Is it worth getting supplemental insurance?

Now is the time to make a change, before Dec 7, or you are stuck for another year. I have Medicare Advantage thru United Health Care and do not pay any premium. They take the amount out of Social Security, the medical amount they are already charging me. I haven't checked into what is going to happen to the Advantage policies since Obama is going back in. I think they are trying to get rid of them or rearrange them some way. Wouldn't hurt to call United Health Care and see.

I am 66 years old and being treated for Cancer. Some how, when it was time for me to sign up for Supplemental coverage, I didn't sign up for Supplemental part B....don't ask me why/how, but I did. When I got my diagnosis, and subsequent surgery, chemo, and radiation treatments, we were understandably concerned as to what our out of pocket expenses were going to be. We had an insurance broker come to our house to explain things. As it has turned out so far, what we have had to pay out of pocket has not exceeded the cost of what Supplemental Part B - $96/month for 22 months (I turned 65 in Feb. 2011). I do have prescription coverage and cannot purchase a separate Part B policy without giving up my current Supplemental Part A and prescription coverage which I get through my husband's retirement benefits.

We are only responsible for the 20% that Medicare does not pay so after Medicare reduces the fees to what is amounting to 10% of what was originally charged, the remaining amount isn't so daunting. The insurance broker said we weren't in as bad a position that we originally thought. So, I would encourage anyone to check with an insurance broker (he did not charge us for his service) before making changes.

I just finished chemo yesterday and still have radiation treatments to go. Chemo has been running around $13-15K per session, Medicare reduces those fees to around $1300-1500, and we have been paying around $130-150 per session.

Try USAA. My parents had Plan F supplemental and paid $180.00 per month. They are excellent to work with and docs love them.

Exactly amitebird! You need to check each and every year. But it also depends what state and what county you live in!!!!!! I did not know that, till I had many discussions with my cousin, who is a Medicare advantage salesperson. In my particular state, BCBS is the insurance of "last resort". In other words, they will take on anyone.
Everyone knows their own financial situation best, but I personally would not go without a supp. But I am one of those individuals that "falls in the crack". I earn too much on disability, to get help, but do not get enough to cover all my basic expenses. So I used up everything I had, including my retirement and then had to file bankruptcy, because my house is not paid. And I do not have an elaborate home. I had also put a line of credit against my home for my cobra insurance. You have to be on disability for 24 months, before you qualify for MEDICARE!!!!
This is not an uncommmon situation!!!!!!! The rules are "goofy"!
The supp covers the 20 % that Medicare does not cover. If you are on costly or could potentially be on costly medication, then I would also recommend a Part D. Because my cousin, not as my insurance rep, but as my cousin, advised me not to go with the advantage plan, due to my many dr's visits and high cost medications. He/she said that I would be "nickeled and dimed" to death, with the advantage plan. So you have to look at each individual situation. There are some "free" senior advisors out there, but if you have family or friends that you trust, then have them help you sort it out.
As far as the new health care, I am not sure that any of us can completely understand it! I know that congress does not. They did not even read it!!!!!!!
And I am a health care professional, on disability. There are some things that will be better for some people, but others will definitely have a disadvantage!
In my "humble" opinion, if we could get rid of lawyers! guess what they write the laws! and the hefty pharmacy prices, life would be a lot easier. But that is just an opinion! Yes, there are people in the medical profession, that no longer see it as a calling, but as a high paying profession. But if you have ever been on their side and see all the paper work that is required, you would be amazed. It is not a wonder that you do not see your health care provider, except for a few minutes.
Which in my opinion, is TERRIBLE. You can not treat someone appropriately, in that short amount of time.
Each one of us should do what we can to help turn this crisis around. One person cannot do it alone. But each time you are able to say something in a polite manner or sterner, if needed, perhaps our message will eventually come through!

What we need is a single, nationwide universal health insurance program and policy. What all of your postings show is how fractured and maddening it is to sort out what's what as each state manages it's health policy & $$ differently beyond the old-school Medicare A & B. Write your representative, especially if you have new one's elected yesterday. The whole Medicare prescription program is all about who did successful lobbying imho.

Grannysmomma - my dad was a federal employee and had a federal BCBS for our family. My mom was on it until she went on Medicaid (she's in a NH and it get's "suspended" and not ever cancelled because it's federal) and her monthly BCBS rate was about $ 250 & automatically taken out of her SS and paid 100% of whatever Medicare didn't with no limits. Doc's & hospitals love this type of insurance. Most lawmakers are under this type of federal health insurance policy and because of this are totally insulated from understanding the total clusterF* that dealing with the health care system is for average folk. Write your representatives and tell them you want change that needs to be universal and in clear understandable language. Imho this is an issue for all of us, but especially this is a woman's issue (no matter what your political party is) as we are default caretakers, caregivers and do the brunt of the work one way or the other.

Oh wow, do I have an experience to share with you. My husband is on medicare, I am too young still (and so paying half of our salary for insurance). I decided to look for new insurance, and while speaking to the salesman he asked about my husband's supplemental, which was through AARP. Well, it had doubled since he had started (about 3 years ago). I said oh, no, we are covered there. Then later I rethought and said, "well, why don't you check it and see what we can get". He had the EXACT same insurance for half the price. In other words it was knocked back to where he had started 3 years ago through a different insurance. He also cut my cost back a little with a smaller deductible (from $10,000 ded to $2500 ded). This is the lesson I learned: check for new insurance every other year, they are playing you and count on you being too tired to check with other companies which will compete. This includes AARP.

I think it's dangerous to do without it, but you might be able to find a better rate for it. Start with aarp, they know what they are doing.

Wow that $300 a month seems rather steep. Have you looked into maybe going to a different medicare plan. If she has plan f-that is the best one offered and the most expensive. We had plan f with blue cross. We switched to aarp and to plan N. Not all companies carry PlanN and your really need to shop around. Good news though-you have until dec 7th to change-might be worth it to look into this. Good luck

I have medicaire and AARP because many docs are opting out of medicaire or thinking about I go to a very large medicial 20 facilictias in 3 county so they almost have to accept medicare but their billing people love me for having both-no co-pays at all and can see the docs I want to go to-they have several plans-it is not cheap but if you see what office visits or ER visits cost you will realize why insurance is so expensive-I feel it is worth it I do not understand Obamacare at this point.

I am the attorney in fact for my mother who is in stage 5 Alzheimers Disease. She is in assisted living. She has Medicare Part A & B. We did not choose Part D. With her income level she is eligible for patient assistance program for her Alzheimers medication which costs a fortune. I pay for here assisted living and her other medications that are all generic, they are $10.00 for 90 days and an additional $3.00 per 30 card bubble packed which assisted living requires for dispensing the medicatiions.

If we had the Medicare prescription plan she would not get the Alzheimers medication through a patient assistance program.

Her supplemental just went up to $300.00 a month. It pays the hospital deductible and what medicare covers it will pay the part that the patient is responsible for after the medicare Part B pays. That is $3,600 dollars a year. Due to the stage of her disease and financial position she may be better off without the supplemental. Interested to hear your answers........When I am unable to help her with paying a portion of her assisted living she will have to go on medicaid.

we have the aarp and it was probably one of the best rates out there. We are thinking of switching to the medicare advantage-but not sure how reliable this would be. Also now that the President has been reelected-we need to figure out whats the best way to go. grannys mommy-you need to sign up three months before you turn 65 and all pre-exsisting conditions are waived. So u have no worried there.

I personally favor supplement. Have you tried checking on other companies to sre if price is lower! We use aarp for my mom. They have several plans to choose from.

That is a great question. My husband and are not of age yet to receive Medicare but our current Blue Shield premiums for individual insurance are off the planet! over $1,600/mth but employer pays. We don't know what to do once we "come of age" and semi-retire since our income will barely allow us to have a supplemental at all even though our insurance agent tells us that supplemental will be cheaper....HA! Probably still astronomical and unaffordable. We are healthy but husband had a heart stent ten years ago which makes him have a pre-existing. How do people afford the rates and is there anyone out there who understands this Obamacare stuff and whether you can go without supplemental and still "get away with it" if something medical should arise that Medicare doesn't cover? We are in Ca but will be moving to Oregon in a year or two.