Anonymous
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Anonymous
Guest
Just received a booklet describing the 2015 plan. As usual, it's 10 pages of small print saying how wonderful it will be for us now that we're all on the same plan. Any thoughts on this?
Yes, here is a thought....shut up and get a life. You better be damn happy that this plan is still being offered. Take your head out of your ass and ask people what they are paying for health insurance and how bad it is. Now go get some rest, the early bird special starts at 4PM.
Wow, you are a tremendous shit head. Now, take that anger somewhere else.
Seriously! I wasn't complaining at all. There are simple questions of logistics. Currently my primary is Medicare, secondary Pfizer BC.BS. They're now saying ALL will be administered under one card (UHP). Last year we each carried 2 cards (Medicare & BCBS secondary)' What I've learned in the past is that you need to know about changes. For example, one year the plan was changed to where we had to get prior auth for ER visits. That's kind of an oxymoron since one generally doesn't know an ER visit is coming until it is upon you. My daughter had one such visit. While the description was somewhere in the 10 pages of small print, who (when an emergency arises) reads and studies 10 pages and every detail and especially who would think of pre-authorizing an ER visit? So it might be good for us to know what differences lurk. Also curious about will my SS Medicare deduction still continue if the Medicare is handled thru PFE UHP? Or will my Medicare premium be paid entirely thru PFE UHP?
You all will be 60, 65, one day. The ACO is driving up costs wildly. See what you pay, (employee) for medical benefits in the Fall when benefits are determined and then you wll not have as much to say.
Seriously! I wasn't complaining at all. There are simple questions of logistics. Currently my primary is Medicare, secondary Pfizer BC.BS. They're now saying ALL will be administered under one card (UHP). Last year we each carried 2 cards (Medicare & BCBS secondary)' What I've learned in the past is that you need to know about changes. For example, one year the plan was changed to where we had to get prior auth for ER visits. That's kind of an oxymoron since one generally doesn't know an ER visit is coming until it is upon you. My daughter had one such visit. While the description was somewhere in the 10 pages of small print, who (when an emergency arises) reads and studies 10 pages and every detail and especially who would think of pre-authorizing an ER visit? So it might be good for us to know what differences lurk. Also curious about will my SS Medicare deduction still continue if the Medicare is handled thru PFE UHP? Or will my Medicare premium be paid entirely thru PFE UHP?
Yes, here is a thought....shut up and get a life. You better be damn happy that this plan is still being offered. Take your head out of your ass and ask people what they are paying for health insurance and how bad it is. Now go get some rest, the early bird special starts at 4PM.
Since you so sarcastically asked, I'll tell you what I pay for my Supplement in lieu of Pfizer's plan, I have Plan F, which is through United Health Care AARP, I pay $161.00 per month and will even lower when my wife turns 65 his fall. I have 0 dollars of out pocket for any expenses Medicare doesn't pay and I have no deductible to pay before they start paying. This is lower than what Pfizer charges and honestly, their plan sucks. I would urge anyone to check around when the time comes for your enrollment this fall. You will be pleasantly surprised. The only good thing is our prescription plan, which is outstanding.
True - the Pfizer plan sucks but the prescription plan is very good.
You are allowed to buy just the prescription plan and not the insurance portion. I am amazed at how Pfizer can charge the rates they do and have high deductibles. It definitely pays to look around and see what you can buy on the open market. Cigna is another insurance carrier that is very competitive with their rates. So is Metropolitan. These are all top rates insurance companies.
For more recent retirees, please exercise caution before abandoning the PFE plan. Most of us have a retiree medical subsidy, sometimes amounting to several hundred thousand dollars. I believe you would lose this benefit by going outside. It anyone can confirm, please do.
Several hundred thousands dollars? You must be dreaming. You can drop out of the retiree medical plan and go back in whenever the enrollment is. You simply show you had insurance coverage. I can assure you that you can get better coverage for a lower price by going on the open market. When enrollment comes around, look around, it doesn't cost you one cent to check out your options. Pfizer's plan really isn't a medicare advantage plan since you still have to pay your medicare premiums. If you have a true medicare advantage plan, you would pay none to medicare coverage for your Plan B coverage. So, combine the medicare premium and the Pfizer plan together and see what you are really paying.
Post #7 is correct: the ACO is driving costs up and we will all pay for those benefits. True, the company is shifting the cost to the employee but it is because the ACO is driving up costs so much the companies must do this; you will all see in a few months.