Hello,
For those of you who may already be on Medicare, I was wondering if you could help with a few questions I have.
1) Is the Medicare medical plan enough or do I need to purchase another plan through Medicare Advantage?
2) Can I just go to any doctor that accepts Medicare when I need to or do I have to contact someone else first?
3) Is prescription drug coverage included with Medicare Part B or do I have to purchase another plan for that?
Thanks ahead of time. I called both Medicare and SSA as well as read through the information they sent. The reps at Medicare and SSA were basically just reading from the same book as I had already read so they didn't give me any new information and asking additional questions from them gave me either a referral to someone else or more reading. I figured some people here may know from personal experience.
Hi Steph, you need part A and B. B costs approx. .00 a month. Part D is prescription coverage and if you don't have another RX plan then you'll need Part D. Not sure of the costs because you have many options and premium is different on each of the choices. You'll need to research which plan covers the meds that you're on. Part D can get complicated. I would also purchase an supplement plan. You can get one through Advantage or any number of other companies. You'll also have many choices and you need to assess your medical situation and pick the one best suited for you.
You'll need to use a physician who accepts Medicare. There is no authorization for me with Medicare because I have Tricare For Life as my secondary. I'm not sure if Medicare requires authorization for special treatments or surgery. Good luck in sorting it out. Lindy
I got on medicare because the Dr said I was disabled because of my RA. No insurance company would touch me before that. I have both parts - goverment takes there share out and I pay .60 for supplemental with drugs. There is a tier that says how much they pay and alot of the new drugs and treatment are not covered. My daughter works at an HMO - and tells me she can almost cry everyday from people who have treatments, surgery and medicine thinking the insurance will cover it - and it doesn't. Also many times the Drs office forget to call and get it pre approved. Good LuckThanks guys,
This is what I was figuring however I was hoping I didn't need a supplement. Some of them can get expensive. However, I think paying for one that covers everything will work out best for me in the long run.
Here is a start at the CMS website for Medicare. Part B can be bought or there is an HMO type of coverage for a fee. There are many restrictions with Medicare, lots of services that are not covered. You will have a deductible and co-pay and have to pay for procedures that they don't. There are programs to help with part B coverage for low income adults. Just PM me if you need more information on that. Many people don't even know about them.
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareGenInfo/