06-28-2024, 02:20 PM
......and that is exactly why we pay the max premiums for the Blue Shield F Extra ("F+") Medicare Supplement plan.
Sure, it's expensive, relatively speaking, but necessary for us. Before Mrs. Buzz retired from 43+ years of major airline stewardessing
during Covid, we stuck w/ her company's top HSA based plan from UHC...... All-in, it saved us between ~$800 - $2,000/year over
Medicare + Supplement, w/ most of that being from prescription meds. Since spousal unit's retirement, Rx costs have come down
(though the Supplement cost has t crept up) so it's close to a wash..... though Mrs. Buzz is *MUCH* nicer in her retirement than she
ever was while she was still working; which is a big plus.
My base annual medical expenses start at $500K+ because of my neuro crud, and go up from there w/ old guy prostate and kidney
issues, not to mention stuff like my currently broken foot. Mrs. Buzz, while generally healthy (comparatively, anyway), still has just
enough issues to justify the expensive Supplement...... especially since we get a pretty decent discount for combined enrollment and
billing to start with, and that here in So. Cali we're in the hotbed of all sorts of major medical group competition, and that way ($$Supplement),
we both see docs and get treatment from the three top groups in our area (UCLA, Providence/St. John's, and Cedars Sinai) without having
to hassle, or worry about any in, or out of, network considerations like we'd have to do w/ any of the Advantage plans (even supposed PPO's)
that are tied to a specific group of providers.
I cannot stress enough that y'all gotta plan ahead for you're Medicare era health needs. For some, an Advantage plan may work, but you
really oughta make darn sure before consigning your healthcare decisions to the beancounters rather than trained medical professionals.
There's no free lunch, so do your homework, then do more homework until you absolutely know you've got it right! It can be too difficult,
if not impossible to switch to the "right" plan once you start needing more healthcare than the "wrong" plan is willing to provide to/for you.
Good luck, and part of that homework should include consulting w/ reps from a few different care providing sources.....
being aware that some/many may only be able to offer limited solutions that (of course) they'll be pushing.
==
Sure, it's expensive, relatively speaking, but necessary for us. Before Mrs. Buzz retired from 43+ years of major airline stewardessing
during Covid, we stuck w/ her company's top HSA based plan from UHC...... All-in, it saved us between ~$800 - $2,000/year over
Medicare + Supplement, w/ most of that being from prescription meds. Since spousal unit's retirement, Rx costs have come down
(though the Supplement cost has t crept up) so it's close to a wash..... though Mrs. Buzz is *MUCH* nicer in her retirement than she
ever was while she was still working; which is a big plus.
My base annual medical expenses start at $500K+ because of my neuro crud, and go up from there w/ old guy prostate and kidney
issues, not to mention stuff like my currently broken foot. Mrs. Buzz, while generally healthy (comparatively, anyway), still has just
enough issues to justify the expensive Supplement...... especially since we get a pretty decent discount for combined enrollment and
billing to start with, and that here in So. Cali we're in the hotbed of all sorts of major medical group competition, and that way ($$Supplement),
we both see docs and get treatment from the three top groups in our area (UCLA, Providence/St. John's, and Cedars Sinai) without having
to hassle, or worry about any in, or out of, network considerations like we'd have to do w/ any of the Advantage plans (even supposed PPO's)
that are tied to a specific group of providers.
I cannot stress enough that y'all gotta plan ahead for you're Medicare era health needs. For some, an Advantage plan may work, but you
really oughta make darn sure before consigning your healthcare decisions to the beancounters rather than trained medical professionals.
There's no free lunch, so do your homework, then do more homework until you absolutely know you've got it right! It can be too difficult,
if not impossible to switch to the "right" plan once you start needing more healthcare than the "wrong" plan is willing to provide to/for you.
Good luck, and part of that homework should include consulting w/ reps from a few different care providing sources.....
being aware that some/many may only be able to offer limited solutions that (of course) they'll be pushing.
==