Boeing retirees are being pushed into a Medicare Advantage plan run by Aetna.

[pnwmom]

Last edited Tue Oct 17, 2023, 12:36 AM - Edit history (1)

I've heard about this from people in different parts of Boeing. They've sent a letter saying that retirees will lose their current supplement plan and will automatically be put in the Medicare Advantage plan unless they find another plan and notify Boeing.

This is why Medicare Advantage has been growing so quickly, with large corporations pushing their retirees in these plans.

[cilla4progress]

1. Our local Clinic sent out letters

pushing Medicare Advantage.

SMDH

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

11. Are you with Optimum?

I received one of those from them. They recently took over the Everett Clinic.

I have my Part D with my former employer and prefer that.

[3Hotdogs]

2. I am a N.J. state public employee retiree. We have Aetna Med Adv.

I've had it for several years now. I am happy with it.

[pnwmom]

4. What I don't like is that people are being switched into it automatically

unless they happen to see a single letter and find a new policy on their own.

I have heard too many stories about specialists not being covered, or procedures being disallowed by the insurance company. I want medical decisions to be made by me and my doctor, not an insurer.

But I'm glad it's worked out for you. Hopefully you won't have any surprises down the road.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Advantage Plans vary as much as

all other health care plans.

My Advantage Plan has not denied me specialists or procedures. I pay $25.00 for any visit. My heart attack three years ago was almost entirely covered. I think I may have had to pay about $300.00 for an $80,000 hospital bill. A couple of months ago, I tripped and fell, broke an arm. The emergency room visit cost me $25.00. The total bill I saw later was about $7,000.

Yeah, Advantage Plans are terrible.

[pnwmom]

9. The point is you CHOSE to take a chance on that plan. Boeing retirees are being automatically

switched, and I think they should have had more of a heads up. Also, that Boeing should explain to them what the alternatives are, since they've just dumped them from an excellent supplement plan.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

16. That has also happened to me.

My husband's company some year's back decided to change health plans, and we had to get all new doctors. Not at all fun. Fortunately, a year later they went back to the old one, and we thankfully went back to original doctors.

Most working people have little or no choice in what health care plan they have, since their company makes that decision.

[Jen206]

20. $25 or $7,025?

So you paid $25, or you paid $25 then later 7k? My aunt is 91 and Boeing is moving her from insurance that was GREAT with her $100,000 hospitalization last year, to th Advantage plan. The paperwork they sent says max $800 out of pocket but I worry there is fine print that isn't convered in the 2 page flyer they sent about the plan.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

21. I paid $25.00.

Apparently, the actual bill was $7,000 or so, but I paid a whopping $25.00.

I guess that's why Advantage Plans are so terrible.

[MichMan]

15. Don't they have the option to switch to regular Medicare?

Same as everyone else over 65?

[pnwmom]

18. Only if they happened to open that single envelope and then can figure out how to act on it.

Many people will probably find out they've been switched when it's too late.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. IBM pushed their retirees into a United Healthcare Advantage plan last year.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Boeing employees used to have plans that rivaled the cops.

It's all gone to shit now.

[Silent Type]

6. Not a Boeing employee, but I'd like to get "pushed" into that plan.

Hope it works out for Boeing employees, though.

[pnwmom]

7. Even though that means you're getting dumped from a perfectly good Premara supplement plan?

[Postal Grunt]

10. Aetna Plans have two sides to them..

in that there are some good benefits such as gym memberships connected to the "Silver Sneakers" program, dental care benefits that pay for cleaning your teeth twice a year, a vision care benefit, and other features that are similar to other advantage plans. The bad side raises its ugly head should you need hospitalization or rehabilitation care. Then you need to prepare to appeal their denials on a regular basis. Their first impulse is to say no when your doctor says you need more time or medical professionals' care. It's really aggravating because they say that their medical professionals have determined that you don't need that care, professionals that only read the case file and have never met you or your physicians. You can plan on spending a lot of time on the phone trying to make your appeals or appeal for your spouse. I was fine with the plan when I didn't need much from Aetna but when the chips were down, they were cold blooded a__holes. Anyone who is looking at an Aetna plan should be careful and realistic about their future health care needs. Especially important is to have help when dealing with an insurance company and their minions. Otherwise, a Medicare Advantage program could be hazardous to your health.

[pnwmom]

12. Thank you for sharing this!

This has been my fear, especially after reading about the Federal investigation of how MA plans are wrongfully denying claims. I'd rather skip the freebies and know that the plan would back us and our doctors on the decisions for our medical care.

[PortTack]

14. A wise choice pnw!! If it looks to good to be true it probably is

[PortTack]

13. All Medicare advantage plans are designed to bankrupt Medicare. So far it's working

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. That's a pretty broad statement.

Care to offer some actual proof?

[PortTack]

19. Here ya go

there are mounting concerns about excess payments to health plans that aren't supported by patients' medical records, and are in some cases potentially fraudulent. The Biden administration is already working to claw back $4.7 billion of overpayments despite objections from the insurance industry.
Increased MA spending as enrollment grows puts pressure on a system that's quickly running out of funds, and raises premiums for enrollees in both traditional Medicare and MA.

https://www.axios.com/2023/10/16/medicare-advantage-enrollment-growth

They are paying [Medicare Advantage plans] way more than they should," says Kronick, who served as deputy assistant secretary for health policy in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama administration.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/11/11/1054281885/medicare-advantage-overcharges-exploding