06-28-2024, 11:34 PM
We're not north of 80, yet (73.5), but our Supplement is ~$340 (X2)/month. Thankfully, that's all we have to pay; it covers all deductibles
and co-pays, so no surprise bills.... except when the doc's office peeps/billing dept mis-code something; then we have the hassle w/ them
to correct their billing error and get the claim resubmitted. We still call on stuff that may need a proper referral, to make sure everything gets
submitted correctly the first time around. Well worth it to have predicable medical expenses throughout the year.
When spousal unit was working (and before Baby Buzz aged out of the family plan there), the "Gold" HSA maxed out my annual out-of-pocket
w/ my first IVIG treatment each January; and we got "copay assistance" (which is common in the industry) from the maker of the IVIG, so our
costs under that scenario were predictable, too..... as long as whatever was being done was on their "OK" list, or formulary, as the case may be.
Back then, UHC required a fair bit more checking in on, than Blue Shield does now, but after all the years of dealing w/ them, we were dialed in.
If one's healthcare needs are fairly modest/routine, an Advantage PPO plan can be a real money saver if (as noted) you're in the right location,
and/or are serviced by a provider group that's a good for you. I must say, that these days, Kaiser can be an excellent choice for Medicare
coverage (compared to a couple of decades ago). Ya gotta do that homework before ya jump into the pool; it's really important.
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and co-pays, so no surprise bills.... except when the doc's office peeps/billing dept mis-code something; then we have the hassle w/ them
to correct their billing error and get the claim resubmitted. We still call on stuff that may need a proper referral, to make sure everything gets
submitted correctly the first time around. Well worth it to have predicable medical expenses throughout the year.
When spousal unit was working (and before Baby Buzz aged out of the family plan there), the "Gold" HSA maxed out my annual out-of-pocket
w/ my first IVIG treatment each January; and we got "copay assistance" (which is common in the industry) from the maker of the IVIG, so our
costs under that scenario were predictable, too..... as long as whatever was being done was on their "OK" list, or formulary, as the case may be.
Back then, UHC required a fair bit more checking in on, than Blue Shield does now, but after all the years of dealing w/ them, we were dialed in.
If one's healthcare needs are fairly modest/routine, an Advantage PPO plan can be a real money saver if (as noted) you're in the right location,
and/or are serviced by a provider group that's a good for you. I must say, that these days, Kaiser can be an excellent choice for Medicare
coverage (compared to a couple of decades ago). Ya gotta do that homework before ya jump into the pool; it's really important.
==