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To: John Koligman who wrote (28196)	11/10/2021 10:29:09 AM
From: Don Green	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 48770

John Thanks for responding, and yes it is so complicated which is why I posted the article. Whenever I hear the word "FREE", I am always very skeptical and ever more when I see we will give you back Medicare money. I don't have any optional plans but always wonder if I should ??? The Pros and Cons of Medicare Advantage Consumers Report consumerreports.org These popular plans may carry hidden risks. Here’s what to know. If you’re one of the 63 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, you’re probably being deluged by marketing pitches for Medicare Advantage plans, which offer managed care with low or zero premiums. Medicare’s fall open enrollment season starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, when you can switch your coverage between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, change Medicare Advantage plans, or make changes to your prescription drug plan. All that marketing seems to be working. Recently, 42 percent of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Advantage plans, up from 31 percent in 2016, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Those numbers include 50 percent of Black and 54 percent of Hispanic enrollees vs. 36 percent of whites in 2018. By 2025, half of Americans are expected to be in Advantage plans. More on Health Insurance Your Ambulance Ride Could Still Leave You With a Surprise Medical Bill Think Twice Before Buying Private Dental Insurance When Your Insurer Drops Your Prescription Drug The High Cost of Cheap Health Insurance Protect Yourself from Healthcare Rip-Offs It’s easy to see the appeal of Advantage. Original Medicare doesn’t cover all your medical expenses, while Advantage plans have cost-sharing requirements but then cap your out-of-pocket costs. Plus, you have low premiums and the simplicity of all-in-one coverage. But there can be hidden risks to Advantage plans, especially for those with major health issues. “Some people in Medicare Advantage end up paying unexpectedly high costs when they become ill or find their network lacks the providers they need,” says Tricia Neuman, senior vice president at Kaiser. Your alternative is to opt for Original Medicare and add a supplemental, or Medigap, plan that covers your out-of-pocket costs and gives you a wider choice of providers. But you’ll pay additional monthly premiums for a Medigap policy, and unless you’re enrolling in Medicare for the first time, you could be denied Medigap coverage due to a preexisting condition. Clearly, making the right choice for your needs requires careful research. The tips below can help steer you to the best possible plan.

To: John Koligman who wrote (28196)	9/21/2022 8:55:43 PM
From: Rarebird	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 48770

I went through underwriting two years ago when my Cigna Plan G plan became expensive and I switched to a comparable Aetna Plan G plan. I saved over $60 a month by switching with the exact same benefits. The underwriting questions were not to bad. I got approved right away. My Cigna supplemental Plan G went from $139 to close to $200 in 3 years so I switched to Aetna Plan G supplemental. I have already gotten one increase after a year to $147 monthly premium. Plus, I like the Aetna Plan G better since I can use it anywhere in the USA while the Cigna Plan G was network restricted. I called up United Health Advisors and they came up with all the cheaper Plan G plans fairly quickly and asked all the underwriting questions. The questions were mostly geared to cancer, heart attack questions. They did ask about whether I had diabetes. But that was about it. They never asked questions about neurological issues, which I had with my C5 and C6 nerve passage ways pretty narrow and causing some pain around my shoulders and back. I suppose they did not ask about that because that is not a big expense unless surgery is required. Expenses there are for physical therapy and a possible cortisone shot. Surgery is a bit risky with success rate about 80-85%. And the underwriting questions were geared towards health issues over the last year, nothing was asked about issues from a few years out. I thought the underwriting questions were a joke. Rate increases from Aetna have been much more modest than what I got from Cigna.