# Need to Purchase a Medigap Supplemental Policy  -  Floundering in uncharted Waters  -  Seeking Input...



## SmoothSeas (Nov 13, 2021)

re:  buying into a supplemental plan  -  the more I google, the more confused I get...

what to look for? what to avoid?

tia for any and all input...


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## Harry Le Hermit (Nov 13, 2021)

The song goes "the most wonderful time of the year", except for seniors trying to wade through the insurance muddle.

First up, should be the fact that Part B will be $170.10 a month starting in January. There may be ways to avoid some of that, but I am not privy to those. Everything else, including Part D is on top of that, unless you go the advantage route.
As not all insurance plans are available in all areas, I would suggest starting here.

BTW, don't confuse Medigap plan B with Medicare part B, etc.

Good luck to you

(Edit: I made an assumption you might be a first timer to all this. If not, then apologies for a wrong assumption.)


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## Harry Le Hermit (Nov 13, 2021)

Harry Le Hermit said:


> Good luck to you


And to make it more confusing...Medicare Enrollment Blitz Doesn’t Include Options to Move Into Medigap
Are you sorry you bothered to ask? I'll stop pestering.


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 13, 2021)

There is no one size fits all.  It really depends on where you live, how large a presence the insurance company has in your community and your lifestyle, finances, overall health, etc...

In many cases we will never know if we made the right choice until we have a health emergency.

I started by reading the annual Medicare manual to see what benefits original Medicare covers and what they don’t.  Then I looked at the out of pocket expenses for deductibles and coverage caps.

Compare the actual Medicare coverage and costs to your situation then start shopping for a plan that actually bridges the gap.

In my case the drug formulary, part D deductibles and copays are important to me along with healthcare providers that agree to accept the Medicare assignment for treatment and care as payment in full.

Good luck.


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## SmoothSeas (Nov 13, 2021)

Harry Le Hermit said:


> And to make it more confusing...Medicare Enrollment Blitz Doesn’t Include Options to Move Into Medigap
> Are you sorry you bothered to ask? I'll stop pestering.



I'm not sorry I bothered to ask, because I need to make informed decisions, but like I said above, I feel like I'm floundering in uncharted waters.

I appreciate your input 'cause we're basically neighbors,  In Anderson county here and from what I'm understanding, not all plans are available in all states.

what kind of plan do I want/need?  one that's restricted to staying within a  network.  Or, one where I can choose the clinicians of my choice?

thanks, Harry, for taking the time respond...


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## Harry Le Hermit (Nov 13, 2021)

SmoothSeas said:


> what kind of plan do I want/need? one that's restricted to staying within a network. Or, one where I can choose the clinicians of my choice?


The whole thing boils down to looking into a crystal ball and forecasting you health anywhere from a few years, to several years from now.  "They" might proclaim you can easily switch plans every year and you probably can, but there might be consequences down the road, regarding pre-existing conditions, which is why I linked that article. 

This isn't like going into a shoe store and trying on several shoes until you find a pair you like. This is akin to on-line shopping with only generic descriptions and sizes, but no pictures, plus a difficult returns policy.

The company I retired from, provided an "expert" to discuss the options available, but it still boiled down to about 5 options and what was I willing to spend, and the expert was not making any recommendations as it was OPM.

I wish you well, which is the limit of advice I can offer.


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## Pauline1954 (Nov 16, 2021)

SmoothSeas said:


> re:  buying into a supplemental plan  -  the more I google, the more confused I get...
> 
> what to look for? what to avoid?
> 
> tia for any and all input...


If you want to choose all of your doctors get plan G or N. I have plan N and so far im very happy with how it works. Im not happy with all these increases and inflation. I studied them and listened many medicare video and took tons of notes for about 3 months. So I chose Plan N.  Its the same as G just that we have to make sure all doctors accept medicare guideline amount payments and cheaper for no excess charge. So far so good. Im in my third year.  Im sure there are more plans but most are more premium.


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## Gary O' (Nov 16, 2021)

Harry Le Hermit said:


> Are you sorry you bothered to ask? I'll stop pestering.


I really appreciate your sharing of your knowledge.


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