Government Auditor Finds Billions in Improper Payments to Medicare Advantage Plans--

[SheilaT]

5. My Advantage plan is not fluff, and it doesn't cost me anything

more than the $104.90 (or whatever the exact amount is) that is deducted from my SS payment every month. It covers all the basic Medicare stuff, plus a whole bunch of extras, most of which I've forgotten about because I've had them long enough. Let's see, zero copay on routine office visits, zero copay on routine blood tests, zero copay on the three meds I take -- fortunately they are basic generic ones, lucky me. Oh, and a $20/month (it used to be $50 and I'm hacked off that it got reduced) credit on various items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, aspirin, bandaids, stuff like that.

Yes, I need to stick with doctors within my plan, but for me that's not an issue since I'm not currently needing any specialists. A close friend, a few years older than I am, has a similar Advantage plan that she pays extra for, I think around $60/month, but it allows her to choose her doctors. She has more health issues than I do, so for her it's likewise great.

I do not want to see Advantage plans go away any time soon.