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BCBS Advantage no more Mayo
I received a letter from BCBS stating that my Advantage policy will no longer be available in my zip code, Olmsted County. Rochester, MN in 2026. Has anyone looked at other plans? Mayo website for insurance is not updated, still shows it there. I was grandfathered in when I got medicare in 2015. Has anyone found a comparable plan? Way too many options now vs back then. Any help will be appreciated.
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@bajjerfan Yes they do.
@bajjerfan
PPO means you can go to a doc NOT in their network. If you have a PPO, you have some coverage, but your cost will be more than for a doc in network. In 17 years I have never gone to a doc outside my network, even tho I have had a PPO all that time.
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1 ReactionGo to a SHIP counselor for free help- maybe at a senior center. Then that person can put your meds into medicare.gov website and you can see the plans that cover your meds. Then you can check if your main docs are also in that network before you sign up. You have now to 12/7, and also Jan 1-Mar. 31 next year to change.
@skipper2
I think this is incorrect. Docs not in an insurer's networks are unlimited, I thought, because they are not in the network of the insurance company. But costs will be higher
@skipper2
Regular Medicare and a medigap and a drug plan are fine for some. I think that both types have advantages and disadvantages.
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1 ReactionAs a Mayo Clinic patient I received a letter on my patient portal regarding open enrollment for medicare. Basically it advised patients that Mayo Clinic will no longer be able to schedule appointments for out of network Advantage Plans. It stated that Mayo Clinic is out of network for almost all Medicare Advantage Plans. It went on to state that marketing of Medicare Advantage Plans will tell you that you can be seen at any facility that accepts Medicare. However, this is not true. Each facility makes that choice. So unless you are certain your Medicare Advantage Plan is in network for Mayo Clinic, you will need to have traditional Medicare to be seen. I live out of state so will definitely continue with traditional Medicare. Good luck with open enrollment period.
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1 Reaction@tsch
It would depend on the advantage policy. Some policies have full coverage in network and partial coverage out of network, or it can be only coverage in network. Each advantage policy can be different.
@tsch Regular Medicare and medigap and D may cost a bit more, but you are actually more financially protected as in some advantage plans you can have un-limited costs.
@t
Yes, some Medicare Advantage plans, specifically Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), offer coverage for out-of-network services, although at a higher cost compared to in-network services. Note, some have higher cost coverage and some have un-limited costs.
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1 ReactionHow many of you in advantage plans are actually getting some of that Medicare premium back and how does that work? I understand in an advantage plan SS pays the Medicare premium [currently $185] to the advantaage plan sponsor and not to Medicare. So how does an advantage plan provide all of those benefits yet retun some of the premium to you in the form of a lower cost premium?