But about two weeks after my Medicare and Banker's Life supplemental kicked in, I had a MRI which diagnosed my stenotic aortic valve. Two months later while the cardiothoracic surgeon was working up the plan to do a valve transplant, they found a mass on my left kidney which turned out to be cancer.

So in the first six months of my coverage, I had a transarterial valve replacement (TAVR) and my left kidney removed. Banker's Life paid out a bunch of money that first year but never flinched on renewal of my policy.

Now, my insurance agent recommended Plan F which has no deductible and they pay full price (except for some of the local providers that do not follow Medicare rules and charge whatever the fuck they like so patients end up paying what Medicare and supplementals do not). I pay monthly and unless I want to make a change, it renews automatically.

The advantage in going with a private plan rather than through a group system such as AARP is that even if your plan, like my Plan F, is discontinued, you will be grandfathered in and be able to keep that plan as long as you live. Of course, to do that you have to stay with the same company and not jump around.