Medicare

Now I will give away my age. Ha, ha, ha.

Sometime in October I received a copy of the book titled Medicare & You 2022. I guess they know my age! The purpose of this book is to confuse us older people more than we already are. This is a thick book that explains the different type of Medicare coverages that exist and we might be entitled to.

An entire year goes by where I am convinced that the insurance, additional to Medicare, is good and satisfactory to my needs, and then this book comes out and totally confuses me. Through about 20 pages it lists various insurance companies in my state and county that offer different types of coverages, and I suppose to be the smart one to chose from them. 

This is all fine. Nowadays most doctors accept Medicare but they are very selective in accepting the various advantage plans. I might have a primary physician who accepts my plan and she sends me to a specialist who does not. Then what do I do? This is terrible that doctors chose insurance plans they want to affiliate with and reject some others. 

I am sure this is based on money. Some plans reimburse the doctors better and quicker than others and that is what effecting their choices. I guess doctors being individual businesses they have the right to work with whichever insurance company they chose to.

I usually go to doctors that are affiliated with one of the major New York hospitals. But even though their practice is through the hospital each one is affiliated with different insurance companies. That makes it necessary for me to check if my plan is accepted before I make an appointment.

This is an idiotic system that should be changed.