Update on my Medicare adventure...thanks for all who provided info on my prev. thread

[NRaleighLiberal]

So I am making progress. It is late October - I turn 65 in January. I am now signed up for parts A and B and have my card - meaning I have my number.

I had a great call with a local SHIP volunteer and I now have my part D all set.

My decision is to go with a supplemental, not medicare advantage. Seems like G is the plan of choice for me.

So a few questions - deciding between G, and the high deductible G alternative (lower monthly payments). I am very healthy and have no chronic health issues - but suspect it is a risk to save monthly, but go high deductible.

So given I am going G, how does one decide among the dozens of providers? Seems like they all deliver the same thing. Price? Ease of using their website?

I am now an AARP member so United Health Care has a G option - so does Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc.

I guess my main question - how to decide among the many G options???

thanks for anything any of you can provide!

[hedda_foil]

1. They are all legally required to pay exactly the same amount in each category.

All G policies are absolutely identical. Medicare goes after them if they don't pay something they're required to pay. As long as Medicare pays their portion, the insurer must pay theirs and you owe nothing more. Pick the cheapest G plan you can find. AARP United Health is always the most expensive. There can be $100 or more difference between the most and the least expensive insurer for the same exact thing. Do your research and don't get bamboozled.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. For my area, with the discount, the AARP/UHC is only 10 per month more than the BCBS

(108 vs 118 monthly).

But I like your suggestion to go for the cheapest given what you said. thanks.

[LiberalBrooke]

2. Be careful with a high deductible plan. Go with one

only if you can afford to pay the deductible. If you are able to set the deductible amount aside and save it for when you need care, they can save you money.

[Hoyt]

3. My experience is that UHC is typically the highest priced supplement.

Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Mutual of Omaha - at least in my research and state — are significantly less. They pay providers just as quickly as UHC.

[Chemisse]

4. I'm going to follow your discussions on this.

I'll be making all the same decisions in just 10 months.



(That's if I survive my last - and seemingly most grueling - year of teaching!)

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. I actually started researching it early October, to give myself 3 months to work it all through

Probably was a good idea - something I didn't want to get stressed over!

Use me as a resource - I will probably be finished getting it all buttoned up within a few weeks.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. OK - got it figured out.

Got my medicare number, so all set for parts A and B

Got my pharma plan (part D), low monthly, and my three medicines are inexpensive/generics

For the supplement, went with the G option, Blue Cross Blue Shield - lowest cost.

All I need to do is wait for Jan 1 - that's when my company tosses me off (I had good retiree coverage from age 52 to 64) - my wife will stay on for a year. Then I get to pay the multiple monthly bills, but it will finally be all sorted!