#MedicareAdvantagePlans are under attack, but they aren't all the same.
Last year, we received notice that our local hospital, St. Charles Hospital in Bend, OR, was reviewing these plans because of difficulty obtaining payment.
A few months later, they announced their list of plans they would accept. We were relieved to see that our current plan was on the list. At that time, we hadn't needed anything more than routine care for some time, but you never know.
Then, on November 7th, we did. A very large exuberant puppy (not mine) jumped on me at the dog park. He hit me in the chest and knocked me over onto the asphalt walkway. The back of my head struck the pavement. Blood came out of my nose and ears.
An ambulance came and took me to the emergency room at the hospital. I had opened my phone in the ambulance and found the page with all the medical info for the paramedics.
At the hospital, doctors and nurses asked a lot of questions...but no one asked what kind of insurance I had, my blood type, allergies or my next of kin. They had all that already.
Diagnosis: skull fracture with bleeding in the brain. I was in intensive care overnight. I had four CT-scans, numerous tests and other evaluations.
The next day I had visits from three different therapists. They let me go home when they felt sure it was safe. The following day I had a call from "Mom's Meals" offering me cooked meals delivered to my home to be paid for by my insurance. My insurance company called me to see how I was doing.
Next I received a call from the outpatient physical therapy department saying our insurance had pre-approved 8 physical therapy sessions for my balance. They wanted me to see my primary care physician, an ENT specialist and a neurosurgeon.
I was getting concerned about the cost, so I called my insurance company and asked the representative if they could tell me how much all this was going to cost me. I was told $450 for the hospital, but they didn't know about the ambulance yet, and there would be some co-pays for visits.
I figured it would be much more before I was done. However, when I got the bill from the hospital I was stunned that my share of the bill of $27,000 was $450. Later I paid $250 for the ambulance. I had a $40 copay for each specialist and another for all of my PT sessions combined.
To say that all Medicare Advantage plans are bad is like saying all plants are nice to have in your garden. (I like flowers and vegetables, but not poison ivy.)
We've had #Medicare only, and we paid out a lot more. We had a different #MedicareAdvantage plan and had trouble getting them to pay.
Bottom line: Don't bash all #MedicareAdvantage plans. Find out which ones are looking for suckers and which ones really take pride in the service they offer. Then choose wisely. (St. Charles has a nice list.)
I'm doing well. I only needed four PT sessions. Neurosurgeon says my brain looks good. 🤣
ENT specialist says my sense of smell could still come back entirely, but it takes time. My hearing is almost back to what it was before the accident. My insurance company sent me to get new hearing aids with the cost subsidized. The pillow (to sit on that first month when my tailbone was bruised) was free. I could go on, but you get the picture.
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