A Medicare Question

[abluelady]

When a person reaches age 65, can they opt out of Medicare and use their own health insurance policy? Thanks.

[elifino]

1. Medicare became primary, My company retiree plan became secondary.

I was also required to carry both part A and B on Medicare.

[CountAllVotes]

3. the same thing happened to me

as soon as I was eligible to enroll in Medicare I had to do it otherwise I would have been dropped from my plan.

Medicare is primary and the other insurance (which used to be primary) is now the secondary plan. It pays for what Medicare doesn't pay for (the remaining balances). If Medicare does not cover it, the secondary plan does not cover it either.

I know it was not always like this not too long ago. When my father passed away in 1997 he had just opted to pay for Medicare A & B. Before that he did not have A & B.

You cannot get away from it if you are eligible to enroll in it and it costs at least $93.+ a month; maybe a lot more depending upon your income.

This would be ok if there were more doctors that took it. However, many doctors do not take Medicare so you have to pay for the full amount of the bill. :(

:dem: :kick:

[elifino]

7. My company maintains a clinic and pharmacy

Co-pay is $15.00 for each. The building and equipment is furnished by the company. I have always been happy with the service.

[Cleita]

2. I don't think so. When you reach 65 your insurance whether BC, CIGNA

or whoever you are with will try to get you to sign away your Medicare rights and enroll in one of their Medicare advantage programs. It happened to my husband and it happened to me. My husband made the mistake of signing up with one and it turned out to be a big mistake that ended up costing us $10,000 in refused claims and letting us know the hard way that he had no rights under Medicare until the next enrollment period. I was wise enough to enroll in traditional Medicare and get a Medi-gap policy. It's more expensive for the same full coverage that a Medicare advantage program gives you but I am secure that I will get health care without any strings attached unless Congress screws it up in the future.

[gleaner]

4. If you want to opt out you can ...

Part A, for hospitals is free. Part B for doctors and labs you pay for. But why would you want to do that? Your Medicare and private insurance can co-exist quite peacefully and to your advantage. Each will pay for things the other does not cover and they will work with each other so that your coverage is better than with either one alone.

That is what I do. My husband who is not yet eligible for Medicare carries me as a dependent on his policy which he kept after retirement. I get my prescriptions and the amounts medicare does not cover through the private insurance, and medicare pays for immunizations and other services the private insurance does not cover. They communicate with each other and the private insurance bills electronically after they get notification of a Medicare payment.

You are not confusing Medicare with Medicaid are you? I ask because the latest Conservative meme is to try to pass off Medicare and Medicaid as the same thing. They are not. Medicare is a federally run program, quite efficient and universally accepted. Medicaid is a state supplement which is based on financial need, funded and run by the states. Thanks to all of the Conservative money grubbing Medicaid is neither well funded nor well run. Please be sure that no one is misrepresenting what Medicare can and will do for you. It can be a tremendous help even if you have other insurance.

[abluelady]

6. No, no Confusion

I just hear so many conservatives complaining that they don't want "socalized" medicine that I would like to tell them to give up their Medicare, but if they can't, I can't tell them that. I can't wait to turn 65!

[gleaner]

8. Good. It really is a good plan. n/t

[tritsofme]

5. If you have group insurance

that continues after age 65, and you are still working for a company with more than 20 employees, Medicare will be secondary and the group would stay primary.

Medicare becomes primary when you retire, and there isn't much you can do to change that.

[Change Happens]

9. Yes you can opt out, making MCR your secondary coverage.