- Oct 18, 2009
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Open enrollment for Medicare. So I want to change my Medicare Supplement Plan N for a Plan F. (The differences between the two are, essentially, Plan F pays for both Part A and Part B deductibles, no co-pays for anything, and pays all excess charges beyond M'care approved. Plan N has co-pays for MD and ER visits, only pays Part A ded. and doesn't cover excess charges. So Plan F pays a lot more out.)
When I signed up for my Plan N two years ago, I was told if I wanted to change plans later, it'd be nothing more than asking/telling M'care you want to change and voila!....there you are. IRL, otoh, is something different.
31 questions as initial "intake exam"....yes, an actual 31....and then two followup phone calls. both interviewers kept fishing for info like "Do I have planned but unscheduled cataract surgery upcoming" (This was asked three times over the second call) or "am I sure I only take aspirin as a med?" Both seemed incredulous that I've not seen a doctor since I took out the policy in 2019, but there it is....not one claim, visit, nada. Nothing on record...no ER, MD visits, nothing.
And they did spend the better part of a week looking......that's where the cataract crap came from...ophthalmologist I used for my glasses a year ago noted that I had very slight clouding of the lens, but had probably 10 years before it'd be an issue for vision.
Anyway, today the ins. co. charged my cc for the first month's payment....so whew!!! Now I'm fairly insulated from health care costs, from an MD/hospital point of view anyway. Of course, this is $121/mo on top of the 2022 $170/mo M'care ins. cost.
But I figure it like this....while $121/mo isn't cheap at all, that totals $1452 in premiums for 2022. Part A's deductible for 2022, is $1556 for 2022. Part B's deductible for 2022 is $233, so adding the two deductibles together is much more than what the ins. costs...by $337. So, essentially I'm getting a $300+ rebate on the deductibles by prepaying them over a year in monthly payments.
But holy geez....the freaking spanish inquisition on those phone calls. Am I sure I'm not taking any prescribed meds? Am I absolutely sure I'm not planning surgery in the near future and just not telling them? Sheesh.......
as if i'd tell them in the first place.
When I signed up for my Plan N two years ago, I was told if I wanted to change plans later, it'd be nothing more than asking/telling M'care you want to change and voila!....there you are. IRL, otoh, is something different.
31 questions as initial "intake exam"....yes, an actual 31....and then two followup phone calls. both interviewers kept fishing for info like "Do I have planned but unscheduled cataract surgery upcoming" (This was asked three times over the second call) or "am I sure I only take aspirin as a med?" Both seemed incredulous that I've not seen a doctor since I took out the policy in 2019, but there it is....not one claim, visit, nada. Nothing on record...no ER, MD visits, nothing.
And they did spend the better part of a week looking......that's where the cataract crap came from...ophthalmologist I used for my glasses a year ago noted that I had very slight clouding of the lens, but had probably 10 years before it'd be an issue for vision.
Anyway, today the ins. co. charged my cc for the first month's payment....so whew!!! Now I'm fairly insulated from health care costs, from an MD/hospital point of view anyway. Of course, this is $121/mo on top of the 2022 $170/mo M'care ins. cost.
But I figure it like this....while $121/mo isn't cheap at all, that totals $1452 in premiums for 2022. Part A's deductible for 2022, is $1556 for 2022. Part B's deductible for 2022 is $233, so adding the two deductibles together is much more than what the ins. costs...by $337. So, essentially I'm getting a $300+ rebate on the deductibles by prepaying them over a year in monthly payments.
But holy geez....the freaking spanish inquisition on those phone calls. Am I sure I'm not taking any prescribed meds? Am I absolutely sure I'm not planning surgery in the near future and just not telling them? Sheesh.......
as if i'd tell them in the first place.
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