Jus Cruisin
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure he meant Wheel of Fortune.... That show is watched nightly in my house....Jeopardy……Sajak?
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
Pretty sure he meant Wheel of Fortune.... That show is watched nightly in my house....Jeopardy……Sajak?
My parents have had AARP United Healthcare for years. My father passed away in February but both he and my mom had many prescriptions and their monthly premiums were $330 a month each. I’m going to be 66 this year but still working full time so I’ll be watching this thread for more advice.
I also took over paying my parents bills years ago and my father was in 2 different hospitals, 3 different stays including ICU and then rehab and hospice. AARP UHC paid for all and extends rehab coverage out to 100 days.Same for my parents. My mom passed away in 2019 and I moved my dad down near me in an assisted living facility. He has the AARP UHC plan plus a RX plan and cost for both is around $370 or so per month. This year, he has been to the ER by ambulance 4-5 times, had a pacemaker installed with 2 days in the hospital, and a few other visits and I have never gotten a bill for anything. In the 2 years since I have managed his finances, I have never received not one bill for anything other than his prescriptions. The RX plan does not pay all, but some of them.
Bennett
I think the AARP UHC covered out to 100 days when my dad was in rehab in December of last year. My parents never had much and outlived what they did have saved. They own a co-op and lived on SSI with me and my siblings paying many of their bills but they still had too much income for Medicaid. I was able to get them on Community Medicaid by applying separately and putting the excess in a Pooled Trust which we can spend down on living expenses. BTW the income limit for a single household like my mom is $1,150/mo. Her SSI benefit is $1,650.My mom also had the basic Medicare and the AARP supplemental insurance until she passed in 2019. I think her premium was around $240 a month plus whatever was deducted from her SS. One of the big reasons I researched & signed her up for this was because she had a few health issues that required a stay in a rehab facility. Medicare only covers 21 days I believe and then it gets costly, like about $1k + a day! The AARP covered 180 days I believe PLUS her copay for the 21 days as I think it was only covered 80% through medicare. In addition, she procured prescription coverage as well. As far as prescriptions go, the copay cost will vary by drugstore. Do a little research on that. After a year or so I found out if my mom moved her scripts from Rite-Aid to Stop & Shop pharmacy across the street they went down to almost nothing saving her hundreds a month. In addition, if you have a sickly parent there is something (at least in NY) called community medicaide. It differs from traditional medicaide in that they can own a home & have retirement money etc and if qualified, they pay for everything. PM me if you want anymore info/guidance in that.
Most cover care when you travel outside of your service area and have an emergency with no penalty price wise. This may be a Medicare requirement. It is important to look for a plan that includes well respected hospitals and physicians. This gives consumers choice which we all appreciate. Good hospitals and doctors have choice as well and want to do business with plans that treat them well as it expands their opportunities to serve more patients.One thing to look carefully at is coverage out of your area of residence. Many Advantage plans will not provide coverage outside of your approved doctor/network or if they do it is quite a bump in cost. Remember the steak knives are not free.
Correct, it's called OOA - Out of Area and payment of the claims is called ITS.Most cover care when you travel outside of your service area and have an emergency with no penalty price wise. This may be a Medicare requirement. It is important to look for a plan that includes well respected hospitals and physicians. This gives consumers choice which we all appreciate. Good hospitals and doctors have choice as well and want to do business with plans that treat them well as it expands their opportunities to serve more patients.
Only if you have traditional Medicare will you need a supplemental insurance policy for part B services. If you are enrolled in an Advantage Plan you do not need supplemental as the Advantage Plan covers all medically necessary conditions that Medicare covers, including the part B services, copays, etc. that folks buy supplemental coverage for. Drugs are also covered so you do not a part D plan. Many Advantage Plans do this for no added premium to the enrollees other than the money that is deducted from their monthly social security checks. Frequently, companies add dental, hearing aid coverage and gym memberships as well. Vision can be included for an extra monthly charge. If you live in a market with good hospitals and physicians, Advantage Plans can save you lots of money every month. We never thought twice about selecting one over traditional Medicare and have been in the same plan for 11 years.I work in the MA/ACA/CMS space, for a large health plan (they are my companies parent). My mom is 83 and lives exclusively off of her SS monthly check, so I see it from her side as well. She's been in and out of the ER/Hospital many times over the past 3 years. Medicare plus her supplemental have covered everything, less copays. Our family has been happy with the level of care she receives for the most part. I think she pays $200 a month for her supplemental.
Depending on the state you live in the state will administer or they will put it out to bid to health plans. I work for the latter.
Based on what I have learned I do educate my friends/colleagues/family to be prepared, you WILL need supplemental insurance and Medicare is NOT free. Also, spend an hour with an elderly law attorney to learn, educate yourself, it's money well spent. I now max out on my HSA and will look at other options to set funds aside.