As many of you know my wife and I are going to be going full-time in the spring next year. We live in Michigan and apparently we have to "reside" in Michigan for 6 months of the year in order to be eligible for our Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plan where BCBS manages our healthcare for the government. Once we go on the road we apparently won't qualify for this plan as we won't reside in Michigan for 6 months of the year. We will remain Michigan residents for income tax and other purposes due to our real estate holdings here. Has anyone run across this issue and if so what did you do or find out. Please don't speculate or tell me not to worry about because I can speculate and if you lie on your insurance application you don't have insurance when you need it most.
Terry and Jo said
07:15 PM Sep 18, 2019
What we ran upon with a Medicare Advantage plan was that out of the state in which it was issued, the Advantage plan doesn't work at all for "regular" medical issues. The only way Medicare would benefit me was if I went to an emergency room. Since the wife and I tend to stay in one place longer than most people do, we've gotten rid of my Advantage plan and gone with Medicare supplements. At present, the wife has Medicare and the Plan F supplement and I have Medicare and the Plan N supplement. From what we have been told, Medicare will sometime go to where there is only Plan F. (At least, that is what I remember.)
With Medicare and a supplement, one can use Medicare and the supplement anywhere, with any doctor. One does have to pay more for the coverage of the supplement, but at least it works. For us, we have very few medical issues.
We got our Medicare supplements through USAA, and we get our medications via mail order.
Terry
Dutch said
07:21 PM Sep 18, 2019
One of the features we like about our zero additional premium UHC Advantage Plan is their "Passport" feature that lets us notify them where we are when we need service, and we can then use in-plan providers at the same co-pays as in our "home" area. Urgent and emergency room care visits are covered nationwide with no notification needed.
Second Chance said
12:04 PM Sep 19, 2019
Terry and Jo wrote:
...With Medicare and a supplement, one can use Medicare and the supplement anywhere, with any doctor...
Terry
This doesn't rise to the level of disagreement, Terry, but I would like to counter that statement with some recent experience. We don't have to worry about locations or one state vs. another (Medicare with Tricare for Life). However, we have recently considered changing providers so we don't have to keep schlepping back to the Augusta, GA, area once or twice a year as we start to spend more and more time in other parts of the country - especially the western states. In the several locations we have looked at new providers, we are finding an increasing number of providers who are no longer accepting Medicare patients. So "any doctor" isn't quite universal.
Rob
Barbaraok said
11:25 PM Sep 19, 2019
Rob,
We change physicians with no problems to another state. Of course we winter in a snowbird area of Mesa, AZ and most physicians know that if one doesn't take medicare then a SIZABLE portion of the population (which swells in the winter) will not be utilizing your services.
We have regular Medicare with a supplemental and have never had a problem with it in any state in the country.
ARCAGUY, I don't know why you think you have to stay residents of Michigan just because you own property there. You can own property anywhere, doesn't make you a resident of the state.
-- Edited by Barbaraok on Sunday 29th of September 2019 11:15:32 AM
arcaguy said
10:14 AM Sep 24, 2019
I realize that owning property in Michigan doesn't make me a resident of Michigan, but it's a strong factor along with keeping my current doctors, dentist etc. that would make becoming a resident of another state problematic at best. Just as importantly, currently I won't pay any Michigan income tax due fairly liberal senior standard deduction and the non-taxability of social security. Given the overall situation it just doesn't look like it would be worth it to change residency, but that may change.
Danny and Cheryl said
07:32 PM Sep 28, 2019
forget the Advantage Plan and get a Supplement
Barbaraok said
11:21 AM Sep 29, 2019
I know that there are people that love their Advantage plans, because they pay 'nothing' for the extras like they would for a Supplemental. I have a philosophical problem in that it costs the US Taxpayers extra for everyone on the Advantage plans. When first proposed, the insurance companies said they could do it all for just the Part B premium - - but that quickly proved to be impossible, so now the government gives them 'extra' beyond the Part B premium to run part of Medicare. Not to mention the limitations on who one can see, etc. which really impacts full timers, or even those who just travel extensively.
Danny and Cheryl said
06:37 AM Sep 30, 2019
the Advantage Plan is Great if you don't plan on ever getting sick or ever having any Health issues. otherwise you need to have Medicare with a Supplement or have lots of Cash
Justin Black said
04:27 PM Jun 22, 2020
This depends on your situation. If you've worked at least 10 years (40 quarters) under Medicare-covered employment and paid Medicare taxes during that time, you qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A and will be automatically enrolled at age 65 even if you're still working.
BiggarView said
11:39 AM Jul 1, 2020
Medicare supplemental plan F is no longer available to new enrollees.
-- Edited by BiggarView on Wednesday 1st of July 2020 11:40:20 AM
As many of you know my wife and I are going to be going full-time in the spring next year. We live in Michigan and apparently we have to "reside" in Michigan for 6 months of the year in order to be eligible for our Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plan where BCBS manages our healthcare for the government. Once we go on the road we apparently won't qualify for this plan as we won't reside in Michigan for 6 months of the year. We will remain Michigan residents for income tax and other purposes due to our real estate holdings here. Has anyone run across this issue and if so what did you do or find out. Please don't speculate or tell me not to worry about because I can speculate and if you lie on your insurance application you don't have insurance when you need it most.
What we ran upon with a Medicare Advantage plan was that out of the state in which it was issued, the Advantage plan doesn't work at all for "regular" medical issues. The only way Medicare would benefit me was if I went to an emergency room. Since the wife and I tend to stay in one place longer than most people do, we've gotten rid of my Advantage plan and gone with Medicare supplements. At present, the wife has Medicare and the Plan F supplement and I have Medicare and the Plan N supplement. From what we have been told, Medicare will sometime go to where there is only Plan F. (At least, that is what I remember.)
With Medicare and a supplement, one can use Medicare and the supplement anywhere, with any doctor. One does have to pay more for the coverage of the supplement, but at least it works. For us, we have very few medical issues.
We got our Medicare supplements through USAA, and we get our medications via mail order.
Terry
This doesn't rise to the level of disagreement, Terry, but I would like to counter that statement with some recent experience. We don't have to worry about locations or one state vs. another (Medicare with Tricare for Life). However, we have recently considered changing providers so we don't have to keep schlepping back to the Augusta, GA, area once or twice a year as we start to spend more and more time in other parts of the country - especially the western states. In the several locations we have looked at new providers, we are finding an increasing number of providers who are no longer accepting Medicare patients. So "any doctor" isn't quite universal.
Rob
Rob,
We change physicians with no problems to another state. Of course we winter in a snowbird area of Mesa, AZ and most physicians know that if one doesn't take medicare then a SIZABLE portion of the population (which swells in the winter) will not be utilizing your services.
We have regular Medicare with a supplemental and have never had a problem with it in any state in the country.
ARCAGUY, I don't know why you think you have to stay residents of Michigan just because you own property there. You can own property anywhere, doesn't make you a resident of the state.
-- Edited by Barbaraok on Sunday 29th of September 2019 11:15:32 AM
Medicare supplemental plan F is no longer available to new enrollees.
-- Edited by BiggarView on Wednesday 1st of July 2020 11:40:20 AM