The doctors' association here decided not to take the Medicare Advantage Plan I'm on (Health Spring), so Paige and I started doing research for another one that wasn't an HMO or PPO but a PFFS. Doncha just love all the initials? We got a letter, but my internist had already told me about it. I told Paige, and she did most of the research. Then we got another letter letting us know that DMA and HealthSpring had reached an understanding, so I quit thinking about it and was glad to have that settled. Well, I got a letter from my doctor letting me know that he decided not to take HealthSpring but that he will participate with traditional Medicare and all Medicare Private Fee for Service Advantage Plans. Back to the drawing board for me! The time for changing plans is from November 15 - December 31 every year. Yikes!
I think I've decided what to do after spending lots of time online comparing plans. Paige is fine because her doctor and all the others here are still taking HealthSpring. Just not mine, and I like him and have broken him in and don't want to change. Fortunately for me, I haven't been in the hospital and mostly need it for regular doctor visits and meds. I'll try to keep it that way and get healthier and in better shape, so I don't need to use many of their services. Just thought I'd let you know what you have to look forward to even though some of you might be familiar with Medicare because of your parents.
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Yesterday a doctor's receptionist and I had to brainstorm how to get a family member in, under what code, just so we could get that family member to another dr. with a referral. "How about complaining about this, which would lead to this, under that we could issue a referral?" The doctor will do what he is told by me and the receptionist. I don't think this is how it is supposed to work...
Good luck!
Just strikes me that all the insurance companies and the doctors are getting all the choices and we are just blind men walking into one trap or another.
Joy, I think Charlie has it right. From one trap to the next.
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