Say Good-bye To Employer- Provided Health Insurance.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

We're trying this BCBS Medicare Advantage Choice Plus PPO program this year. It's got some copays for doc visits, ER and hospitalizations...the max yearly out of pocket is $3400 if you get really sick and spend a bunch of time in the hospital. But it includes prescription coverage and it's $66.00/mo., plus the $105 to Medicare. BCBS is the primary and we don't use Medicare and as I understand it, the government subsidizes it with funds from Medicare premiums.

We're both in fine shape so we think it's a pretty good bet we're coming out ahead as long as our health holds.

That sounds pretty good.

Right now I'm stuck with what I have until my wife turns 65. The BCBS secondary is a State Employee group plan which I stayed on after I retired and my wife is covered as a spouse, but if I drop it she gets dropped too. That would mean she would have to go out on the "Free Market" till she reached 65. And you know what that means.

So I got three more years to go. Then, when we are both Medicare eligible I'll definitely look into other options.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

I pay $105 a month for Medicare Part B and $360 a month for BCBS PPO which kicks in as a secondary after Medicare pays what it is going to. I don't have Medicare prescription coverage because the $360 a month to BCBS PPO includes prescription coverage and it's better.

So a total of $465 a month to cover my ass and I'm on Medicare. And I still have additional out of pocket co-pays.

So that is for prescription aswell. Thank God.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by noonereal

So that is for prescription aswell. Thank God.

If you're looking for something, that plan IKE mentioned sounds like it would be worth checking out.

[merrylander]

Ours is pricey but all we ever see are these letters from Care First that say 'Medicare says this procedure is worth $xxx, they paid 80% and we paid the rest, so you owe $0.00.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

If you're looking for something, that plan IKE mentioned sounds like it would be worth checking out.

Since BCBS is organized by state (as are most insurance companies) it's hard to know where coverages are available and where they're not. So you always have to check that out. We had a similar Medicare Advantage plan with Humana until this year (without the RX coverage) and it would not have been available to us had we changed our primary legal residence to our place over in Indiana.