Medicare High Deductible F Should Be The First Choice For Medicare Supplements

People choose medicare supplement plans for a variety of reasons. Some people choose them based on the name of the company offering them, advice from family or neighbors, and advertising on TV. Others may go with advice from a local senior center or simply go with a Plan F because it offers the most coverage. Whatever the reasons may be, they are usually not enrolling in the most financially sound option.

High Deductible plan F should be the choice for any person over the age of 65 taking a Medicare Supplement Plan. ( I say over 65 because it is not usually available to those on Medicare under the age of 65) High deductible F is not as easy to understand as the more popular options such as Plan F,C,D or even plan N. However, if people did take the time to understand the plan, they would see that it is by far the best option from a mathematical standpoint.

Plan F High Deductible works in the following manner: It will cover the Medicare co insurance and cost share once a person spends $2,070 in any given year. In general, this means that when a person goes to the doctor, Medicare will pay 80% of allowable charges and the patient will pay the 20% left over. It works the same way with other services such as testing and physical therapy. If they go to the hospital, they will pay the hospital deductible and then Medicare will pick up the rest. If these expenses add up to $2,070 in any given year, the high deductible F plan will pick up the remaining charges just like a normal Plan F does from the start.

The reason that high F makes so much sense is the math. In many states, high F costs $33.06 a month. The lowest cost standard Plan F is $214.50 a month. Plan F covers all medical costs (Medicare allowable) so there is no out of pocket expense, but the premium totals up to $2,574.00 a year. Even if someone uses little or no services for the year, they will still pay this amount. High F has a total cost of $396.72 annual premium ($33.06 x 12 months) and a max out of pocket of $2,070 for a total of $2,466.70. The worst case scenario leaves the person with High F saving $107.00 for the year.

The reality is that few people experience the worst case scenario. Very few will actually hit the $2,070 deductible for the year. Some estimates show that only 5% of people accumulate over $2,000 of utilization. There are a number of sources that estimate how much the average senior actually accrues in part A and B co-insurance and deductibles for the year but the average seems to show it is about $900 a year. Given this estimate, the average senior would save about $1,207.00 a year on plan F high deductible. If they have a very healthy year, they will save even more. If they have a catastrophically bad year, they will only save $107 but there is no risk involved. At the end of the day, they will save money period.

Due to a general lack of understanding, High F will never be as popular as plan F but it should be the overwhelming choice for anyone in a supplement. The math behind it is undeniable.

Florida Seniors And Florida Medicare Supplement Plans

Florida Medicare Supplement Premiums and Selection, some influences.

In the state of Florida you may expect to pay up to 60% more for your standardized Medicare Supplement Plan. The Florida rates are among the highest in the nation.

The temperate climate, easy lifestyle, vibrant and active senior community, and lower housing costs and taxes in Florida are just some of the reasons that so many Americans choose to retire here each year.

Florida leads the nation in percentage of citizens 65 and older with 17.7 % of the total population falling into that category. Currently Florida's Senior population is over 3,339,000. Medicare Beneficiaries in Florida number over 3,300,000.

Since medical expenses increase as we get older, a very large group of aging people will impact the cost of doing business for an insurance company that is marketing Medicare Supplement Plans to that group. The higher claims cost has caused some companies to decide not to offer plans in Florida. This limits the choices for seniors. This also causes the premiums to be more expensive.

Another factor affecting Florida Supplement rates are some of the insurance regulations in the state. These tend to be good for the consumer, but can also cause higher rates.

Issue age pricing. All Medicare Supplement Plans in Florida must be sold as "issue age" vs. "attained age". With issue age pricing your premium depends on your age when you purchase the policy. Attained age plans increase based on your age as you get older, these increases tend to be significant. Issue age policies do not increase based on age, rather are in conjunction with increases in the Medicare deductibles and other cost sharing and have much less impact on the cost of the plan, resulting in predictable costs going forward.

All insurance companies wishing to market Medicare Supplements in Florida are mandated by the state to have plans available to people who qualify for Medicare under the age of 65. These are beneficiaries who typically have been on SS disability for 24 months. This gives them the ability to secure protection against medical costs and increased quality of care. It also creates a higher risk, higher cost group of insured.

These are only a few of the factors contributing to the higher cost for Medigap Plans in Florida. If you are a Florida Senior you owe it to yourself to be pro-active and compare plans and prices so that you can be confident that you are getting the most bang for your health care dollar and that you have the right coverage for you.

How Does Medicare Part D Work?

Of the four parts of Medicare, Part D is the newest and the most complex. I still get asked what is Medicare Part D which means that the government is failing to do a proper job of educating seniors on this very important and vital part of Medicare. Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs that are typically filled at your local pharmacy or filled through mail order. The typical Part D drug plan consists of four Tiers generally referred to as Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4. Tier 1 is for generic drugs, Tier 2 is for Preferred Brand, Tier 3 is for Non-Preferred Brand, and Tier 4 is for Specialty drugs. We are now also starting to see a 5 Tier structure with some of the Medicare Part D plans. The extra Tier is used with the generics creating a Preferred Generic as well as a Non-Preferred Generic.

Medicare Part D is administered through private insurance companies such as Humana, Wellcare, BCBS, United Healthcare, Healthsprings, and many others. They are county specific, and their costs vary greatly from plan to plan and from region to region. All plans carry a monthly premium. Also take note of whether or not the plan has a deductible. Deductibles are common in Part D plans. The important considerations when determining the best drug plan for you is to consider the costs, formulary, and your pharmacy choice. A formulary is a list of drugs that is covered by the plan as well as their level of coverage or Tier.

NOTE: Not all formularies are created equal! Many times you will find your drug on one formulary and not on another. Also, it is not unusual to find your drug on different Tiers on different formularies.

Finally, to complicate things even more they throw in the coverage gap, enrollment periods, and a penalty. A separate article could be written on each of these subjects, so I'll just mention them here.

In summary, you will pay a monthly premium for Part D of Medicare which will be determined by which plan you select. You need to check the plan's formulary against the drugs you are taking to determine whether your drug is covered and how well it is covered. A great resource to accomplish this is online at medicare.gov. In order to find more information on a comapny like Wellcare or Healthsprings, you may also want to visit the plan's website.

NOTE: Some people qualify for assistance with paying for their Medicare Part D drugs. The assistance could be in the form of premium assistance as well as co-pay assistance. If you qualify for assistance you will not have to worry about the Medicare Part D Donut Hole or Coverage Gap.