Karl:

All Part C Medicare Advantage Plans, MA's and MAPD's, provide Part A and Part B Services and "stand in the shoes" of Part A and Part B for billing purpooses.  But, in all cases you need to be enrolled in Part B to have a Part C Plan.

Doug

Thanks for the clarification. I had the impression some plans took the place of "B" so you didn't have to pay the B premium. if you drop B I think there could be a reentry problem.

Karl

Karl:

I have a few comments on your post.  First,, while the HMO format dominates MA and MAPD Plans, there are also PPO's, HMO/POS, and PFFS Plans that allow you to go to any doctor, as long as they accept the terms and conditions of the plan.  Second, when you enroll in an MA or MAPD Plan you do not "opt out" of Part B.  You must have both Part A and Part B to enroll in an MA or MAPD Plan, which is Part C of Medicare.  Lastly, there are no questions about pre-existing conditions on the enrollment form nor is there any medical underwriting.  The only time that the company can ask questions about medical conditions is if the applicant is interested in a "Chronic Illness Plan", which is a term of art that applies to Special Needs Plans.  

Doug

 Thank you.  That's great advice, and I will certainly check it out.

Some MA plans are cheaper than Medigap plans and do provide drug coverage as I understand it. A couple of things that made me not use an MA plan were that they are like HMO's and don't have as much freedem to choose doctors etc.. The other is if you opt out of Med.B or don't sign up at 65 there is a monthly premium penalty for late signup and some concern about "existing illnesses". Check on those.

Karl

If you would like to investigate the cost of prescription drugs in Canada, I would suggest that you visit healthpricer.com.  You will have an opportunity to search by drug name and you will be provided with a list of Canadian Pharmacies ranked lowest price to highest.  Good Luck!!

Doug 

 Now I just heard about something entirely new.  It's called Essence Plan.  It's a medicare advantage plan that is run by the doctors (an HMO) and has very very low costs.  Some with $0 premiums and deductibles.  The prescription that I'm paying $50/month for on my current plan will only cost me $24 on the Essence Plan.  They have plans that include eye care, dental, and I don't remember what else.  I've sent for the info packet.  The only drawback I've seen so far is that the participating doctors nearest  to me are 30 miles away.  Not too bad, as I only go once a year.  This plan did not show up on the medicare website when I searched for plans in my area.

I signed up for D to avoid the 1% /mo. penalty for late sign up even though I only have one persc, drug presently .I chose the cheapest premium plan available.

Karl