Florida Blue Medicare Plans : Comprehensive analysis of Medicare Advantage & Medicare supplement plans
Introduction
Florida Blue has been offering Medicare plans to communities throughout Florida for 55 years. Their dedication to senior health and wellness is renowned. With access to top provider networks, 24/7 help and support services as well as a rewards program, many seniors are going for Florida Blue Medicare.
Selecting the most suitable Medicare plan for your situation and budget is way more crucial now than ever. COVID-19 has afflicted seniors’ lives across Florida – and a lot of of them have began using telemedicine and behavioral health services the first time ever in their lives.
Florida Blue is one of the few insurance carriers that covers for extra beenfits like Telemdcine and 24/7 access to telemedicine. Their custom made health support services incorporate around-the-clock behavioral health professionals, experienced nursing care, teladocs, etc. and are just a phone call or online chat away.
Here’s why you should consider Florida Blue Medicare.
Access to best providers
A dependable health care company, Florida Blue Medicare offers its participants with access to the state’s top service provider networks, which include leading hospitals, clinics and doctors.
Since Florida Blue Medicare is well acknowledged through the entire state, there is no reason to worry about straying out of network or jeopardizing coverage. And, if you’re not sure whether your current physician is part of the Florida Blue Medicare network, talk to a Florida Blue Medicare broker today
Florida Blue Medicare Plans have typically Low health care costs
Nine out of 10 members suggest going for Florida Blue Medicare – and a part of that customers’ approval level is depending on the company’s Medicare Advantage HMO plans.*
The Florida Blue Medicare Advantage HMO plan consist of $0 copays for primary care physician visits and telehealth services, as well as comprehensive coverage on dental, vision and hearing.
HealthyBlue rewards program
Florida Blue Medicare offers an opoortunity to Seniors to avail HealthyBlue rewards program – merely for undergoing preventive screenings and tests, which include your annual physical and yearly flu shot.
The benefits are redeemed as gift cards that Seniors can use for shopping at their preferred shops – up to $190 in value.
Florida Blue Medicare Plans
Choosing the right Medicare plan can be overwhelming –let us walk you through every option and help you find the one that fits your lifestyle and budget.
Florida Blue Medicare also provides a checklist to help track the differences between Medicare Advantage plans. The checklist helps seniors use their health and wellness goals to lead healthier, more active lives and to see how their current plan compares to the options available.
24/7 support services
Health care queries and concerns don’t keep office hours, and that is the reason Florida Blue Medicare gives 24/7 help and support services for members. Seniors can get their questions answered quickly about a health concern as well as have an comfortable access to professional behavioral health counselors.
Should you buy Florida Blue Medigap (Medicare Supplement) or Medicare Advantage?
Medicare Advantage Plans – While these plans are part of Medicare (Part C), they work drastically different than original Medicare paired with a supplement plan. First of all, no claims are submitted directly to Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are private-fee-for-service plans and you deal directly with the insurance company. The advantage plan is responsible for handling all of your medical claims. These insurers are being subsidized by Medicare since they are paying your medical expenses.
There are some advantages and disadvantages of these types of plans. One advantage is the low premiums. Most plans cost significantly less than a traditional Medicare supplement plan-some even have a $0 premium. There is also no medical underwriting required to purchase one of these plans. Although the plans must cover all medial procedures normally covered by Medicare, most plans provide some additional benefits for dental, vision and hearing screenings as well as preventative check-ups.
These extra benefits vary widely from one insurer to another. The one major disadvantage of these plans are the co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses left for the insured to pay. While the out-of-pocket expenses are limited to a maximum amount, these expenses can be considerable compared to having them covered in full by a traditional supplement plan. Simply put, these pans work best for those individuals in good health and need very little medical attention.
Which Florida Blue Medicare plan is best for you – Supplemental or Advantage? That all depends upon the amount of medical expenses that you incur each year. If the out-of-pocket expenses in a Medicare Advantage plan cost you more than the premium on a traditional supplement plan in a given year, you would have been better off paying for a supplement plan. This is an important decision which deserves valuable consideration and the advice of an experienced Medigap broker.
Florida Blue Medigap plans compared to other carriers
Insurance Carrier | Plan F | Plan G | Plan N | Rating | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aetna | $198.16 | $186.33 | $173.66 | 3.5/5 | |
American Continental | $185.84 | $171.51 | $141.69 | 3.5/5 | |
American Retirement Life | $191.43 | $172.29 | $137.83 | 3/5 | |
Americo Life | $190.91 | $171.82 | $148.91 | 3.5/5 | |
Florida Blue | $182.70 | $168.70 | $154.00 | 5/5 | |
Central States | $190.42 | $174.33 | $158.17 | 3.5/5 | |
Colonial Penn | $184.42 | $169.86 | $141.13 | 4/5 | |
Everence | $250.77 | $202.96 | N/A | 3.5/5 | |
Gerber Life | $182.09 | $167.46 | N/A | 3.5/5 | |
Globe Life | $192.50 | N/A | $152.00 | 4/5 | |
Humana | $183.69 | $158.18 | $126.37 | 4/5 | |
Renaissance Life | $186.79 | $170.34 | $144.96 | 4/5 | |
State Farm | $249.73 | N/A | N/A | 3.5/5 | |
United American | $179.00 | $169.00 | $144.00 | 4.5/5 | |
United of Omaha | $184.71 | $168.35 | $148.54 | 4/5 | |
AARP | $182.07 | $168.39 | $131.06 | 4.5/5 | |
USAA Life | $203.49 | N/A | $153.85 | 4/5 |
As Independent Brokers who specialize in Senior Insurance and Medigap – Medicare Supplement Insurance, we at FBC Medicare Agents see on a daily basis how important accurate information is. Making a sound decision is wholly dependent on acquiring knowledge about and understanding your options.
Many of our clients have told us that their search for information resulted in an avalanche of calls and emails from dozens of Medicare insurance agents leaving them frustrated and even more confused. This can become so overwhelming that they just give up, missing the opportunity to learn about an option that might better their situation and save them money.
Fact 1: There are marketing companies that will sell your information.
When you seek information online or fill in a form to win a prize you may be entering your personal information into a lead service. They will sell your information to numerous agents who contact with them to provide them with the names and contact information of people seeking information about Medigap- Medicare Supplement Plans. This is what starts the avalanche!
You can avoid this by always making sure that you are on a legitimate, licensed broker’s website.There should be a toll free number for you to call and an email address for you contact them.
If you are required to give all of your personal information in order to receive a quote you may be in the wrong place.
Fact 2: Although the cost of your Medigap – Medicare Supplement Plan may vary from company to company, the benefits are usually exactly the same.
There are currently 10 standardized Medicare Supplement Plans. PLAN A, PLAN B, PLAN C, PLAN D, PLAN F, PLAN G, PLAN K, PLAN L, PLAN M and PLAN N. The benefits in each of these plans are approved by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). All insurance companies who offer Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans must comply with the approved benefits for the supplement plans that they offer.
Even though the benefits in each of the different plans are the same no matter which company is offering the plan, there are big differences in the prices of the plans from company to company.
Knowing this fact and taking the time to compare prices may save you 30% or more on your Medicare Supplement. A few minutes really can save you money.
Fact 3: You are NOT locked into your Medigap – Medicare Supplement Plan until Open Enrollment.
Medicare Supplement Plans are not subject to any annual enrollment periods. You are free to change plans any time of the year.
Knowing this fact frees you to compare your plan options and switch to a different plan or company at any time. If you find that you can get the same plan for a better price from a different company, you can switch and start saving immediately.
Fact 4: You ARE locked into your Part D Prescription Plan until open enrollment.
Part D Medicare Prescription Plans (PDP) are Medicare Approved plans offered by private insurance companies.
They vary in terms of monthly premium, deductible, and co-pays. Each plan has a unique formulary. A formulary is a list of drugs that the plan covers and where the specific drug fall on the plans co-pay tiers.
We did a comparison of 27 different plans available in Florida. We used a sample drug list which contained 5 drugs, 4 generic and 1 named brand. The estimated annual drug cost ranged from around $834 for the least out-of-pocket plan, to around $4623 for the highest.
Being in the wrong PDP can really impact your bottom line.
Write a reminder on your calendar for October next year and take the time to make sure that you are in the right plan for your specific drugs during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. This is the only time of the year that you can change your PDP.
Fact 5: Medicare supplement Plan G is not as popular as Plan F but it deserves a look
There are 10 standardized plans referred to as Medigap policies, Medicare supplements or just supplements. The more the plan pays towards your costs for covered services, the higher the premium. So how do you find a balance between what you pay in premiums and what you are willing to pay out-of-pocket when you receive covered services?
To find the answer you will need to consider your budget, your health and your general attitude towards insurance.
First, let’s look at the differences between the two plans. Plan F will pay 100% of your share for Medicare-covered services. This includes:
Part A coinsurance
Part A deductible
Part A hospice coinsurance or copayment
Part B coinsurance or copayment
Part B deductible
Part B excess charges
Preventative Part B coinsurance
First 3 pints of blood
Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)
Note:- Seniors who qualify for Medicare beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2020, won’t have the ability to buy Plans C or F, but there are still many good Medicare supplement options and closest alternatives to Medicare supplement Plans C and F from various carriers. We recommend choosing comprehensive Medigap Plans D and G from Florida Blue.
That’s 100% of your share of expenses for covered services. If it’s not covered by Medicare, a supplement won’t help. A supplement fills the gaps in covered services.
Now, Medicare supplement Plan G. Everything is covered except the Medicare Part B deductible, now $147. There is really not a lot of difference between these two plans. So what’s the key to choosing?
Florida Blue Plan F vs Florida Blue Plan G: Probability and mathematics
Comparing Florida Blue Medicare supplement plans is easy because plans are standardized. The Plan F benefits will be the same no matter which company you take a look at.
Florida Blue (BCBS of Florida) currently provides the highest rated 5 stars Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plan G in Florida, with an average monthly premium of $168.70.
Once you have found the lowest premiums for these two plans you need to do the math. It’s mostly about the numbers because the probability of requiring outpatient (Part B) services is fairly high. Most years you will probably need services and would need to you pay the full deductible.
The difference between the annual premiums is the key. If the annual premium for Plan F is $147 or more than Plan G, you should choose Plan G. If it’s less, choose Plan F. The exception to this is if you have a crystal ball and know that you will never need outpatient services for the year.
You may find that the point is somewhat mute because insurance companies are not going to earn a smaller margin on one plan or the other unless they have some solid actuarial data indicating a variation in claims experience between the two plans.
Choosing between Medicare supplement Plan F and Medicare supplement Plan G may come down to your general philosophy about insurance. If you want to purchase and forget about it; get Plan F. If you want to bet on not using covered outpatient services; buy Plan G. You really can’t go wrong with either one.
Comparison of Different Florida Blue Medigap plans
Medigap Benefits | A | B | C | D | F* | G | K | L | M | N |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Medicare Part A Coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefifits are used up | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Medicare Part B Coinsurance or Copayment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes** |
Blood (First 3 Pints) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes |
Part A Hospice Care Coinsurance or Copayment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes |
Skilled Nursing Facility Care Coinsurance | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes |
Medicare Part A Deductible | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | 50% | Yes |
Medicare Part B Deductible | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Medicare Part B Excess Charges | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Foreign Travel Emergency (Up to Plan Limits) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Out-of-Pocket Limit*** | None | None | None | None | None | None | $5,240 | $2,620 | None | None |
Conclusion
We hope that these important facts about Medigap – Medicare Supplement Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans will help you keep more of your money in your pocket.
Note:- Seniors who qualify for Medicare beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2020, won’t have the ability to buy Plans C or F, but there are still many good Medicare supplement options and closest alternatives to Medicare supplement Plans C and F from various carriers. We recommend choosing comprehensive Medigap Plans D and G from Florida Blue.
FBC Medicare Agents is an Insurance Department of FBC HealthPlans Agents specializing in Senior Insurance Solutions and Medicare Insurance. We have seen the effects of the confusion and misinformation in the senior market. We really feel that with the proper,correct information, presented in an understandable way, our Seniors can position themselves for the future and achieve the peace of mind and security that they deserve at this exciting stage of life. We strive one client at a time to make sure that we address the individual and that they are better for having met us, regardless of whether they choose us as their broker.
In response to anxiety, stress and grief related to COVID-19 across the state, Florida Blue Medicare has partnered with New Directions Behavioral Health, which provides a bilingual help line that can be accessed day or night.