Question on Medicare plans

[nebrhahe53]

The Medicare maze is really confusing me. As I am under 65, I don't have a lot of options on Medigap policies. My state only allows part A for people under 65-which doesn't seem to do more than Medicare itself. The standard medicare part A B and D aren't very good as they still require 20% copayment without any yearly maximum.
I was told by a lawyer that the medicare advantage plans are more expensive, yet this seems my only alternative. Does anyone know of a organization that helps you through the maze of whats best? The Medicare site itself is not much help, just lists the plans and its very hard to follow.

 

[azgirl]

The Medicare maze is really confusing me. As I am under 65, I don't have a lot of options on Medigap policies. My state only allows part A for people under 65-which doesn't seem to do more than Medicare itself. The standard medicare part A B and D aren't very good as they still require 20% copayment without any yearly maximum.
I was told by a lawyer that the medicare advantage plans are more expensive, yet this seems my only alternative. Does anyone know of a organization that helps you through the maze of whats best? The Medicare site itself is not much help, just lists the plans and its very hard to follow.

I went to a trusted insurance broker who explained all the Medicare advantage plans. He did all the research to determine if my doctors would be included and also riluzole. That narrowed the choices for me down to two, so it became pretty easy at that point.

 

[nebrhahe53]

thanks az girl

 

[lgelb]

On the Medicare planfinder, you can enter your drugs and other info and get MA plan options in your area in one list, including what you would pay out of pocket as a minimum (deductibles), % and max annually, and what your premium would be. For provider lists, they are all on line and a wider network may be more/less important later than today. Unless your best friend is a broker, I would stay clear; they are not comped to be unbiased.

 

[azgirl]

Just because you talk with the broker doesn't mean you have to buy from him. He helped us understand all the options enough that we felt educated enough to make a good decision and know exactly what to look for. Ultimately we determined we were better off to purchase a plan through my state retirement system.

 

[krnNdug]

Ditto what azgirl said. You are going to have the 20% copay regardless unless you have a private secondary plan. I love my Advantage plan. I am on disability and am only 52. I became disabled at 40. You should be able to find a good plan with the plan finder on the Medicare site. A trusted insurance agent can help you wade through the differences, but all they are doing is what you can do on the Medicare site. Just takes time and patience, which we always seem to be short supply of.

 

[lgelb]

No offense meant, AZ -- if you have potential State benefits or any other public sector options, definitely number-crunching is a good thing.