This is a Tale of Two Brothers.
We have these two brothers who are both clients of ours. Being brothers, they have always been extremely competitive, even when it comes to selecting their medical care. Barry always claims he made the smarter choice with his Medicare Advantage plan and his brother Larry (yeah, Barry & Larry, I know, it rhymes), has always felt he made the superior decision with a Medigap and a Part D to go with his original Medicare.
It seemed that every family get together would eventually have these two reviewing and discussing which had the better medical plan. Truth is, they were both correct!
Barry hardly ever goes to the doctor and is the epitome of health. He feels he made the right choice because his Medicare Advantage plan had no monthly premium and no deductible. It also included his Part D drug plan. It was free to see his primary doctor and even his labs, x-rays, and diagnostics were free. He even gets dental services and vision coverage for his glasses. In addition, all the hospitals he wanted was in his network. “I don’t pay anything unless I have a co-pay for a medical service. I’m saving lots of money each year because I don’t have any premiums”! he crowed.
Not to be outdone, Larry fires right back with even though he pays a monthly premium for his Medicare Medigap and Part D drug plan, he can go to any doctor, any hospital, with no referrals, and has no medical co-pays except for his prescription medications. “I might pay a little more than you every month but the benefits I get are better than yours” he claims.
Point is that neither brother is wrong. When selecting a Medicare health plan, the choice is yours. There are pros and cons to each plan type. When selecting the most appropriate plan for you, what is important is that you are educated about the differences in the plans and which insurance carrier is the correct one for you. Remember: it’s the plan, not the brand.
Not sure you’re selecting the correct plan for you, or maybe you are already on a plan and just want to shop and compare? Make sure that whoever assists you in selecting plans has access to all the plans in your geographic area! Remember, knowledge is power! Call us! We can help!