General Discussion

I'm not giving my Advantage plan any credit for that. I just happen to be in a Medicare Advantage plan. Before I was, I still got the annual wellness check and from the same doctor I went to yesterday.

Advantage plans cover all of the things Medicare covers. For doing that, they get the amount that is subtracted from your SS for Medicare Part B. I picked an advantage plan that I pay $67 each month, on top of that. That lowers my copay on most doctor visits to zero. My Part D prescription coverage is also part of the plan, as it is with most Medicare Advantage plans. I take three regular prescriptions, and my MD has prescribed Tier 1 meds, so I pay no copay at all for those prescriptions. "No charge," the pharmacy at my supermarket says, every three months when I pick up my automatically refilled supply. .

So far, I have not needed any expensive medications, nor have I needed any surgery or hospitalization I may, in the future, and my plan includes several of the largest, best equipped hospitals in the Twin Cities metro area as hospitals in the system. The medical system I am in offers specialists in every conceivable specialty. there's a $25 copay for visits to them. I have a $2500 out of pocket maximum per year for hospitalization, etc.

All of that for $67/month out of my pocket.

I'm fortunate to be relatively healthy for an 80 year old man. I realize that will not always be the case, but if you read my advance health care directive, you would see that there isn't going to me any sort of exotic health care expense in my future. I won't have it. Period. I don't want it, frankly. I've already lived my "three score and ten," plus another ten. I'm very fortunate, indeed.

I did not choose the particular Medicare Advantage plan I have by picking one out of a hat. I researched plans that were available carefully, including traditional Medicare, plus Part D and plus a supplement. My choice was the plan I currently have.