quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

My local hospital stopped taking Humana PPO

Humana PPO is a Medicare Advantage plan. ¡No bueno!

Well, yes. There are two types of Medicare Advantage plans - the HMO and the PPO. They’re exactly the same as their employer subsidized counterparts. The HMO requires everything to be done through a primary care physician who is in network and PPO doesn’t require you to get a referral from your primary care physician to see a specialist who has to be in network.

Medicare Advantage plans offer low to no premiums along with bonus services like dental, eye care, etc. They also offer higher commissions to agents. We know insurance companies aren’t in the business to lose money so the money for the company’s profits, the premium subsidies, and the bonus benefits has to come from someplace and the only thing left is the medical care available. To make it clear: the insurance company makes their profits and the cost of the additional benefits by ensuring their costs for medical healthcare delivered is sufficiently reduced.

In the end, the total cost outlay for a Medicare Advantage plan may end up costing an individual more that if they went with regular Medicare plus a supplement plan, but if one’s budget can’t take the ongoing expenses of regular Medicare plus a supplement plan, I can’t fault them for going with a Medicare Advantage plan.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You are unlkely to get the best doctors as these plans want the cheapest doctor available. Medicare rates are already low and many doctors refuse to take any new Medicare patients. These plans ask for lower fees than Medicare. Who wants to work for less??