BEWARE: You may be giving up your Medicare!
Every year there is an enrollment period for Medicare “Part C and D” but be careful
When you turn 65, a person is eligible for Medicare. That’s usually Medicare Part A and B. From there you have some additional options, like adding a medicare supplement insurance, like AARP UnitedHealthcare. That supplemental insurance comes in different plans. The best coverage is called PLAN F.
That said, insurance companies want to snooker you into buying “Medicare Part C” plans. THIS IS NOT MEDICARE. These are often called “all in one plans” but BEWARE! You are GIVING UP YOUR MEDICARE and moving into an insurers’ network plan. That means you have to use THEIR DOCTORS in THEIR NETWORK. If you need a specialist and they haven’t got one in their network, you are out of luck.
I worked in the Chronic Headache Pain clinic at UCLA. Patients would come to us and say they had Medicare, but they didn’t. They had willingly signed their Medicare over to these all-in-one, network plans, like the ones Humana offers. We could not treat them because they weren’t in the “network” and the insurer’s “network” didn’t have that specialist within the network.
It’s a money making scam, in my opinion. They advertise incessantly on the news channels to target the elderly. They try an make it seem like it’s an additional Medicare benefit. But it isn’t. They are selling you their “all in one, in network plan” and often that plan is woefully inadequate. Lacking specialty doctors or higher level dental and vision professionals.
But they try and convince you, your grandparents…any of the elderly in your family because THEY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY! And once you sign up, you’re committed for an ENTIRE YEAR
See this mandatory legal disclosure:
What is Medicare Part C?
Medicare Part C (also called Medicare Advantage) operates more like traditional health insurance than Original Medicare. Multiple private insurers offer different Part C plans. If you choose to enroll in Medicare Part C, it will replace your Part A & B coverage. However, Medicare Advantage offers all of the services that are included in Medicare Part A & B.
See?! If you take their all-in-one-plan, you have to stay within THEIR NETWORK and IT WILL REPLACE YOUR PART A & B COVERAGE!!!!!!!! That insurance provider will own your Medicare and, believe me, it is not in their interest to higher a lot of medical specialists and services. They go bare bones and you are stuck. DO NOT DO IT!
With Medicare plus a supplemental insurance (I trust the plans from AARP), you will have control over your medical care. You will be able to pick your own doctor, your own specialist, etc.