The Medicare Advantage Trade-Off: Saving Money, Losing Access

[Northeast Agent]

https://www.medpagetoday.com/specia...3&utm_term=NL_Daily_DHE_dual-gmail-definition

Barry was puzzled. He had avoided signing up with an MA plan after his broker warned him that those enrollees often had to wait for prior authorization review, which delayed care for weeks to months.

"Just to be clear," he said, "I'm not in Medicare Advantage. I have regular Medicare with a supplemental."

The oncologist's "whole demeanor changed," he told MedPage Today. The frown became a smile.

"Well then, we can go a lot faster," he was told.

He got his PET study 3 days later. Barry said a 4-week wait would be intolerable. More importantly, he said, "The sooner I could begin, the less chance the tumor would have to grow or spread elsewhere and become much more difficult to treat."

 

[somarco]

Thanks for posting this! It sheds light on something a few of us have been saying for years, while others are mystified about how the claim process works or are in denial.

FWIW, I talk to folks who have MA but call it a supplement plan, most likely because they are paying the Part B premium and think MA pays after Medicare.

Obviously they never check their MyMedicare account . . .

And I have clients who refer to their Medigap as their Part B coverage. I guess they have not been admitted to the hospital since picking up Medicare + gap