Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

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URSnshn
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Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:10 pm

Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

Post by URSnshn »

I'm helping my MIL obtain Medigap Insurance during open enrollment and she is having difficulty connecting to an agent. She lives in NYS and my understanding is that if you are going to get Medigap Insurance in NYS then one goes with the least expensive plan - no matter the company - because all plans are exactly the same - the company doesn't matter. By the way plans in NYS are community rated I believe so age and/or health status are unaffected.

My questions:

1) Is it true that once you pick the plan, in NY, it is best to choose the least costly coverage because the company itself doesn't matter? What about Customer Service? Security? Other?

2) She hasn't been able to get the least expensive Medigap Insurer to call her back - December 7th approaches. How do you go about getting the insurer to call you back? At this and other Medigap companies she looked at - you call a customer service number and then an agent will call you back.

3) Can you still sign up on December 7th or is the last day to sign up on December 6th?

4) If you are, for whatever reason turned down for Medigap Coverage, and it is after the Dec 7th deadline, will her old Medicare Advanatage plan continue.

5) Last by not least, my understanding is that if she misses the 12/7 deadline, as she has a Medicare Advantage account, she will be able to change to a Medigap Insurance plan in Jan / Feb / March of 2022? - is this true?
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Eagle33
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Re: Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

Post by Eagle33 »

Being in another state I am unable to answer your NYS related questions. Just wanted to bump this time sensitive list of questions.
Topic Author
URSnshn
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Re: Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

Post by URSnshn »

Thanks Eagle33! It was time sensitive and so I kept looking .... the answer to my MIL's questions I believe ARE (for NYS) - YMMV:

1) Is it true that once you pick the plan, in NY, it is best to choose the least costly coverage because the company itself doesn't matter? What about Customer Service? Security? Other? This does appear to be true for NYS. Personally I'd like to see ratings on personal information security, customer service and other - but I am probably the odd man out on that.

2) She hasn't been able to get the least expensive Medigap Insurer to call her back - December 7th approaches. How do you go about getting the insurer to call you back? At this and other Medigap companies she looked at - you call a customer service number and then an agent will call you back. From what I understand now, my MIL should have begun calling early on in the open enrollment window, that it can take time for someone to call back - a lot of time sometimes and one need to be tenacious and call back until eventually you connect.

3) Can you still sign up on December 7th or is the last day to sign up on December 6th? From what I understand 12/7 itself is the last day

4) If you are, for whatever reason turned down for Medigap Coverage, and it is after the Dec 7th deadline, will her old Medicare Advanatage plan continue. I don't know an answer to this, but suspect the old ins continues on???

5) Last by not least, my understanding is that if she misses the 12/7 deadline, as she has a Medicare Advantage account, she will be able to change to a Medigap Insurance plan in Jan / Feb / March of 2022? - is this true? I believe the answer is yes to this.
Jagger
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Re: Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

Post by Jagger »

Hi URSnshn - I'm a SHIP counselor in Mass., so I'm not familiar with the finer points of New York's Medigap rules. But a couple of points:

* One can sign up until midnight tomorrow, Tuesday, December 7, for Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans. The December 7 deadline applies to those plans, not to Medigap.
* If NYS, like Mass., has continuous open enrollment for Medigap, she can usually sign up for these plans anytime. Important to check NYS's rules re: Medigap enrollment.
* In Mass., one can sign up for Medigap online. Don't need to reach someone at the insurer on the phone. To do this, she'll need Medicare #, Medicare A&B signup dates, Social Security #, address, phone number, etc. If MIL isn't facile with a computer, your spouse or you may be able to sign her up from your computer - with MIL on the phone
* I would check out the company she's considering signing with for customer service and privacy ratings.

Good luck!
likegarden
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Re: Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

Post by likegarden »

I live in NY State, am on Medicare and have another insurance. The plans are not all the same. We are with CDPHP and are happy with it, and have not changed any part of our insurance. Some pay low monthly payments, we pay $110 each per month, because we then will get more coverage when we need to stay in a hospital for example.
Topic Author
URSnshn
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Re: Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

Post by URSnshn »

Thank you Jagger! Very helpful info - I appreciate it. Privacy ratings are harder to come by - do you show those in your state?

Likegarden - you are correct the Medigap plans are not all the same - good point. My understanding is that once you choose the Plan, say "Plan N" - all the companies that sell that plan are selling the same "Plan N" (referring to NYS) - though the cost may differ that is why some believe it is best to choose the lowest cost one.
TheGreyingDuke
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Re: Medigap Plans - Questions as 12/7 approaches - NYS

Post by TheGreyingDuke »

With the Medigap plans the physician/hospital/lab sends the bill to Medicare,it then gets sent on to the Medigap provider and only then do you get a bill. There is no discernible difference at that end, perhaps some entities have better phone coverage, web coverage. I go with the cheapest and have had no issues over 8 years.
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." H.G. Wells
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