Jeeeebussss!!! How do I sign up for a Medicare Part G plan???

[ret5hd]

I thought it would be a matter of going to medicare.gov and selecting a plan...

but I am lost.

[Walleye]

1. I gave up, I'm just paying the difference out of pocket. So far it's not real bad

If you find out something helpful please let us know

[AllaN01Bear]

2. blame ray gun for all this happy hoarse stuff. attempts to privatize .

and why should we pay preniums on money that is already paid for? isnt that double jeapordy?

[jimfields33]

11. It's a shame nobody has done anything to change Reagan's policies in 40 years.

The 1980’s Congress also helped get this going.

[sl8]

3. I *think* you'd need to go through your selected insurance carrier.

Take that with a grain of salt.

This might help:

https://www.medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans/#/m/?year=2024
Find a Medigap policy that works for you

[Deuxcents]

4. I sent you an email..

[RainCaster]

5. Is that the medical marijuana plan?

I'm still being flooded with mail for Plan B, I haven't heard of Plan G yet

[ariadne0614]

10. Plan G is a MediGap supplementary policy.

It covers what my original Medicare plan doesn’t. I’ve had it for years, through United of Omaha. The coverage under plan G is regulated by the government, therefore identical regardless of which insurance carrier you choose. The prices, however, range widely. I chose U of O because of their reputation and customer service ratings. It’s a good idea to do your homework as to which plan/carrier works best for you.

[djtexas]

6. Medicare school

Go to YouTube and search for medicare school. Tons of useful and current information on how to choose and where to go. The AARP website offers top rated plans and useful information as well.

[davsand]

7. I'm starting Medicare Jan 1. It's intimidating!

Feels like an alphabet soup. Does this video help you at all?

Good luck!

Laura

[ret5hd]

13. Yes...see below

[Silent Type]

8. For Medigap you need to go to the insurance company or a broker. The Medicare.gov site says this:

https://www.medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans/#/m/?year=2024&lang=en

How to buy a Medigap policy
Step 1
Decide which plan you want Medigap policies are standardized, and in most states are named by letters, Plans A-N. Compare the benefits each plan helps pay for and choose a plan that covers what you need.
See benefits of each plan

Step 2
Pick your policy
Find policies in your area. Price is the only difference between policies with the same letter sold by different companies.

Step 3
Contact the company
Get an official quote from the company. Prices can change at any time based on when you buy, your health conditions, and more. When you're ready to buy a policy, contact the company.

Good luck, it is a pain in the rear.

[Desert grandma]

9. if you go to Medicare.gov

and select "Medigap " or supplemental plan, there should be several in your area. Medigap plans are also rated in several ways.
AGE ATTAINED
The majority of the plans are rated this way. The premium will increase every year on your birthday as you "attain" a new age. Premiums can also increase due to the cost of medical care in your region.

AGE ISSUED
In our area, only 2 plans are rated this way. The premium s based on your age when the policy is issued, and will not increase just because you are a year older. It can increase due to the cost of medical care in your region.

COMMUNITY RATED
Only AARP offers this plan in our area. The premium is based on the average of all participants in the plan in your area.

Then, each of the medigap plans offer various levels of coverage. G is very popular because it covers all costs that Medicare doesn't cover except for the cost of the plan B deductible for the year. Once you have paid that deductible amount, all costs incurred during the year are paid for.

What you need to know, is that if you do not choose a medigap plan when you are first available for it, you may have to go through underwriting to find a plan later. These insurance companies can decline to offer coverage or increase premiums based on health history. You can also get help from an INDEPENDENT Medicare consultant that is not biased to offer one particular plan over another.

[Bayard]

12. Bookmarking

[ret5hd]

14. Thanks all...some answers:

Based on my limited research, the way to go is:

Get an independent advisor.

When you look at part g or part n stuff on the government website, you are shown a list of options from different companies with different prices…well, estimates. And links to absolutely useless websites. Oh, and a phone number.

Then you have to call EACH ONE , give your info, and have a salesperson try to sell you that companys policy. EACH ONE! Then you get a price. F’n ridiculous.

So I asked my sister in law, slightly older and MUCH MUCH smarter than I how she handled hers.

Her advice: Don’t try it alone…get an independent (not tied to any company) advisor. She offered the name of the advisor she used.

The Part D was much easier to navigate.

[Earthrise]

15. I suggest Medicare.gov -

As part of my research for my mother-in-law, I talked with people at our local Area 10 on Aging Center. You might look around for similar resources in your community.

Getting Started with Medicare > Get More Coverage
https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage

Getting Started with Medicare > Get More Coverage > Buying a Medigap Policy
https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/buying-a-medigap-policy

Find a Medigap policy
https://www.medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans/#/m?year=2024&lang=en

In my zip code, there are 60+ companies offering plans from about $100 to $415. It's at this point, my eyes cross, and I start feeling like I'm going to faint. I'm a chickenshit and would avoid the "attained age pricing," if I could because who knows how high they could jack up the rates as I age. In my zip code, four plans guarantee my rate won't change (issue age pricing), and four plans will likely increase in price as the cost of living increases (community pricing). I'd probably start by exploring those.

When I researched plans for my mother-in-law (4 to 6 years ago), I thought I could log on to the Social Security website and see all the plans available to her, given the specific information she had submitted to start her Social Security.

The best part about Medigap policies is that all of them are required by law to provide the same coverage - every G Plan provides what the other companies' G Plans provide. When it came to making decisions about Medigap D - drug coverage - I looked through each company's list of covered drugs and considered what she was taking to decide which might be best for her.

Good luck!

[ret5hd]

16. I got to the "eyes cross" stage...

watched the video posted above, talked to my SIL, and said “self, let’s get an advisor”.

[Earthrise]

17. Agreed. It was the only way I became confident about anything. (eom)