Eva Said:

Is medicare part B insurance required if you are working and have group health insurance?

We Answered:

No. Medicare part B is NEVER required.

Floyd Said:

Have you had a Rhinoplasty/Septoplasty through private health insurance and medicare?

We Answered:

healthquotes.awardspace.info - here is my health insurance plan. As I remember they can provide such a service.

Jimmie Said:

Medicare suppliment health insurance?

We Answered:

You're already on the right track by framing your question the way you did.

First, although you may travel all over the country, the place where the IRS mails your tax return is your legal domicile. Look for a company licensed to sell Medicare supplements in that specific zipcode area.

Second, since you DO travel all over the country, you should probably be looking at a standard Medicare supplement plan [one of the plans designated by a letter - Plan J, for example].
This type of plan pays any provider in the US. Otherwise, if you are fortunate enough to be a high net-worth individual, you might want to look into a "Private Pay" plan.

A "Medicare Advantage" [HMO or PPO type] plan is not for you because when you need medical attention, you may not be in the service area of the provider. There are other issues of limited flexibility, exclusions, and limitations on these plans as well. Steer clear of these unless and until you settle in one area and don't have plans to leave the service area.

Finally, by selecting a standard supplement, you know what you're getting because all standard supplements are EXACTLY THE SAME as far as coverage. What that means is that a Plan F is the same no matter what company you purchase it from.....But, don't let that send you right to the company with the lowest premium!! Check the financial soundness of the company, with rating companies such as Moodys, Standard and Poors, and others. Be sure they have sufficient reserves to pay claims and stay in business long-term.

Since the coverages, exclusions, and limitations are standardized by Medicare, all you need to compare is the relative soundness, reputation, and quality of customer service of the companies you're considering buying from.

Rosemary Said:

whats the difference between medicare and private health insurance?

We Answered:

You can easily check your minimal health care rates in internet, for example here - healthquotes.awardspace.info

Linda Said:

Where can I find a medicare health insurance supplement in OK for prexisiting conditions and for under age 65?

We Answered:

You will want to contact an independent agent that works with Medicare Advantage plans in OK. Pre-existing conditions are not an issue unless you have ESRD (kidney failure). Each plan is county specific but there are 23 plans available in Oklahoma City and range in price from $0 to $218 per month. Many of these plans include prescription drug coverage. You can get on a plan that doesn't include the drug coverage and get a separate stand alone Part D plan, of which there are 56 plans available state-wide.

You must have both medicare parts A and B to get on a Medicare Advantage plan or either medicare parts A or B to get on a stand alone Part D plan.

Leon Said:

if a person has medicare health insurance is it wise to use your spouses ins.as a secondary?

We Answered:

Whoever told you that is definitely incorrect!

Since I don't know the terms of your husband's policy, I'll use a hypothetical example here to try to show you how it works. Let's presume (for this example) that your policy through your husband has 80-20 coverage. (I'm also assuming, for simplicity's sake, that any deductibles have been met in my example. Just to give you a basic idea of how your secondary insurer might consider your claim.)

Say Medicare approves $100 for one of your services. Since $100 has been approved, Medicare would actually pay $80. This would leave a balance of $20 after Medicare.

Your secondary insurance would then consider the remaining balance of $20. Since your secondary also provides 80% coverage for that service, they would pay $16. Therefore the balance to you in this hypothetical example would be $4. (Medicare allowed charge - Medicare's actual payment - whatever your secondary pays = your balance.)

There is no universal answer as to whether it is "wise" to use your spouse's insurance as secondary. It all depends on the terms of your spouse's policy and what premium you have to pay. For example, if your spouse has to pay a substantial premium to keep you on the secondary policy and it has a huge deductible, then it might not be worth it to stay on. If you never met the deductible, then the insurance would never make a payment.

However, in general (and I stress "in general"), if your spouse's policy has decent coverage and you don't have to pay much of a premium to stay on it, then it might generally be worth it to stay on it.

Another thing to consider - there are some things that Medicare just doesn't cover. For example, Medicare doesn't cover routine physical examinations. (other than the one-time physical they will cover during your first 6 months on Part B) However, if your spouse's policy provides coverage for something that Medicare doesn't, you can still use the secondary and not get stuck paying out of pocket.

You'll have to evaluate whether you think its advantageous to you to stay on your spouse's policy. If you want to give more info on what kind of coverage your spouse's policy offers (deductible, what percentage it covers, how much extra premium your spouse has to pay to keep you on, etc.), it might be easier to help figure out what's best for you.

Ooh...one more thing...prescriptions. If your spouse's coverage covers prescriptions, you might find that a better alternative than trying to figure out how to navigate Medicare Part D plans. (again, depending on how much you're paying in premium to keep yourself on your spouse's plan)

Willie Said:

Health Insurance agent here. Anyone know of a good company to get medicare supplement leads from?

We Answered:

Depends on your location. Here in Michigan most carriers offer these programs (mostly for groups). Try:

http://www.advocatehealth.com/system/services/seniors/medicare.html

http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare/

http://www.bcbs.com