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I've spent the past few weeks trying to help my mother understand and choose new health insurance. She's covered under GM through my step dad and they are cutting retirees off at the end of the year.
Medicare? She's already got it. She's paying for it but doesn't know it.
- Part A?
- Part B?
- Part D?
Trying to help her understand the choices has been a losing effort because I didn't understand them myself.
- Medigap?
- Medicare Advantage?
What are those? How are they different? Does she sign up for both or one or neither or what? How does anyone decide which one is better for their needs? Medigap is more expensive and doesn't cover drugs - why would anyone want that?
- What's covered? What's not covered?
- Who's In Network? Who's not?
- Where do you look that up?
Must you stay In Network even if you have two homes in different parts of the country?
How much will she have to pay out of pocket?
What the heck is "coinsurance" and how is it different from a "copay?"
Is there a deductible? Why is there a separate deductible for Part B?
Then there's the Prescription coverage! Also knowns as Part D. Is anyone else convimced the D stands for Demented?Tier 1?
- Tier 2?
- Tier 3?
- Preferred?
- Preferred Brand?
- Non-preferred?
- Non Preferred Brand?
- Quantity limits?
- Step therapy?
Isn't there any insurance that covers brand name drugs in the donut hole? Can't she buy ANY kind of private prescription insurance that covers things through the donut hole or gap?
Until today. I got smart and called someone who's supposed to answer questions about all this stuff. I finally understood the differences between Medigap and Med. Advantage. Then, I told her what to do er, actually, I told her what I would do to get her enrolled in an insurance plan and a drug plan.
Now we can forget about all this stuff and get on with our lives! Yay!
