# Medicare, plus 2 seperate secondary health plans??



## Rdjrn32b (Jun 3, 2021)

I'm approaching 65, and I'm a bit confused on coordination of benefits.  I have a BCBS retiree plan through my civilian employer, plus I have Tricare Retired Military.
When Medicare becomes my primary, should I keep both of my current plans?  Will health care providers coordinate benefits between 3 insurance plans?
(My Tricare is free, and my BCBS only costs me $165/Month).
Thanks!!


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## Feelslikefar (Jun 4, 2021)

I am also a retired military member and we have Medicare and 'Tricare for Life' as our secondary.
Medicare pays 80 % and Tricare picks up the other 20 %.
Tricare covers all our prescriptions also.
We can see any Doctor who accepts Medicare.
No out of pocket expenses so far. No deductible or office visit cost.
https://tricare.mil/tfl explains it all.
Good Luck and enjoy retirement.


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## ProTruckDriver (Jun 4, 2021)

Feelslikefar said:


> Tricare covers all our prescriptions also.


I'm the same as you @Feelslikefar "Tricare for Life". Tricare covers our prescriptions but we have to pay a co pay if we get prescriptions by Express Scripts or the local Pharmacy. We live in the Tidewater Va Area and we are lucky enough to have many Military Bases around where we get prescriptions FREE.
BTW: @Rdjrn32b & @Feelslikefar Thank you for serving.


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## Rdjrn32b (Jun 4, 2021)

Feelslikefar said:


> I am also a retired military member and we have Medicare and 'Tricare for Life' as our secondary.
> Medicare pays 80 % and Tricare picks up the other 20 %.
> Tricare covers all our prescriptions also.
> We can see any Doctor who accepts Medicare.
> ...


I guess I'm still wondering whether there is any benefit to me keeping my BCBS retiree plan through my civilian employer?  I'll have Medicare and Tricare, should I give up my BCBS??


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## Christopher (Jul 10, 2021)

Hello,

I just turned 65 a few days ago. I am still employed and have government insurance from my employer. I have received many advertisements from the private insurance carriers (trying to secure the monthly payout for Part A, I guess). In evaluating the Medicare versus Private Supplement conundrum, it seems to me as if the best bet (depending upon your personal medical history) is to go with traditional Medicare and take the Medigap plan N; take the Plan B coverage (when the time comes, if you're still employed with health insurance) and pay the $148 per month. Finally, find a Plan D for drug coverage (assuming that your costs are not massive in this area). 

My research informs me that the trade-off is that your back-end costs are much larger with the private supplement plans. When you look at the annual out-of-pocket costs from $2,800 - $5,600+/- and lifetime limits of the private insurers, any catastrophic illness will be difficult to manage. 

Traditional social security Medicare coupled with a Medigap plan N-type supplement (with Plan D which is relatively inexpensive, all considered) is the most financially predictable approach to take.

Naturally, your "mileage may vary."


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## Joe Smith (Aug 5, 2021)

I cannot understand this at all. I have worked 36 years as a civil service employee and a CSEA member where all my coverage was fully engaged and covered.
Since my retirement last year I have been (without my consent) transposed to Medicare (I am 66 yrs. old) and my Prescription coverage was overtaken by a SilverScript program and now they tell me that I am in stage three there and I must pay 25% of these gigantic script costs.


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## Butterfly (Aug 6, 2021)

Joe Smith said:


> I cannot understand this at all. I have worked 36 years as a civil service employee and a CSEA member where all my coverage was fully engaged and covered.
> Since my retirement last year I have been (without my consent) transposed to Medicare (I am 66 yrs. old) and my Prescription coverage was overtaken by a SilverScript program and now they tell me that I am in stage three there and I must pay 25% of these gigantic script costs.


Everybody gets shifted over to Medicare when they reach 65, whether they like it or not.  There's no consent involved since there's no option.


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 6, 2021)

Everybody I know who has BCBS pays too much and has sucky coverage. There should be no reason for you to have three insurers and I doubt doctors' offices or insurance companies will try to coordinate benefits using an extra (unnecessary) insurer, but I could be wrong.


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## Butterfly (Aug 9, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Everybody I know who has BCBS pays too much and has sucky coverage. There should be no reason for you to have three insurers and I doubt doctors' offices or insurance companies will try to coordinate benefits using an extra (unnecessary) insurer, but I could be wrong.



People I knnow have had the same experience with BCBS.  My sister was on one of their medicare plans for a while and it was a nightmare.  I was the one who got stuck trying to sort out the problems and I finally told her she was going to have to either switch plans or sort out problems herself.  She switched and since then we haven't had any problems.


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