Medicare Advantage and why the American Healthcare System is corrupt and broken

No, Medicare advantage is not what we want.

Medicare has big holes in it where you can end up bankrupt unless you pay a premium and get something called Medigap… It’s about 100 to 170 a month you pay.
Medicare advantage is free usually but has some problems with some tests were you have to pay partially pay for.

My job Health insurance is way better than Medicare.

Medicare IS NOT FREE

That’s what the country needs a Medigap that fills the holes in Medicare which doesn’t pay for many services and only pays partially for some.

Even a Medicare Advantage plan has some tests that one has to help pay for.

originally posted by: Willtell
a reply to: Metallicus

The health care system is financially out of control. Maybe last century someone could go in their pockets and pay for health care but not in this 21st century. That’s why the government is in practically every modern society’s health care system.

In a way, that's a benefit. Medical mistakes are the third largest cause of death, in the US. Not going to the doctor, will most often, save your life.

PS ...thats around 500X the chance of dying by gunshot...even if you are trying to kill yourself...

originally posted by: sligtlyskeptical

Another one who has it wrong. Obamacare allowed insurance across state lines. Insurance companies didn't want to go across state lines.

Right. The insurance industry opposed it. They do better with closed state markets. The ACA did have such a provision. States would have to enter into compacts, but the Obama administration never issued the regulations to do that.

I wonder why that was?

What has to happen is for the federal government to preempt the states, creating a single national market.

My insurance companies have always been up front about costs if I bothered to ask. Most providers will tell you how much you will owe before treatment. That said not all procedures can be properly priced. Operate to remove cancer and find cancer elsewhere that needs to be removed. Should they stop, jolt the patient awake, and ask if they want to spend more money?

I am so sick of the ignorance! Railing against things that you don't even understand. Pure Idiocracy.

In addition to a reading comprehension problem, you aren't very pleasant.

Why do you think any of that is relevant to what I said?

Who cares what the insurer tells you? There's no pricing transparency. It's not important for just you to know what your insurer charges, you need to know what my insurer charges me too, for any of it to be useful.

Moreover, I wasn't even talking about insurers. What I am saying is that healthcare providers should be required to post a rolling average for each billable item.

If this information were widely available to consumers, it's a guarantee the days of the $500 cotton ball would be over.

Now I have a question ?:

In spite of my negative views on Health Insurance and Medicare advantage plans - I may need one for the coming year
as I lost Medicaid [the best supplement you can get for Medicare which is free BUT you only qualify iif you have both
low income and very low resources]- They still give the best insurance to lower class and of course to the rich who
can afford to pay for it - And the so called 'middle class' gets screwed!

So the question is if I have to get an advantage plan [HMO or PPO] with prescription drug coverage - what would
some of you recommend as to carrier?
-
Someone mentioned Kaiser but that is not available in my zip code area.

I've heard a few good things about Humana and had my mother on Aetna years ago which was an expensive plan.

For an HMO or PPO with drug coverage, anyone use Humana or Aetna and have good things to say?

Or, any other company you might recommend ?

[Note: I'm not interested in United Healthcare or any related companies such as AARP]

a reply to: Metallicus

This is how the government "solved" the healthcare issue.

I am more thankful everyday that I live in a country where this isn't an issue.

I have a friend that's a Neurosurgeon in private practice in San Diego, he pays now %60 of his income to Insurance Companies for malpractice coverage.....so Americans are paying for big Insurance companies, lawyers, greedy sue for anything people. And you wonder why Health Insurance is through the roof.

originally posted by: InTheLight

originally posted by: olaru12
Thru your taxes you pay for health care.

why shouldn't we get the same healthcare the congressmen get instead of 2nd rate, expensive, insurance corp. controlled prices and if you have a preexisting condition...to bad.

You, obviously, are not worthy.

My Unions cover my medical insurance. I also have the VA.

originally posted by: Willtell
No, Medicare advantage is not what we want.

Medicare has big holes in it where you can end up bankrupt unless you pay a premium and get something called Medigap… It’s about 100 to 170 a month you pay. Medicare advantage is free usually but has some problems with some tests were you have to pay partially pay for.

I have rarely seen so much disinformation in a single post.

1. You can have just plain old Medicare. It does not pay for everything.
2. You can have a Medigap plan, which adds on top of Medicare to approach full coverage.
3. You can have Medicare Advantage, in which case no Medigap coverage is necessary.
4. Medicare Advantage plans are NOT free.
5. Medicare Advantage does NOT have "some problems with some tests" any more than any other plan.
6. ALL plans have co-pays.

Using a Medigap plan is very similar to Medicare Advantage in practice. The difference is in the details. Medigap is a SEPARATE policy that kicks in where Medicare stops. There are all sorts of Medigap policies, some of which cover more than others. Your choice. Medicare Advantage is a single policy that supplements Medicare by assigning your Medicare premiums to the insurance company, which then administers the whole thing. You don't deal with two entities and you never have to deal directly with Medicare. Advantage plans tend to be cheaper than Gap plans and tend to cover more than Gap plans. I pay a whopping $28 per month for my Advantage plan, which is full coverage.

Yes, Medicare Advantage is EXACTLY what I want.

a reply to: schuyler

You're saying the same thing I said...

Medicare Advantage plans don’t pay for all of the tests…co-pays as you say, that’s why many of them have no premiums.

Many Medicare Advantage plans have no premiums

A co-pay is you paying a percentage, that’s all I said.

Medigap is just better in that regard.

MAP though are usually cheaper, have drug and dental whereas Medigap doesn’t

So there are advantages and disadvantages in both plans

In my opinion, there are slight differences between Medicare and Medigap insurance. Choosing the type of insurance depends on the need and requirement of a person. It's also true that what is left out by Medicare advantage plan is covered by Medigap insurance. Both the insurance policies have advantages and disadvantages on their own. This is the reason why one should get the correct knowledge about healthcare insurance before choosing anyone. At the same time, an individual should avoid getting in contact with the fraud agents if they do not want to get bankrupt. One can also find out how these insurance plans actually work, either by surfing the net or by contacting the real agents. It is actually a big issue where a single doubt or misunderstanding can result in huge loss of money.