[supplemental insurance to medicare] new yorkers please respond

[irish]

husband will be retiring soon and was wondering what other NYers use as a supplemental insurance to medicare.. i do like AARP however that is not available to NYers.(can someone tell me why).
THANKS

 

[AnnaS]

I think it's a great idea to get supplemental insurance.

My father-in-law has Blue Cross but my mother-in-law does not want it. My parents do not have it either. They should have gotten it years ago though.

My mom is going through chemo for breast cancer. She has had many tests and a few surgeries prior to start of chemo. She will soon start radiation. She was also in the hospital for a week. I can't even begin to tell you how much her co-payments so far have been since September.
My dad's previous employer/union covers the $1,100 hospital deductible for each. It also covers some dental, eye glasses and a certain amount for prescriptions = not bad until you get sick.

 

[redmac]

healthcare

I have United Healthcare through my employer's retirement health plan. My husband has healthcare options through AARP/United Healthcare. Also remember to get a Drug Plan - very important.

owns: Massanutten and Powhattan

 

[irish]

wait a minute. i thought AARP HEALTH CARE SUPPLEMENT was not available to new yorkers. am i wrong?

 

[Jennie]

I'm quite sure that the AARP plan is available to New Yorkers. They called me and spent quite awhile explaining the benefits to me when I was in the initial enrollment period (3 months before and 3 months after the month in which you turn 65).

First make sure that you do not have, or are not eligible to obtain, similar benefits from a prior or present employer (yours OR his). If you are eligible for such a plan, it can be several thousand dollar less per year than AARP or other plans you purchase on your own.

Medicare Part A is free. Medicare Part B currently costs $96.40 per month. Most people do, and should, sign up for both. Part A basically covers in-patient hospital bills but you are responsible for a $1100. deductible. Part B covers 80% or so of the costs of doctor office visits, lab tests, etc...You are responsible for the 20% deductible and sometimes more, if the doctor charges more than the allowed Medicare reimbursement. Part B also covers most of the costs of diabetic supplies, etc... with no co-payment from you.

AARP and other similar private plans cover the deductibles.

Part D involves drug coverage. It is optional. Some people who do not use many drugs decide to risk foregoing this coverage and just pay out of pocket as they fill prescriptions. But if you don't select this coverage when you become Medicare eligible, there will be a permanent penalty added to the premiums if you apply for it at a later date. (The penalty is based upon how long you went without it). In later years, you can only apply for Part D coverage between Nov. 15 and December 31 and it becomes effective on Janaury 1.

Changes can sometimes be made outside of the regular enrollment or change of plan periods if there is a major change in your life e.g. marriage, death, divorce. or you move to a state or location where your current coverage is not accepted.

Supplemental Plans such as AARP (and many others) can be purchased as Part A and B supplementary coverage, with or without the Part D coverage. Prices are "all over the board" and may not reflect the value of the benefits provided. It is challenging, but necessary, to do a lot of comparison shopping.

About 4 months before hubby turns 64, he will receive a full packet of inf from Medicare. It includes a booklet "Medicare and Me" which will answer many questions. It will also provide a password to access his personal information and options at their website. Be warned--this is one of the most "stupid" websites I have ever had to navigate. He will have to create endless different usernames and passwords to access different sections of the site. Each will have to contain 9 characters including one number and one character (e.g. $%+@). It took me almost 2 hours to jump through all their hoops and I am a very experienced web surfer. One of my attempted passwords was: 1stupidwebsite! Can you believe--I received a message that the name was already in use by someone else!

The good news is that AARP holds classes at a lot of libraries across the country and sets up days when you can walk in without an appointment and have a free one-on-one help session with a trained volunteer. Local senior centers and agencies for seniors provide similar services. They will help hubby understand and define his needs and then help him determine which programs (private or government) will provide what he needs at the most reasonable cost. The AARP volunteers are nuetral/objective and do not in any way "push" you to choose the AARP plan. In some areas where competition is strong, there are other plans available with better or less costly coverage available.
all have had to pass stringent Medicare standards to be allowed to sell their product in your state.

It's a challenge but the more research you do, the better the results. Usually you will remain with the plan for years unless they change or your situation changes. So it is not something you will have to go through every year. You should also ask friends and relatives what plan they have, why did they choose it, and are they happy with it.

Good luck and welcome to the "Golden Years".

 

[mike130]

wait a minute. i thought AARP HEALTH CARE SUPPLEMENT was not available to new yorkers. am i wrong?

I bought an AARP supplement plan for my Mother last year. United Healthcare underwrites the policy. It is available in NY. They do offer a lot of different options. You have to balance out the coverage with the cost and pick out the plan that's right for you. Than was the hardest part.

 

[irish]

thanks to everyone who answered!! you guys are the best.. husband turns 65 in sept and i am now starting to research medicare and supplementals . WOW so much to take in. However, this is better then when i had to do a CRASH COURSE for my elderly aunt..luckily i got it right with MUCH help from sources such as this. I LOVE TUGGERS they are ALWAYS so helpful and willing to share!!