Georgia Medicare supplement plans. How much do they cost in Georgia? Are you turning 65? Make sure you have the RIGHT plan that fits your needs and budget.
Table of Contents
Georgia Medicare Supplement Plans – How Does Medicare Work? – Video Information
How does Medicare work? Bob Vineyard explains this and more in the Georgia Medicare Minute videos found on my YouTube Channel.
Please take time to view our channel playlists. Topics include:
- Medicare and You – How does Medicare work? – Medicare Open Enrollment
- Turning 65 – When can I enroll in Medicare A & B? – Medicare DIY, cut out the middleman – 5 common mistakes
- Cancer and Medicare – Medicare 101, does Medicare cover cancer treatment? – Medicare Part B and cancer – Medicare Part C and cancer
- How Medicare Works – Medicare plans, parts and number, oh my! – Medicare doesn’t cover everything – How much does Medicare cost?
- How to Buy a Medicare Plan– How are Medicare agents paid? – 5 common Medicare insurance mistakes – When can I change my drug plan?
- Medicare Open Enrollment – Open Enrollment 2019 – How to pick the WRONG drug plan – Drug plan deductible, how does it work?
- Medicare Supplement Plans – Georgia Medicare plans made easy – When is the BEST time to enroll in a supplement plan? – Supplement plan G
- Medicare Part D – How to find the BEST drug plan – What is Part D? – How to save money on prescription drugs
- Find a Medicare Supplement Plan – Medigap plan N – Medicare supplement plan F – Medicare DIY – How to shop like a BOSS
- Find a Medicare Drug Plan – What is the donut hole? – Picking a name brand carrier – Cancer and Medicare drug plans
- Does Medicare Cover? – Medicare cover dental care? -Does Medicare cover cancer treatment? – Silver Sneakers gym membership
We currently have over 50 Medicare videos at the Georgia Medicare Plans YouTube Channel. More added each week. View, like, comment, share and subscribe.
Turning 65? You Have Questions – We Have Answers
If you are turning 65 and enrolling in Medicare, this may be your only chance to purchase a Medigap plan. Here is your guide to understanding GA Medicare.
How does Medicare work? When Can I enroll?
You don’t have to receive Social Security to enroll in Medicare insurance. CMS is the agency that oversees Medicare.
Senior healthcare insurance is commonly used to describe Medicare.
How to enroll in Medicare? You may sign up for Medicare 3 months before your 65th birthday, the month you turn 65, and 3 months following your 65th birthday. You may enroll in Medicare online (highly recommended), by mail or by visiting a Social Security office.
Original Medicare has 4 Parts
Medicare has 4 Parts – A, B, C and D.
Medicare Part A covers hospital inpatient charges and has a per admission deductible
Medicare Part B is for outpatient health care treatment. Doctor visits, labs, X-rays, MRI, CT scan (CAT scan), ambulance, ER, outpatient clinics, etc. Essentially any Medicare approved health care received outside the hospital setting. Treatment considered medically necessary under Medicare guidelines. Medicare Part B has a calendar year deductible. Once satisfied, Medicare pays 80% of the approved charge, you are responsible for the remaining 20%.
You also have a Medicare annual wellness visit exam (checkup) covered by Part B, usually with no out of pocket cost to you.
Most seniors worry about hospital stays, but your major expenses will more than likely fall under Medicare Part B outpatient expenses. Original Medicare stand alone has no cap on your out of pocket expenses.
You pay until you run out of money, get well or die.
Medicare Part C is now referred to as Medicare Advantage. More on that later.
Medicare Part D covers outpatient prescription drugs. Some Advantage plans have drug coverage built into the plan.
Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage
Medigap and Advantage plans cover the same things, but what you pay out of pocket for your care, and where you receive your care, is very different.
Original Medicare does not have networks. You can use any doctor or hospital anywhere in the US. Another plus is the ABN form which is only used with Original Medicare.
Advantage plans are managed care plans. Some are PPO, some are HMO. In 2018 about half the plans are HMO with the balance being PPO.
If you receive non-emergency out of network care under a PPO you may have higher copay’s and deductibles. Your max OOP may also be higher. Some plans do not cap out of network charges.
Non-emergency out of network care charges may be denied if you have an HMO.
Medicare Supplement vs Medicare Advantage – Which is Better?
Medicare and Cancer – How Will I Pay For My Chemotherapy?
In 2018 most Advantage plans issued in Georgia limit your out of pocket for approved in network health care expenses to $6700.
The American Cancer Society tells us that more than half the 1.4 million new cancer diagnoses occur in people age 65 and older. Roughly 20% of retiree deaths are a result of cancer. Medicare pays for almost half of the $74 billion spent on cancer treatment. The elderly account for 70% of cancer deaths each year.
Some cancer centers, such as Mayo Clinic, Sloan Kettering and MD Anderson may not participate in certain Medicare Advantage plans.
Do Medicare Advantage Plans Pay for Cancer Treatment?
Not all cancer responds to chemotherapy, but 80% of cancers are treated with chemo. Those treatments occur in an outpatient setting and are covered under Medicare Part B.
Chemotherapy drugs administered in a doctor’s office or clinic normally fall under Part B. Medication from a retail pharmacy or by mail fall under your PDP.
This is why most of us chose a Medicare supplement plan in 2018. Bob Vineyard, independent Medicare insurance broker in Georgia, can explain your Georgia Medicare insurance options and will allow you to decide.
We represent several carriers including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Humana and more.
According to the Mayo clinic, “new cancer treatments are routinely priced at over $100,000 per year of treatment.”
When you pay more for supplement coverage you don’t get more,
you simply paid too much.
My Medicare Journey
I enrolled in Medicare in September, 2015. Cancer is a word I know too well. My mothers twin sister and older sister died of cancer. My wife’s father and mother died because of cancer. All 5 of my father-in-laws siblings died of cancer. Two of my mother-in-laws siblings died of cancer.
I have seen what cancer can do to the human body and the misery that accompanies this dread illness. If you are diagnosed with cancer, the last thing on your mind should not be “How will I pay for my treatment?”
Things can change quickly. When my health changes I want to control the direction of my care. Insurance carriers are not going to give me a list of doctors and tell me this year I can only use these, and next year the list may change.
Bob Vineyard is enrolled in original Medicare plus Medigap plan N.
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Medicare and Cancer Treatment Centers
You may not know it, but the Mayo Clinic does not participate in Medicare Advantage plans.
M D Anderson is another cancer treatment facility that does not accept Medicare Advantage plans.
A study from the Medicare Rights discovered the number one reason for disenrolling from a Medicare Advantage plan was “provider access problems”. Number 4 on the list was “cost sharing too high”.
You may never receive a cancer diagnosis. I hope you don’t. But one thing I can tell you with certainty is this. Original Medicare and a supplement plan provides assurance the funds will be there to pay for almost all of your care.
What’s the deal about Medicare Advantage plan?
Nothing.
They are great plans as long as you are healthy.
We don’t offer them because there are too many consumer complaints.
I am too old to deal with that kind of drama and so are you.
Here are some things an agent won’t tell you about Medicare Advantage plans.
- They make twice as much selling Advantage plans vs Medicare supplement
- They collect a full years commission the month after your coverage goes into effect
- If they sell you a $0 premium plan you can expect them to try and sell other coverage to fill in the gaps
- If the Advantage plan is so great, why do you need a hospital plan and a cancer plan to go with it?
- You will probably have to change plans, and doctors, every 2 – 3 years
- If you live in the city you will have upwards of 20 plans to pick from
- If you live in the country you might have only 4 or 5
- Your choice of Advantage plans is limited vs over 240 Medicare supplement plans
- Your out of pocket expense could be over $6,000 with most plans
- Most people that buy Advantage plans never consider the cost of health care, only the premium
- When you have a cancer diagnosis, you will be glad you did not choose an Advantage p
If you want an Advantage plan, I have an associate that will be glad to answer your questions. Otherwise, all I ask is an opportunity to earn your trust and your business.
Get to Know Us – Then Decide
Turning 65 and enrolling in Medicare? Watch the Georgia Medicare Minute videos with Bob Vineyard, independent Medicare insurance broker.
Georgia Medicare Minute – Georgia Medicare Plans YouTube Channel
Georgia Medicare Plans Topic Playlist
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Medicare Part D is confusing. Most beneficiaries pick the wrong plan and overpay by hundreds We can help!.
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