robin1234

I highly recommend this book, Medicare for Dummies by Patricia Barry.

https://bookshop.org/books/medicare-.../9781119689935

I used it seven or eight years ago, when I was researching my Medicare choices, and I’m sure it’s just as good now as it was then (I believe there’s a new edition every year, or maybe every two years.) Medicare is complex, and it really does need a several hundred page book to do it justice.

ddsrph

If you can get one sponsored/supported by the Cleveland Clinic that saves money over traditional Medicare I would give it serious consideration. The Cleveland Clinic hospital is by any measure one of the top 2 or 3 hospitals in the world.

Derrygal

Thank you!

Derrygal

Yes it is!

civilservant

They have costs, just like traditional Medicare.

The difference is you can pay for a Supplemental Policy to cover most of the out of pocket costs incurred on traditional. Not so with an MA plan - and the copays when you drill own are basically identical.

If you have the financial means to do traditional A/B/D and a Medigap policy, I would strongly urge you to go down that route.

Derrygal

Yes - thank you. I realize that (the supplmental Medigap) part. Truth is - I am not sure I can afford it. I seriously thought about going back to the UK 19 years ago when I got divorced. My children were young adults then, one of them still in college and I couldn't leave them. Now they are married and I have 4 adorable American grandchildren and I can't leave them. America can be a great place if you have a very high paying job but if you don't it can be a scary place to live. I will certainly look into the supplemental plans though - maybe find one that fits my budget.

Giantaxe

I have traditional Medicare with a (high deductible) Medigap policy and a drug plan. I decided to go this route because in San Francisco all Advantage plans are HMOs and I didn't want to cut myself off from - in particular - some UCSF specialists. If I lived somewhere where there wasn't the range of specialist doctors there is here I might have made a different decision.

MMcD

Here's a better link.... Will save you 5-6 bucks: https://www.amazon.com/Medicare-Dumm...ct_top?ie=UTF8

I was intrigued at your recommendation of this book because I've been wondering whether there's a better Supplemental (Medigap Plan) than the one I've had for years.
Have avoided Medicare Advantage plans.
I have always had Medicare Plan F (it's the priciest of the Medigap Supplemental Plans, but offers the most complete coverage
Now I'm wondering whether a Medicare Advantage plan might be better for me

Would this book be helpful Robin?
Obviously, I don't need "newbie" Medicare explanations or breakdowns.
What do you think?

ps: Just found this on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/17...KIKX0DER&psc=1
...and the author has free youtube videos which are extremely instructive, to the point and helpful

Derrygal

I just ordered that book a few days ago on Robin's advice. It arrived today - got it on Amazon. Will spend some time this weekend reading it.

robin1234

It is readable, interesting and instructive.. when I first got it, I carefully read it cover to cover. Then, I selectively re-read specific chapters on topics of interest. It was a bit of a poisoned chalice, as I got a name as “the person to ask for advice about Medicare” at the university where I formerly worked. I was amazed to find that many of my colleagues (folks with PhDs in economics and suchlike) had no clue about where to start. They’d spent a working lifetime with healthcare at $40 premium per month provided by their employer, that’s all they knew.

robin1234

I always buy books from bookshop.org. When you buy from them, a proportion of the purchase price goes to brick & mortar bookshops local to you. I generally don’t do any business with Amazon..

For your current question, I’m not sure you need this book, since you already understand the system. As you suggest, there’s plenty of information available online that’ll compare plan providers etc.

MMcD

Oh, that's a good thing. I hadn't known of them.

Yeah...well, Amazon - for better or worse - I'll admit that since March of '20 and the Covid onslaught, Amazon morphed into my umbilical cord to life.
For the first 8 months of the pandemic every morsel of food plus each and every necessitty - from toilet paper to you name it - came from the Bezos behemoth.
And pretty much still does.
And what Amazon can't do...eg cut hair, wash cars ...doesn't get done. Don't even try to imagine.
Have I gone overboard?

(that's rhetorical, I know the answer)

Derrygal

I don't think that plan is available any more (plan F) at least not for new people signing up. My neighbor has that plan but she has been on Medicare for over 5 years.

Nutmegger

I know F was discontinued for new enrollees in CT, but grandfathered for existing participants.

MMcD

In fact I believe it is "grandfathered", "grandmothered" ?,... ":grandpersoned" ( to be PC ) in all States
Which is why I want to be careful before switching. There's no going back once I do.
Can't believe I'm even thinking about this now - but there have been so many changes since I first signed up. I'm unsure if Medicare Advantage even existed when I chose Plan F Supplemental.
It"s the Lamborghini of Miedicare Gap Insurance.
And Lamborghinis ain't cheap.