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Markle wrote:reaper1948 wrote:RealLindaL wrote:Markle, I wouldn't be so sure that the Advantage plans will die under the Affordable Care Act. The reason I say that is this: All the insurers offering these plans have known full well for some time that existing government subsidies will soon end (or at least be decreased drastically) -- and yet they've continued to press for new members, spending huge amounts of money on ads, trying to increase the size of their member rolls. Blue Cross even built new local service facilities all over the place, not in small part to deal with Medicare-age clients. It doesn't make any logical sense that they would do all this if they didn't have confidence that they'll still be able to service us -- perhaps because of the large number of additional non-Medicare-age members they may well see under the new Act.
Nope the payments to insurers to cover you on Medicare Advantage plans will stay in place at least for a few more years and then who knows as well as the donut hole for drugs will be slowly closed by 2020.
Yep, a couple more years (2014) when massive cuts in Medicare go into effect.
You talk of massive cuts as though it's only going to effect you, you can take $2.00 away from everyone over 65 and all of a sudden it becomes massive considering the number of people over 65 and 10,000 being added everyday.
Insurance companies that market Med Advantage plans are required by law to pay at least what Medicare would pay for a service, but in fact many of the companies pay more than the Medicare fee schedule.
One way (if the subsidies were reduced to companies) for companies to save money is get rid of these silly gym memberships they tack onto their plans. A survey was completed last year of all those that took the plans that offered these and less that 5% of the seniors even used the gym memberships.
If Medicare Advantage went away (which I really don't believe they will since Part D is considered a Med Advantage plan) everyone regardless of health would be able to purchase a Medicare supplement probably within 60 days of losing it.
I don't even want to hear physicians will stop seeing patients of Medicare age. Some older ones might, but since physicians are also businessmen and women and since the majority of the population will be over 65 very shortly it does not make good sense for a doctor to say no I'm not seeing Markle because he's over 65 I will just sit here all day playing with myself waiting for a younger person to come in. They will starve to death. I do think you will see triple the foreign doctors becoming family doctors and coming to the states since making more money from Medicare patients would be more than practicing in their own country.
One thing to clear up since granny for peace is promoting those HMO's. An HMO is more restrictive than a PPO and never on a Medicare Advantage plan are there any pre existing clauses. If you choose a Medicare supplement at age 65 or older with you coming off other coverage there never is a pre ex clause either.