You want a medicare supplemental plan "F". If you go lower, you cannot go to a higher level plan without restrictions. Now, you can change carriers when allowed, but you always want an "F". Check what carriers have it. Note, all "F" plans will cover the same, but carriers will charge different amounts for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Medigap

Supplemental is only if you do not have the Medicare Advantage plans, or Part C, which are not even available in some areas (like where you live.)

You want to compare your A + B + D + Medigap to any Advantage plan's total costs. Oh, and you o NOT want the "F" ssupplement with High Deductible.

Here is a link that might be useful: compare supplemental plans

I would stay away from Advantage policies. They have co-pays for everything, and are usually HMO's, which often means referrals to "their" doctors.

Before changing to an Advantage policy, first check if your doctors accept that insurance.

Be very careful of changing plans, especially if you have a health problem. My friend chose one that saved her money and was promised it had the same coverage. Of course it did not have the same coverage and now she can't go back to her previous plan because of her health problems. She doesn't qualify for it. Now she has to pay part of her medical care. Anytime they offer you a different plan, you can be sure it will benefit the company not you.

Vala, that's why you should get the "F" plan and stay with it, because then you can't get refused later on. That's the danger of a lesser plan to start with: you can't switch up. But you can start with that plan eve with a pre-existing condition.

Yes, the Advantage plans are generally HMOs. There are none where we live, but when they first came out, the companies were still selling them here. Lots of people got fooled. BTW, you are opting out of A & B coverage when you get one of the Advantage plans.

The coverage of the Medigap plans is standardized. But you may find that the costs vary widely from one company to another. Oh, and you want a 'community-based' pricing.

(All this from the excellent Boomer 101 class I took thru our local agency on aging.)

I agree with Monica....I've been warned off the Advantage plans, too. In fact, from what I read last year, I thought they were being phased out--losing government support, or something like that. I know the insurance companies promote these plans like crazy, and that alone tells me the "advantage" is on their end, not ours.

I'll be interested to hear what the Senior Center rep tells you.

This is Aetna, and it is a PPO. It 'replaces' Medicare A and B as far as the subscriber is concerned, meaning all paperwork goes through Aetna. We still have to have (pay for) Medicare A and B. Under this policy (using their mail service) I would pay $400/yr. for my Advair. DH's two expensive meds would cost $640/yr. each, so $1280 for his. Coverage for both of us is $1240/yr. There is a $250 deductible per person for medical care and a $500 copay for hospitalization. Out of pocket max is $4100. We pay 20% for non-preventive medical visits. This totals $2920, plus the $500 deductibles (if needed), plus the 20% of the also unknown medical bills. Presuming we have enough medical bills to pay the deductibles we are at $3420 total.

Our current Medicare *supplementary* is also Aetna and we've been very satisfied with their service. If we continued with this policy, which pays 100% of everything Medicare doesn't pay and has no deductibles, we'd have to get a separate Part D policies for our meds. This premium is $1140/yr. for both of us.

I've looked at two Part D plans. Premiums are $820/yr. for both of us, and my meds are about the same as under the advantage plan ($408). However, DH's meds are $2406/yr. Totals $3634 for the Part D + the supplementary $1140. Grand total is $4774. We'd know that we'd owe nothing for any medical or hospitalization, but this is between $1354 and $1854 more than the advantage plan.

Who can guess how much medical expense we'll have in 2012? Who can guess if we'll be prescribed yet more expensive meds?

Thanks for 'listening'.

It's all that guessing, Chisue. None of us know nuthin'.

Someone at the KT recently mentioned the Humana/Walmart-Preferred prescription plan, which has the lowest premium of all the Part D plans. I'm curious about it. Humana is a bad word in my neck of the woods, but a $15/month drug plan is still worth a look, I think.

Okay, I just took a look at the Humana/Walmart-Preferred. Premium is $15.10 per month, which comes to $181 per year. But there's a $320 deductible. My present Part D plan from United Health Care (AARP endorsed) costs $36.60 per month ($439/year) but there's no deductible. Once again, it puts us in the position of guessing. I don't take any meds on a regular basis, and I have no way of knowing what, if any, I'll need over the coming year. I guess I'll keep what I have.

I have BCBS supplemental and I think it is the best plan, I think it is F. If something works I don't ever change it.

I don't take drugs of any kind so I don't have insurance for meds, but do use clobetasol, but it is only $15. My Sis was having a terrible time, could barely walk, weak and I don't know what else. It was her meds, mainly chloresteral. She dropped them all but the Plavix and she is her old self.

Our complicating factor is meds. My Advair is $2736/yr. retail. DH's two drugs total $6372/yr. retail.

That's right, $9100/yr. 'retail' for meds for two Seniors! Thank you, Big Pharma. If drug costs were controlled, as they are in other First World countries, no one would need Part D insurance. Currently, the pharmacy and insurance lobbies are selecting our legislature, and we are paying the freight.

I've required Advair for my asthma for many years. DH took one generic until 18 months ago.

Our 'health' costs are over $10,000. Even without the dental, this is more than I budget for food. And this is with the advantage of 'group plan' insurance premiums from DH's former employer. I'm *astounded*!

Medicare Part B for two - $2398

Medicare Supplementary for two - $1140

Part D for me, premium and drug cost - $878
Part D for DH, premium and drug cost - $2816

Dental plan for two - $396
Dental work for two - $3000 (2011 actual out of pocket)