Enrolling in Medicare

[W_HAMILTON]

28. I know what Medicare Advantage is and I would never recommend it to anyone.

I will admit that I don't know the ins and outs of how Medicare interplays with Medicaid, but even that doesn't sound quite right because if you qualify for Medicaid, usually Medicare is the primary payer with Medicaid being the second payer (rather than a Medigap plan, if you do not qualify for Medicaid) -- Medicare Advantage doesn't even have to come into the picture.

And, yes, all the benefits you list are straight out of a Medicare Advantage commercial, but what they don't tell you is you are at the whim of a for-profit insurance company that will very much act like one. Medicare Advantage is great -- until you get really sick, which you almost assuredly will at some point when you are aged 65+. Then a loved one will have to spend what could be their final weeks/months with you fighting with a private insurance company whose AI says it's time you get discharged home even though you just had a stroke less than three weeks ago and can no longer care for yourself. Then your loved one is thrust into the role of a unprepared and inexperienced 24/7 caregiver.

Moral of the story: as I said previously, seek out a local, reputable, and highly recommended Medicare broker to help you navigate through these things.