General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Katie Porter leads letter urging Biden not to dump more money into Medicare Advantage [View all]Ms. Toad
(34,066 posts)In theory, you can always return to original Medicare. But, as a practical matter, once you realize you need it, it will likely be cost-prohibitive.
During the initial or special enrollment period, you are entitled to purchase any supplement plan without medical underwriting - AND - they have to take you.
If you enroll in a supplement plan at any time in the future, insurers may (and are sometimes reqiured by state law) to evaluate your health status and charge you premiums based on your health at that time. Insurance companies are not required to enroll you, if your health status is not acceptable to them. If they do enroll you, pre-existing conditions can be excluded for up to 6 months.
So when you realize you are paying high out-of-pocket costs under a MA plan each and every year, and decide the cap of a small deductible and small (or zero) copays look better, there is no guarantee you will find an insurer to issue you a Medicare supplement plan.
The issue with the MA plan isn't so much a cap on lifetime expenditures (just switch to a different insurer), it is the cap on annual out-of-pocket expenses. When you are healthy, you don't generally think about what would happen if you were chronically ill. Let me introduce you to my daughter: (More than) $200,000 in billed medical expenses each and every year. If that were a one-time thing, I'd be thrilled to pay the current MA out-of-pocket cap of $11,300 - that's quite a bargain!!! But when she hits it each and every year it is unsustainable.
Under an original medicare plan, her annual out-of-pocket costs can be capped as low as $233. (For a measley $90 premium each month).