Medicare and AARP

[Phyllis Jean]

Your opinion please. My husband is turning 65 in October of this year and will be on Medicare Part A and B. Would it be a good idea to take out a supplemental policy such as AARP or somthing similar? I don't really understand all of this, and since my husband is suffering from Alzheimers, it is left up to me to take care of matters. I would appreciate your input. .

 

[Missy]

You need a supplemental.
Even though the doctors and staff won't say so it is hard to find a dr. or hospital that has room or is not busy when there is just medicare. It doesn't pay very well. Just 80% of an approved amount that isn't enough.
At least get him on Medicaid if you qualify. They even have the home help that you need in most states.

 

[Ross]

Perhaps you need a supplemental policy. If you go with a Medicare HMO, then there is no need for a supplemental policy, but it's drawback is, if you decide to leave the HMO, you may not be able to get a supplemental policy either.

 

[epstns]

My mother took the supplemental through AARP. She was being treated for congestive heart failure, then developed cancer. Her final month was spent in the hospital, mostly ICU, and all we had to pay was around $800 of the $300K hospital bill, and a couple of office co-payments of $15-20 each. AARP wasn't as expensive as the others, and seemed well worth the cost.

 

[PJmomrunner]

I helped my mom-in-law to figure out what to do to get on medicare and what supplemental plans to choose last year. I found that an organized, analytical senior (my dad!) was the best resource for an overview. The government's website is also quite good (believe it or not!) I think there are some big changes relative to prescription coverage in the plans coming up in 2006, so it's going to be important to get enrolled as soon as he can.

http://www.medicare.gov/Choices/Overview.asp

 

[Ross]

I just want to point out that you really need to focus on your financial situation. Supplemental Policies are very expensive and if your short on cash and savings, a Medicare HMO might just be a better overall choice for you. Your best source of information is the Government Website. See these three links:

http://www.medicare.gov/Choices/Overview.asp

http://www.medicare.gov/medigap/default.asp

http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10050.pdf

 

[hensylee]

you need a supplemental and you need to begin working on it now. I have Continental Ins and it's a good one. I have Plan C with Medicare, the one that, I think, takes care of deductibles. My supplemental picks up where Medicare leaves off. There are bunches of plans with Medicare so you need to look at them carefully. Call Medicare and ask for a booklet that shows you all the plans that Medicare has (this may be in what Ross posted above). Look carefully at them all, choose the one best suited for your husband and then talk with an insurance co for the supplemental and tell them which Medicare plan you will be getting and they can advise you about what they offer. If your husband needs any extensive, expensive care, you would have a big bill left after Medicare pays its 80% of covered charges. Not all charges are covered by Medicare and each year there are fewer benefits, but all in all, it's good and so many of us would be devastated - and dead - without it.

Next year the drug benefit will be coming out, but none of us know just what it will be yet.

You must get your supplemental by the time your husband is 65 because there's an enrollment period you must meet. If you don't get it by his 65th birthday, you may have to wait for the next enrollment. It's pretty complicated.

Then write down your findings so you'll have them at your fingertips.