Should I believe AARP to buy their Medicare supplement plan over Medicare advantage plan?
I am 64 and 4 months old and poor. What Medicare plan should I buy to save money and get sufficient coverages? I am generally healthy, but have a treated prostate cancer in remission.
Comparing AARP Medicare supplement plan and Medicare Advantage plan, which one is better, and more thrifty for me living in San Francisco?
Should I believe AARP? or just directly go to Social Security office to get better information? thanks a lot a lot for your wise, well informative answers.
Anonymous2011-06-23T20:38:21Z
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AARP is a club, not an insurance company. They're not selling you THEIR Medicare plan, they're referring you over to someone ELSE'S plan.
If you're not sure which Medicare Supplemental plan you need, you should probably talk to a local broker near you. The people at the Social Security office aren't licensed to give you insurance advice. Neither is AARP.
You should not buy from AARP, they are only paid promoters for an insurance company. If you want Medigap insurance you can call any independent insurance agent who knows what is available in the Bay Area.
If you are poor, you should apply for Medi-Cal when you turn 65. If you have a zero share of cost with Medi-Cal it may pay your Part B premium. And you should enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan which includes a Part D plan and you also do not need to buy a Medigap policy separately since Advantage plans include everything. Medicare covers only about 80% of billed charges.
Forget about AARP selling Medigap insurance policies. I am near San Francisco myself. I am in Kaiser Senior Advantage plan with Medicare and Medi-Cal. Kaiser membership is $100 per month and you still have co-payments and co-insurance on the drugs unless you qualify for Medi-Cal. If you did not get Medicare Advantage you would have to buy a Medigap to cover the other 20% of your medical bills that Medicare does not cover. And Medigap insurance costs more than the $100 Kaiser membership.
You should be receiving the Medicare And You Book within 90 days of your 65th birthday or you can check the Medicare website. The book lists all of the insurance plans available for northern California but Kaiser has the highest rating.
It's not that easy. The AARP Supplement is underwritten by United Healthcare. It is a very good plan. However, if there was a best plan for everyone that would be the only plan available and would be the only plan I sell. As it is, every company has a plan that's best for someone somewhere.
It gets very complicated. Listen to neither AARP or Social Security - neither knows what they're talking about in many instances.
Both types are very different. Supplements come in Plans A through N. None have drug coverage so you also need a separate stand alone Part D drug plan. The Advantage plans come in HMO, PPO, HMO/POS, PFFS, SNP, DUAL, MSA, PACE, and Cost plans. Most of these come with drug coverage. Of the Advantage plans that don't have drug coverage some will allow you to get a separate stand alone drug plan while others will not.
Not all types are available in every state or through every company.
You need to visit a local agent that works with all of the major companies in your area. The agent can work with you to find the best plan for your situation and budget. There is no charge using an agent.
RE: Should I believe AARP to buy their Medicare supplement plan over Medicare advantage plan? I am 64 and 4 months old and poor. What Medicare plan should I buy to save money and get sufficient coverages? I am generally healthy, but have a treated prostate cancer in remission.
Comparing AARP Medicare supplement plan and Medicare Advantage plan, which one is better, and more thrifty for...