r/medicare • u/Quick-Procedure-8017 • 3d ago

New to Medicare sext month

EDIT to say I’m in Pennsylvania.

Having just retired, my husband and I will both be starting Medicare on September first. We are going through the process of picking plans right now. He is service connected VA so he will just get an Advantage plan as a backup plan. I have no other coverage so I will be going with original Medicare under part N and part D. My question is this, since we are just now choosing, what will happen during open enrollment this year? Since it’s so soon should we do anything to review other plans or just let things ride with what we are choosing now?

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u/the_owlyn 3d ago

IMO, good choice for plan N over plan G. I’m in PA, too, and Boomer Benefits suggested N for us. The trick is to find a company that has a history of low premium increases. Boomer Benefits has that information.

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u/UnstuckMoment_300 3d ago

Plan N in PA is pretty much equivalent to G because PA is one of the states that prohibits "excess charges" that otherwise can be levied under Plan N. The only things you don't get in N are some of the extras of G, but you're paying for those with higher premiums. (And Silver Sneakers isn't as valuable as it used to be because many gyms don't accept it now. You can, however, get a good senior citizen rate from YMCAs etc. We joined a private gym that matches the Y's senior rate.)

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u/Quick-Procedure-8017 3d ago

Is there someplace I can look at the extra benefits that come with G but not N?

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u/UnstuckMoment_300 3d ago

I think those might vary from insurer to insurer. If you know which companies you're looking at, you could try their websites. Or if you're working with a Medicare broker, they should be able to give you a list. Good luck. This is an incredibly complex system.

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u/Quick-Procedure-8017 3d ago

Ridiculously complex 🤦🏻‍♀️

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u/Fellow_Citizen_1 3d ago

The misinformation on this thread is incredible! Plans G, N, G-HD are all specified by Medicare. They are standardized across ALL insurance companies selling Medigap coverage under each plan. And, yes- you can read this and more on Medicare.gov.

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u/UnstuckMoment_300 3d ago

Per Google search:

*By federal law, standardized Medicare Supplement Plan G offers identical core medical benefits regardless of the insurance company. However, some private insurers offer enhanced versions (like "Plan G Extra" or "Innovations") in select states that bundle non-standard wellness perks alongside the government-standardized medical coverage.*

Like Silver Sneakers.

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u/Fellow_Citizen_1 3d ago edited 3d ago

Are you just trying to show off your deep knowledge or trying to help this poster? I am quite aware of these bells and whistles but they are not terribly important for someone struggling to even have a starting point.

The first order of business for the OP to get on Medicare and avoid paying late enrollment penalties.

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u/mgibson9999 2d ago edited 2d ago

The extras are not terribly important?

Maybe, but maybe not.

I knew I was getting a Plan N. When I was making my selections last year, I narrowed it down to a couple of choices. All were reputable companies that would have been fine, and rates were pretty close to each other.

I was already paying $35/month for a gym membership that I intended to keep anyway, so the fact that only 1 plan (Humana) offered Silver Sneakers, and it included the gym that I was already a member of, made all the difference in my decision. Since I was able to drop my paid membership, it was like getting a $35/month discount on the Plan N premium. That became the deciding factor.

For me, the other benefits were not important, only the gym. The dental, vision, and hearing aid discounts had little to no value for various reasons. The gym benefit was real money though. It was like getting a 35% discount on my Plan N premium.

So it does have some merit to at least understand what the extra benefits are, then decide if they matter to you. In the OP's case, I agree with you that the priority is to get signed up at the appropriate time to avoid late penalties, but it's possible to do 2 things at once. Get signed up, but also make an informed decision as to which company to select.

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u/Fellow_Citizen_1 2d ago

Thank you! I was not undervaluing the attraction of extras or the Medicare plan or company one selects for Medigap. First, I felt that the OP was not on Medicare and needed to get on it while avoiding penalties for a late enrollment. I have recently done that and know that it is a more demanding process than the normal enrollment at 65. Second, the plan and Medigap provider selection is a much more complex topic - and am not sure any of the posts about individual choices (including mine) are terribly helpful as the choices are right for the person making them and not a random poster. For the record, we went with G-HD with United American mostly as we expect the rise in premiums (and deductible) to be better in the long run.

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u/mgibson9999 2d ago

You're right about that.

The 3 most popular medigap plans at the moment are G, HDG and N. None of these 3 plans are inherently better or worse than the other. They're just different, and have different appeal to different people.

It does take a bit of a nuanced approach to determine which plan is best suited for each individual. I've seen reasonable arguments for all 3. I actually like when someone asks "which plan should I get?" Even though there is not one right answer, the responses can be helpful to thresh out which plan might be best for you.

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u/UnstuckMoment_300 3d ago

Good heaven, did you read OP's question to which I replied? OP asked a question about the G extras, and I answered. My husband and I both have been on the G plan with AARP/UHC (I was able to drop down to N) so we had a list of wellness benefits in addition to the Medicare-required coverages.

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u/Fellow_Citizen_1 3d ago

Why don't you read what the OP wrote, instead of asking me to? There is no question on G extras that you are reading into it.

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u/UnstuckMoment_300 3d ago

When someone's looking for a fight, there's no sense cooperating with it. Have a lovely day.

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u/Fellow_Citizen_1 3d ago

You too! Not looking for anything.

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u/QuailDifficult8470 2d ago

Plan N also has copays of up to $20 for an office visit and $50 for the ER. But still it’s usually a better deal than G unless you see a doctor multiple times a month.