signing over Medicare benefits to Senior Advantage programs?

[Alameda]

...........I'm wondering if anyone has actually looked into if or what the advantage to signing over one's Medicare benefits to a entity, like the many Senior Advantage programs, like AARP's Secure Horizons, or Kaiser's Senior Advantage? You become locked into what ever the provider provides....or doesn't provide...........

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. I've been hearing they are very risky choices, but

but perhaps others here know more about them.

Be careful.

[bananas]

2. k&r hope you get an answer.

My understanding:
Traditional Medicare was fee-for-service.
Under the Bush changes, once you switch out of that, you can't go back.
They wanted to phase out fee-for-service and force everyone into corporate managed plans.
You only get to change plans in a short window from mid-November to December,
then you are stuck with the new plan for the rest of the year.
The new plan can change their terms over the year and you're stuck with it until mid-November.
So my understanding is: if you're grandfathered into the fee-for-service system,
and it's meeting your needs, it would be best to stay with that;
if one of the other plans is better for your particular needs,
then you should switch.
There is a wide variety of what's offered in the other plans.

edit to add:
I've kept traditional Medicare fee-for-service for several years.

edit to add:
The prudent thing to do is to find out what which policies your doctors accept or recommend.

[Alameda]

4. Good answer, thank you....

I have rarely used regular doctors. I prefer alternative medical treatments, such as chiropractor, acupuncture or homeopathy. None of these are covered by regular medicine. Medicare does pay for chiropractic treatment, but not the others.

[Alameda]

5. Found this page on Medicare.gov

http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/Home.asp

[yellerpup]

3. Sounds gnarly and intimidating.

I hope you can find a good answer because many of us need to know how to plan for the future. You do good work, Alameda! K&R!

[grasswire]

6. there are two kinds of Medicare supplementals.

1. Medigap plans. These plans are structured and controlled by law. You know exactly what you are getting in benefits and coverage. The benefits and coverage are the same no matter whether you have Kaiser, BCBS, or any other provider. These are not HMO-type plans. You can see any doctor.

2. Advantage plans. The benefits and coverage are fuzzy. The restrictions are fuzzy. The plans are HMO type. These are aggressively marketed to seniors.

I studied the difference when my cousin was of the proper age to need a supplemental to Medicare. I think the Advantage plans are nearly worthless.

Some DU-ers have good reports about the Medigap plan F.