Doctors for about 15-20 years in many parts of the country have signs in their offices that they WILL NOT accept ANY Medicare advantage type plans.

 

Definitely something to be very careful about and if you travel, avoid.

 

Dave O

[Jack Mayer]

At least two of the doctors we see will not accept any of the Advantage plans. Be very careful in making your choices.

My doctor's medical group also has signs up that they will not take Advantage plans.

[bigjim]

Is that fairly new about not accepting the advantage plans? I have never been on one but have had an issue with not being able to see a Dr based on medicare. I have a good supplimental plan also. One I had seen several times and even had minor surgury in the office but it had been nearly 4 years and they would only accept me if I had been in within the last 2 years. Another in the same area that I had seen before wanted to charghe $25. to retrieve my previous records from storage. These were Dermatologist in different offices in Albuquerque. That is a bit of a problem when traveling since you may not be back in the same area's at least on a regular basis. To be fair I have wondered if is the Dr's administrative staff making some of these decisions with no exceptions and of course there is no easy way to discuss it with the Dr. if you can't get to talk to him/her.

[Kirk W]

Is that fairly new about not accepting the advantage plans?

There have been some doctors who were doing this for a long time, but since the ACH it seems to have become more common. I'm not sure just what the ACH has to do with that, but it seems to. We first ran into this issue about 5 years ago when Pam mentioned in her doctor's office that we were possibly going to have to change Medicare supplemental plans. The office manager then pointed out to her that they didn't accept any of the Medicare Advantage plans.

 

About a year ago I asked my dermatologist why that is and he says that advantage plans pay less than Medicare does and are much more difficult to work with. When I asked why some do accept them he said that he believes that most doctors who do so are newly in practice or recently relocated and are still building a practice, or for some reason they need more patients. He also says that most specialists do not accept advantage plans and I know that the orthopedic group that Pam has seen for both an ankle & a hip replacement do not accept them. I have not followed up on that conversation, so am not sure how accurate that is. He did say that most doctors who accept them to get started, eventually stop accepting new "advantage" patients but do continue to see those already under their care when they make the change.

[chirakawa]

Medicare Advantage plans are not Medicare supplemental plans. They are Medicare replacements. They provide both Part A and Part B in place of conventional Medicare and Medicare supplemental plans.

 

Medicare Advantage plans appeal to people who can't afford the cost of Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Plans. They also many times include dental, optical, and prescription drug coverage. I have never heard of anyone who is a member of one of these Advantage plans being refused service by a provider who is in that same specific Advantage network. Those providers are contracted to provide service to those participants.

[bigjim]

"by a provider who is in that same specific Advantage network. Those providers are contracted to provide service to those participants." This makes sense and sounds logical. The supplemental I have is the same plan I had when working and uses the PPO system for folks who are not on Medicare. They will pay out of PPO network at a reduced rate. If you are on Medicare it pays secondary and I am not obliged to go seek out PPO Dr's and facilities but I will if it is convienient. Anything reasonable to help hold down costs for the plan as it benefits others. In recent years I have used the VA more but not exclusively.

[yourpcgeek49]

I have been using an Advantage Plan for the past year with no problems -- although I do not use doctors much, and Cleveland's University Hospitals is a provider in my plan. However, we will be going on the road at the end of this season. In correspondence with Kyle Henderson, he said "... if you change your domicile to Texas you are moving outside of your Medicare Advantage plan’s service area and therefore are allowed a Guaranteed Issue special enrollment for a Medicare supplement plan."

 

For those who are getting ready to go full-time, or for those who have an Advantage Plan and wish they didn't -- that's good information & good news.

[svanarts]

Hello. I'm new to the forum and normally wouldn't chime in on a discussion between established members. I'm gearing up to go full time in a few years and so am also researching health insurance options. The biggest draw back to the faith-based health care sharing organizations is finding a doctor or hospital that will allow you to pay out of pocket. Many (at least in California) don't. At least that's what my friend is finding. Being a Christian myself I was hoping to use an organization like this. However, I'll have to do more research to see if it's truly viable for us.

[GlennWest]

Need to do more research. Some you just hand them a card and they summit it. There are 4 health share organizations

[Dutch_12078]

My wife and I have each had a UHC zero premium Advantage plan for the past several years with no problems with acceptance. For coverage outside of our regional "home" area in Upstate NY, we use the plan's "Passport" feature that gives us coverage in most areas of the country at our regular co-pays. The few times we've needed such coverage, we had no problem finding a provider using UHC's online directory. And urgent care and emergency room visits are covered everywhere.

[Daveh]

 

Svanarts, In my opinion provider reluctance to accept the plan is one drawback of faith based plans but the biggest drawback are the caps on the plans. For instance the per incident cap on the Libery Plan is 125,000.00 and a 1 million lifetime cap. If you get cancer, a chronic disease, have an accident or need a transplant--those limits are really low. Plans under Obamacare have NO lifetime cap. That is a dramatic difference.

 

[GlennWest]

Svanarts, In my opinion provider reluctance to accept the plan is one drawback of faith based plans but the biggest drawback are the caps on the plans. For instance the per incident cap on the Libery Plan is 125,000.00 and a 1 million lifetime cap. If you get cancer, a chronic disease, have an accident or need a transplant--those limits are really low. Plans under Obamacare have NO lifetime cap. That is a dramatic difference.

That is wrong. 1 million cap per incident. But who can pay 1300+ dollars a month for a 12k ded.

[Kirk W]

Being a Christian myself I was hoping to use an organization like this. However, I'll have to do more research to see if it's truly viable for us.

You will always find those who list many reasons for not using one because they don't share our faith. I don't have one of those plans mostly because my former employer has provided us with insurance coverage, but if I were not so fortunate, I would check them out. You do need to check out all of the questions brought up, but get your answers from the plans, rather than opinions of we contributors here.