Long Term Care or Medicare - Which is better?

Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:18 am Post Subject:

Check to see if she is COBRA coverage. COBRA may be expensive but it will provide some coverage.

Also, she may want to check into some medicare supplemental coverage, assuming she has medicare.

I also found this article that may provide more insight:

Retiree Settlement
The Plan of Reorganization provides for a comprehensive retiree settlement
that was negotiated with the Retirees Committee, which represents more than
23,000 people whom are former employees of Pharmacia and Solutia and their
dependents. Although the settlement includes benefit modifications, the Plan
of Reorganization provides significant current funding of these benefit
obligations, which greatly improves Solutia's ability to meet these benefit
obligations going forward. Under the settlement, retirees will retain their
company-provided medical benefits, although their costs for such benefits will
increase. Most retirees will retain their company-provided life insurance
benefits, although some will experience a modification in the benefit
provided. The settlement also maintains Solutia's rights according to a
separate 2001 settlement and a post-settlement retiree medical plan, under
which the company intends to make certain changes effective Jan. 1, 2007,
including the elimination of company-provided medical benefits for certain
groups of retirees that also are eligible for Medicare coverage. Although
Solutia is communicating directly with retirees regarding this settlement,
retirees may also visit http://www.solutia.com/reorganization/retirees.asp for
further details.

Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 05:14 am Post Subject: any options??

Hi,

I had heard of a similar case years back, when one of my friend's insurance ceased to exist due to such a legal case, but the carrier was nice enuff to sell of the coverage to another carrier ( even though the latter was a lesser-known carrier...yet it was beneficial in that hour of crisis)!

Please talk to the CSRs...n make sure whether they have such an option out there. Mandymoore

Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 05:23 am Post Subject: might be an option here..

What about long term care ?
Is it not a better option than the health-care options that she has at this point in life?
Please note...it might seem a bit costlier to have it right now (keeping her age in mind)...but know that benefits that it has for her in the future!
Also, for the span that it stays there, it seems a more result-oriented option for her. She might just try it out in place of another health-insurance!

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 06:07 pm Post Subject: long term

why cant you check for the ones which long for a larger period in your locality.

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 07:46 pm Post Subject:

That is sad for someone to be dropped at that age.Times are hard and I would hope that the insurance company has a plan for all those who are dropped.

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 05:02 am Post Subject: need to change

The insurance companies need to change this somehow for the benefit of old age parents.

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 08:54 am Post Subject: insurance

Gosh..I don't know what to say about that. I work with the Elderly. SOME people I work with don't have Health Insurance and they have MANY problems. However....ALOT of them qualify for medical Programs, in the area, to get their medical bills covered. I was actually told that a few people ( Elderly) that I work with DID have Medical coverage, at one time, but..their Insurance 'dropped' them because of too many health problems. Can an Insurance company, LEGALLY do this?

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 03:39 pm Post Subject: no

I suppose they can't do, and the individuals can claim for that. Isn't it!

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 04:11 pm Post Subject: insurance

I don't know what Insurance company she had, but,..she has had the same one for a long period of time. I DO know that. I would ASSUME they would know ALL of her Medical problems. But...of course, i don't know all of the 'details' in the decision making.

Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 12:30 am Post Subject:

I know this is being posted two months from the original post so I hope you are still checking. Your mom has several options available to her in this situation.
If she is willing to pay for a supplement she needs to contact secure horizons/aarp and have her explain her situation. If she has a limited budeget she should look into their medicare advantage plans available in her area. Secure horizons have these available in many areas.

Medicare advantage plans are better than having just original medicare and dont cost nearly as much as supplement plans, some are even free depending on what area you live in the just dont cover quite as good as supplements.

Also look into seeing if she qualifies for any level of medicaid through your local depatment of social services dept. There are also medicare advantage plans specially for people who have medicare and also qualify for medicaid. These are called dual eligible plans. Secure horizons is called evercare.

Check out medicare.gov they have a place where you can type in her zip code and it will bring up all supplements and medicare advantage plans in her area along with the costs.

hope this helps.
mac