Thanks very much, Stephanie! I live in upstate NY and fine the Medigap premiums are sadly high. I started looking at the Advantage plan options. I am not concerned about the in-network requirement, but rather the potential high rate of claim denials and the hoops you have to jump through to appeal them. It seems that you are at the mercy of the insurance company's profitability. That said, I think I would either need to move to a state with lower Medigap rates, or lower my budget in other areas just to meet the high premium costs. I really think this country makes it too difficult for seniors to manage through all this, but at very least we have champions like you.
The cost comparisons you are showing shortly after the 6 minute mark, where could I find them? I turned 65 a month ago and I need to get this sorted out soon, and I've been watching your videos to educate myself a bit, but I'd like to understand enough so I can at least ask the right questions. Thanks for providing this information.
I don't know why but I always thought you were in Florida. I follow you, Erik at Retirement Nerds, (I actually sent him my son's cookbook) (we comment a lot) and Marven at Medicare School. All 3 of you are awesome. Oh and Dr. Ed Weir who is a retired district manager for the social security administration .He knows all about social security and he is in Texas too .But with that being said Erik is in Utah, Marven is in Kansas, and you are the closest in Texas as I am in Louisiana. I never wanted to be Medicare eligible but who does lol. I do love the "G" plan just for the peace of mind aspect. But then you have to look at a part D plan, dental and vision too. When I was younger I just thought we all went on the same plan when we were eligible but leave it to the government to make it complicated for us. Like we need that. Well thank you so much for what you do!
Stephanie, I live in Massachusetts. The Medicare Supplements Plans here are unusual and somewhat confusing. Do you think you could do a video for me and the other folks from Massachusetts explaining our options? Love your videos and have learned a lot from them, just not exactly what need to know in my situation. Thanks.
Stephanie, you are extremely informative...thank you! We are both mid 70's and have had plan F since age 65 and am very pleased. However, most carriers are raising their annual rates by quite a bit. My wife and I have changed carriers twice for better rates but hate to give up our "F" availability. If we switch to "G" can we ever go back to "F" or once we give it up there is no going back?
You can always apply to get it back, as you’ll always be eligible for it… but if you switch away from Plan F then you may need to pass through medical underwriting to get it back again.
When selecting a Medigap insurer in say plan N , does one just go with the lowest cost insurer? How do I select the insurer company? In my area there are a handful of companies that offer offer the insurance, does it pay to select more expensive premium?
@@darylolson8499 great question. You want to look at a variety of factors including insurance company stability and rate increase history. This is where an independent agent (like us!) can really come in handy. The lowest cost plan isn’t always the best - but neither is the highest cost option!
If you have a pre existing medical condition are you effectively "locked" into the company you initially chose for your supplement plan? Can they charge you a much higher premium the second year when you go to renew? If you switch companies during open enrollment do you go through medical underwriting even though you currently have a supplement plan?
Great questions! You may or may not be "locked in" - it depends on your state (see video linked in description with state specific details), and what type of preexisting conditions you have. Medigap insurance companies never raise your rates based on *your* claims or medical usage alone, so rates cannot be raised based on your preexisting conditions and once you are enrolled in a plan they can never cancel you due to anything other than non-payment of premium...so you never have to medically qualify again to keep the same coverage you have. I hope this helps!
stephanie, your mention of plan g being the best for some or even most people makes me ask. i’m guessing with my paid amount to have the plan and their paid for amount for my costs, the g plan has been very good for me. $3557 paid by supplement plan thru 9/19/24. $1336 premiums paid thru 9/2024. your opinion? thanks for your videos.
We live in Troy MI and use the Henry Ford clinics/hospitals for our medical needs. Please tell us which supplement plan is better than our current Blue Medicare Advantage plan? Thanks
Sadly, living in NJ makes our Medigap plans more expensive, yet I'd rather start out (turning 65 in less than 2 months) with a Plan N than deal yet again with Insurance Networks. My Plan N monthly premium + Medicare Part B premium is still a bit lower than what I pay now for a health plan under the ACA.
@@1aliveandwell no, the high deductible Plan F and Plan G don’t cover Part A or Part B deductibles, unless you have met the annual plan deductible- $2,870 in 2025.
I’m 68 and on Medi-medi here in California. I’m about to get back into the working world as an independent contractor so I will be losing my Medicaid coverage. Doesn’t that mean I will qualify for a SEP GI Supplement plan? As such carriers would not be able to charge me a higher premium?
I'm in New York. My AARP/UHC Plan N medigap policy increased nearly $40 for 2025. I'm considering switching to Transamerica and dropping AARP altogether. I don't feel supported by AARP. It seems like they're just profiting off the premiums at our expense.
It seems the idea is to push all of us into (Dis)Advantage Plans. The older we get the more health problems will arise, which will prevent us from passing underwriting. So we cannot change plans and premiums will increase to the point of being unaffordable. I am 77, my wife is 78, in Texas we pay now 223.00 for my plan and 404.00 on hers. We can still manage, but the increases are getting bigger each year.
Depending on your medical conditions they MAY find a carrier that doesn't ask about your condition or after a period of time the carrier sets, it may no longer affect your ability to change. Go for it. Underwriting isn't the End it could be the Beginning.
What if you enrolled in a medigap plan using a broker, then in the future you decide you don't want to work with that broker anymore or they go out of business? Do you have to apply again with the carrier or another broker and go through underwriting? Thank you.
Plan N, but my plan in MS will increase 13% and my Part D supplement will increase 268% (!). For us on Social Security, this will become an issue and we will probably be forced onto Medicare Advantage. Age 68
One other clarification - Under a supplemental plan, you *must* ask when looking for physicians and specialists, is _Do they accept _*_tradional_*_ or original medicare._ Some physicians, specialists, and clinics may tell you NO. In our initial search, we seemed to be hitting dead ends, as Advantage plans seemed more prevelant than traditional Medicare (original) +Medicare w/ Supplemental plans. Once I found one I liked, they then pretty much know a lot of referrals to specialist that accept traditional medicare with supplemental plan.
That's exactly backwards. On Medicare.gov look at Find a Provider in your area. Very few with contracts with medicare Advantage are Advantage providers ONLY.
@@Direct.injection212 Yes, original Medicare and traditional Medicare are the same thing. But the technical term is do Drs accept Medicare assignment? If so, then they accept original Medicare and the supplement plan MUST pay the remaining 20% as long as the procedure/service is Medicare approved.
Stay away from managed Care (Advantage) stay away from the guaranteed issued supplement G. Choosing N or HDG is a good way of preventing a $500 a month supplement cost at age 85.
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Thanks very much, Stephanie! I live in upstate NY and fine the Medigap premiums are sadly high. I started looking at the Advantage plan options. I am not concerned about the in-network requirement, but rather the potential high rate of claim denials and the hoops you have to jump through to appeal them. It seems that you are at the mercy of the insurance company's profitability. That said, I think I would either need to move to a state with lower Medigap rates, or lower my budget in other areas just to meet the high premium costs. I really think this country makes it too difficult for seniors to manage through all this, but at very least we have champions like you.
The cost comparisons you are showing shortly after the 6 minute mark, where could I find them? I turned 65 a month ago and I need to get this sorted out soon, and I've been watching your videos to educate myself a bit, but I'd like to understand enough so I can at least ask the right questions. Thanks for providing this information.
I don't know why but I always thought you were in Florida. I follow you, Erik at Retirement Nerds, (I actually sent him my son's cookbook) (we comment a lot) and Marven at Medicare School. All 3 of you are awesome. Oh and Dr. Ed Weir who is a retired district manager for the social security administration .He knows all about social security and he is in Texas too .But with that being said Erik is in Utah, Marven is in Kansas, and you are the closest in Texas as I am in Louisiana. I never wanted to be Medicare eligible but who does lol. I do love the "G" plan just for the peace of mind aspect. But then you have to look at a part D plan, dental and vision too. When I was younger I just thought we all went on the same plan when we were eligible but leave it to the government to make it complicated for us. Like we need that. Well thank you so much for what you do!
@@masterlee4370 thank YOU for watching and following along! I’m honored to be one of the channels you follow as well as an (almost) neighbor!
You explained everything in your video 👍😁 Great job, thank you!
Stephanie, I live in Massachusetts. The Medicare Supplements Plans here are unusual and somewhat confusing. Do you think you could do a video for me and the other folks from Massachusetts explaining our options? Love your videos and have learned a lot from them, just not exactly what need to know in my situation. Thanks.
Stephanie, you are extremely informative...thank you! We are both mid 70's and have had plan F since age 65 and am very pleased. However, most carriers are raising their annual rates by quite a bit. My wife and I have changed carriers twice for better rates but hate to give up our "F" availability. If we switch to "G" can we ever go back to "F" or once we give it up there is no going back?
You can always apply to get it back, as you’ll always be eligible for it… but if you switch away from Plan F then you may need to pass through medical underwriting to get it back again.
@@AbtInsuranceAgency Thanks for your reply!!
When selecting a Medigap insurer in say plan N , does one just go with the lowest cost insurer? How do I select the insurer company? In my area there are a handful of companies that offer offer the insurance, does it pay to select more expensive premium?
@@darylolson8499 great question. You want to look at a variety of factors including insurance company stability and rate increase history. This is where an independent agent (like us!) can really come in handy. The lowest cost plan isn’t always the best - but neither is the highest cost option!
If you have a pre existing medical condition are you effectively "locked" into the company you initially chose for your supplement plan? Can they charge you a much higher premium the second year when you go to renew? If you switch companies during open enrollment do you go through medical underwriting even though you currently have a supplement plan?
Great questions! You may or may not be "locked in" - it depends on your state (see video linked in description with state specific details), and what type of preexisting conditions you have. Medigap insurance companies never raise your rates based on *your* claims or medical usage alone, so rates cannot be raised based on your preexisting conditions and once you are enrolled in a plan they can never cancel you due to anything other than non-payment of premium...so you never have to medically qualify again to keep the same coverage you have. I hope this helps!
stephanie, your mention of plan g being the best for some or even most people makes me ask. i’m guessing with my paid amount to have the plan and their paid for amount for my costs, the g plan has been very good for me. $3557 paid by supplement plan thru 9/19/24. $1336 premiums paid thru 9/2024. your opinion? thanks for your videos.
Stephanie you are very knowledgeable and well explained to what each persons needs are. Thank you
@@daviddbl.d2278 you are so welcome!
Great series of videos. Thank you!
Thank you for your videos. I'm referring you to my sister who is turning 65 soon.
Thank you so much.☺
We live in Troy MI and use the Henry Ford clinics/hospitals for our medical needs. Please tell us which supplement plan is better than our current Blue Medicare Advantage plan? Thanks
Sadly, living in NJ makes our Medigap plans more expensive, yet I'd rather start out (turning 65 in less than 2 months) with a Plan N than deal yet again with Insurance Networks. My Plan N monthly premium + Medicare Part B premium is still a bit lower than what I pay now for a health plan under the ACA.
Hi, thanks for the info ! Does plan F High deductible cover the part B deduct like "plain" plan F?
@@1aliveandwell no, the high deductible Plan F and Plan G don’t cover Part A or Part B deductibles, unless you have met the annual plan deductible- $2,870 in 2025.
You are so informative. Thanks
I’m 68 and on Medi-medi here in California. I’m about to get back into the working world as an independent contractor so I will be losing my Medicaid coverage. Doesn’t that mean I will qualify for a SEP GI Supplement plan? As such carriers would not be able to charge me a higher premium?
Thanks for showing NY rates! Are they the same or similar if I live upstate in Rochester or Buffalo? I'm hoping it's a bit cheaper?
Unfortunately not by much… usually starting around $190-$200/month. I’m from Syracuse! 😁
I'm in New York. My AARP/UHC Plan N medigap policy increased nearly $40 for 2025. I'm considering switching to Transamerica and dropping AARP altogether. I don't feel supported by AARP. It seems like they're just profiting off the premiums at our expense.
Thank you for this
It seems the idea is to push all of us into (Dis)Advantage Plans. The older we get the more health problems will arise, which will prevent us from passing underwriting. So we cannot change plans and premiums will increase to the point of being unaffordable. I am 77, my wife is 78, in Texas we pay now 223.00 for my plan and 404.00 on hers. We can still manage, but the increases are getting bigger each year.
An input on getting an indemnity plan to fill the holes of the cost with choosing an advantage plan
@@loveyf853 definitely an excellent alternative if not opting for a Medicare Supplement
Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Video! 💯 Maximum value.
I appreciate that!
If you are in a medigap plan that drastically increases premiums, can you switch to the same plan with another company without underwriting?
In most states, no.
OK. Thank you.
Depending on your medical conditions they MAY find a carrier that doesn't ask about your condition or after a period of time the carrier sets, it may no longer affect your ability to change. Go for it. Underwriting isn't the End it could be the Beginning.
Also there is a trial period for the first year can you elaborate on that…providing its with the SAME carrier if your NOT happy
What if you enrolled in a medigap plan using a broker, then in the future you decide you don't want to work with that broker anymore or they go out of business? Do you have to apply again with the carrier or another broker and go through underwriting? Thank you.
That is a very good question.
No!
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What is the monthly premium for Medicare B in 2025? And what is the Med B deductible for 2025?
We're still waiting on the final number, but they should be available soon!
What do YOU think the best Medigap Plan is?
Plan G is my choice
Plan N, but my plan in MS will increase 13% and my Part D supplement will increase 268% (!). For us on Social Security, this will become an issue and we will probably be forced onto Medicare Advantage. Age 68
@@rs4425 ya you might be right,be horrible if the middle class is forced into advantage I can see this happening in a few years.
This is why we need government. To help shield us from corporate greed. They can charge us anything they want.😢
Thank You
You're welcome!
One other clarification - Under a supplemental plan, you *must* ask when looking for physicians and specialists, is _Do they accept _*_tradional_*_ or original medicare._ Some physicians, specialists, and clinics may tell you NO. In our initial search, we seemed to be hitting dead ends, as Advantage plans seemed more prevelant than traditional Medicare (original) +Medicare w/ Supplemental plans. Once I found one I liked, they then pretty much know a lot of referrals to specialist that accept traditional medicare with supplemental plan.
Isn't Original Medicare sometimes referred to as traditional Medicare? Aren't they the same thing?
That's exactly backwards. On Medicare.gov look at Find a Provider in your area. Very few with contracts with medicare Advantage are Advantage providers ONLY.
@@Direct.injection212, Yes.
@@Direct.injection212 Yes, original Medicare and traditional Medicare are the same thing. But the technical term is do Drs accept Medicare assignment? If so, then they accept original Medicare and the supplement plan MUST pay the remaining 20% as long as the procedure/service is Medicare approved.
@@Direct.injection212 Yes
HI beautiful 😍❤️ thanks for the update that's a great 👍 information thanks again have a great afternoon you and your family see you soon
N
@@donfinkey692 so many people are coming around to seeing the value of this great plan!
Can you be denied a medicare plan because of age?
No, but you can because of your health in most states.
Stay away from managed Care (Advantage) stay away from the guaranteed issued supplement G. Choosing N or HDG is a good way of preventing a $500 a month supplement cost at age 85.
I’m wondering how much Plan N monthly premium will be at age 85?
$380 + co-pays ?
@@gdb5843 how much your medicap policy cost will depend on your age, your sex, your tobacco 's status and your ZIP code.
@@gdb5843 maybe. You could check out HDG also.
@@gdb5843maybe. You could also check out HDG.
@@gdb5843 maybe. You could also check out HDG.
Nice
WHY DOES IT TAKE AN ACT OF GOD JUST TO TRY TO GET A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLAN? WHY?