What Would Lynn Do?  

Q: My company is really struggling.  We heard that we may be able to move our employee who is 70 years old onto a Medicare plan.  We're paying $900 a month for his premium alone.  What can we do?

A:  Your options might seem to be as follows:

1. Your group size is under 20 and the carrier assumes that the person has Medicare Parts A and B and that Medicare is primary.  The most you can do is make sure the carrier is charging appropriately.
2. Arrange a reduction in the workforce.
3. Social Security will tell you that he shouldn't be on Medicare until he retires.  Let it go and accept the premium.  It's discriminatory to do anything else.
4. Reduce benefits all around to make up for this high premium.

But the correct answer is "None of the Above." In reality, there is no reason a person 65 or over should remain on a group plan.  Although the person cannot be forced to leave it, there are reasons he or she might want to terminate the group plan.   

First, the Medicare Part B premium, which they need to have anyway, costs around $110.  A plan F supplement, which pays 100% of what Medicare doesn't, costs around $120.  A decent drug plan costs around $50.   

Add them together and the cost is $270.  Compare that to $900 for a plan that is not nearly as good.   

The annual savings is over $7500 and you'll find your employee couldn't be happier!  Switching to Medicare is a definite win-win situation.

Medicare Advocacy 

I've recently been working with a lot of people approaching Medicare age. They come to me confused by the staggering amount of mail they are receiving. 

If you have friends or family who are perplexed by the seemingly overwhelming choice, send them my way and I can quickly set them straight. Understanding the options is very difficult and I know how to cut through the red tape quickly.    

President Obama Lends Support to State Proposals for Health Care Reform

There isn't too much to report on the state of healthcare reform this month. However, the Associated Press published an article on February 28th indicating that President Obama has offered to let states designate alternative plans to the health insurance reform, as long as they are aligned with the intent and goals of the original law.

We are pleased to see that there is some progress addressing these divisive issues.

If you happen to be curious about just where the uninsured are living, please take a look at this interactive map (offered by National Public Radio) breaking down the rough percentages of uninsured persons by district and state. 

More Generic Drugs Ahead: Brand Names Losing Patent over Next Four Years 

Providers Cave to Pressure to Delay Rate Increases