I went on to the retirement court with Plan G. No major complaints with the exception of the recent premium increase and the truly impossible task of finding my cost share prior to treatment. My bigger complaint with this whole racket is the development (or lack there of) a system structured for intentional confusion. One should not need PhDs in multiple disciplines to understand their health insurance. No luv in this game.
Thank you. Been an Insurance for 37 years in Florida and this is the most straightforward presentation I have seen. I have now watched at the end of the videos Animals and the Tennis. 😁 and i am going to watch more.
Attempting a backhand high lob, have to wonder if only reason to go with advantage is to save money, not a bad reason, thanks for such a realistic point of view without the usual catastrophic results of some of the medicare choices that are so hyped on other podcasts
Why do they make this such a challenge to understand... Why should we even get charged for anything once reaching 65? It's like a net fault and a poor attempt at a backswing to penalize seniors who have already paid their dues over the years. It's almost them trying to sponge up all of our Social Security earnings and leave us homeless. Thanks for your perfect swing information!
You served up the facts with no spin. I have Plan G. Have the Wellcare Drug zero premium plan. You pay nothing but still have creditable coverage- works well if you take no or few meds. Great video- thumbs up.
How is Wellcare? Do you take any drugs? I almost took that this year, but I read that although the service is improving, in the past it has been bad, and they don't accurately represent drug costs. Therefore, I moved to the cheapest version of Silverscript (Aetna). They did catch me last year. I paid a high monthly premium on the plan I had, plus I paid for all my generic prescriptions and never met the deductible. (Before that there was no deductible on Tier 1 and 2 generic drugs.) Since I think this cheap plan will not be available next year, I am trying to see if I have some unnecessary medications I can get off of. But anything you can tell me about Wellcare (if you take any drugs) would be appreciated.
I chose the G plan because I didn’t want to deal with co-pays and excess charges. I take 1 prescription so my drug plan is $6.30 right now. I just switched over to my husbands carrier so we could each get a 10% family discount. Every little bit helps 🙂 12:14
Thanks for the information. I have a G plan and was surprised at the increase announced for the coming year. I appreciate the spreadsheets allowing me to look ahead at possible costs. Still, having been denied needed coverage on a former Advantage plan, I will maintain my G plan for my own peace of mind.
Erik, thank you for responding so quickly to my email and helping me better understand the mysterious Medicare system and the different plans so that I could make a good decision. When I retired a couple of years ago, I didn't know that people like you exist, and so I was making my decision "in the dark." Thank you for shining a bright light on a very confusing subject!!
One thing that's seldom mentioned is that Advantage Plans require approval for a majority of expensive services and can be delayed or denied by non medical employees. These are traditionally high cost surgeries or cancer treatments that would automatically be covered by traditional Medicare (with or without a supplement). So it's not always comparing apples to apples with Medicare vs Advantage companies, since you're assuming all surgeries or treatments are approved...
Advantage plans do work differently. We cover this extensively in other videos. We talk about denial rates and the likelihood of denial in this video: ua-cam.com/video/sA9EzoiHjEM/v-deo.html
The choice between those plans seems like choosing your favorite player, Roger or Sweet Pete, those guys were both incredible. You help set a great baseline for making our decisions easier. And you sure ace those videos of yours!
We turn 65 next year and learn a great deal from your videos. We are volleying back and forth between the different plans at this point because we may travel extensively around the US and occasionally to Europe if we are lucky. Insurance sure is a racket…
Plan F pays for EVERYTHING that Medicare doesn’t pay for. I’d look into this if I were you!!! I’ve had it, I pay NOTHING on anything. No copays, nothing.
Boy I wish I had found this channel last year! Very good information you provide. I was presented with basically the $amt for premiums with no scenarios. Now I’m going out to play some pickle ball ;)
Game, set, & match for the govt. We pay into medicare all our lives, then after 65..... we have to pay to supplement what we've been paying for all our lives, and it increases every year.
That was neat. I have HD G.. I'm not a big fan of advantage plans. I've seen to many family and friends struggle with getting the care they need. Great video though, I like your tennis racket. "the mini one"
On my second year of Medicare on plan G. Unfortunately I’ve used it, a lot. Fortunately, I’ve paid $0 outside my premiums. So far it’s much cheaper than my old employer provided insurance. And yes, I saw your tennis racket.
Planning to go with N. If the premiums zoom too high in the years to come, I'll ditch it for Medicare Part C, but I'm hoping I don't need to. You served up another ace, sir.
Thank you for this video! I have a huge spreadsheet with all my retirement numbers, and this was the piece that was missing! I really appreciate another spreadsheet lover crunching these numbers for me.
Sorry this is so off-topic for the channel but I love the set and the new prop. I still have my first tennis racquet, too, an all-wood Davis Classic (back when the face of the racquet was smaller than a dinner plate lol) and it still has the original gut strings (I played on clay and wanted the extra bite and control). I think you'll understand that I want to tell you all this so I can brag about my father. He grew up destitute and never made much money himself but made sure I had the racquet, the best Adidas shoes and the best court to play on (because he built it himself - it even had lights like the city courts so we could play at night, and high chain-link fencing surrounding it so you didn't have to chase balls). Needless to say, growing up in that tennis family is integral to my life and so many good childhood memories. So I'm delighted you're a fan. And Federer is my guess too.
Great video, Erik! I have learned a great deal from your talks. No BS talk and the way you present is very easy to understand. So very sorry about your Mother. 40 love 😉
I’m not into tennis, but I’m thinking the racket is a Wilson. Very good video. Medicare is wrecking my sleep and overall peace of mind. Thanks for all you do for us.
Thank younfornwatching! 🎾 An agent/Broker will help ease your mind. Even if it's not us, highly recommend using one. Won't cost you anything, ever. Can take away the stress 🙂
I’m still listening to the videos and trying to understand what my best choice is. Although it is a lot to take in, I wasn’t expecting to need to understand all this information for a few more years. 😢 things changed at my work and now I’m moving on try to figure out my best path. So far I’m just signed up for plan A and B. I know I need to sign up for at least Plan D. It’s gonna take a minute for me to wrap my head around all this. I have no idea who your favorite tennis person is. 😂
Thank you for making it to the end :) This all gets more simple once someone who can help with this knows where you live. These videos are all around national averages and possibilities. Using an agent/broker can help narrow those choices so it isn't so overwhelming. Hope you are well! Sorry to hear things changed at work.
Awesome spreadsheets, The Retirement Nerds! Managing expectations by understanding the numbers goes a long way toward tamping down an emotional response to any outlier one-year occurrence. Well done, maestro!🎯🔥🎹
We just get too many who didn't know about increases. When expectations and results are off, that's when problems happen. Love the Maestro reference 🎾😊
Hi Erik, hope all is well for you and your family. Thanks for another great analysis, and in making it easier for many folks in understanding costs with the Medicare plans, at least in this example. I do realize how efficient these medigap plans are, but my Advantage plan has done wonders for me, especially with preventative care. I have a very good doctor, and my plan has a part B give back which I have been on for almost two years now. So as you can see, Advantage plans do work for many people. Thanks again for all the time and effort you place in every one of your videos. God bless.
Hi Miguel! Thank you for watching and hope all is well for you, too! Love that you shared your experience. So glad to hear your plan is working out for you and your testimonial that advantage plans do work for many people is great. We try to stay neutral and feel that both plans work well for people, they just need to know how the plan works before going in. Appreciate you!
That’s great that your Advantage plan works well for you. You mentioned your plan has a Part B giveback, which is awesome, but be aware that the majority of people do not qualify for a plan with that benefit. That said, Advantage plans can be a good option for many people, but they need to fully understand what they are getting into, the fact they are replacing Original Medicare with a private, for profit insurance company which will dictate what care they will receive, before signing up.
Nice and detailed comparison of the plans. Thank you. I suggest you split the Advantage Plan analysis into two analyses - one for a healthy person with some unexpected events, and another for someone with chronic ailments and some unexpected events. For the later, the Advantage Plan costs may approach the Plan N analysis costs. Tennis is a great sport but I have no idea who the players are for the most part.
Great video. I'm 75 and have utilized various Advantage Plans since I turned 65. I've been very pleased with how they have worked for me. I had one bad year (3 surgeries) and still didn't quite get to my MOOP. I'm going with Jimmy Connors since I'm pretty sure that he used a Wilson racket.
I took tennis a long time ago in college! I stunk at it!!🤣 Thanks for a great video and the spreadsheet. We are going on Medicare in June and we chose Plan N. We discussed the fact we can save money today and we can't predict the future. I originally swore we were going on Plan G but thought more about Plan N once I saw a few Plan N videos. As far as Part D, My premium is $79 because I take Xarelto and my wife's premium and out of pocket is $0.00 for the year. Thanks again for great content!!!
Thanks so much for the great content. Talk about timely. I was going to start building a spreadsheet today to look at long term costs, but you did it for me! I will be signing up for a supplement plan in the next couple of weeks. In Wisconsin we don’t have the same plan letters available as the rest of the country, but we can purchase riders that mimic Plan G and Plan N. Trying to find out information about the various companies has been a nightmare. Getting my engineering degree was easier, haha. I was convinced that Plan N was the way to go as I only have a couple of doctor visits per year. My concern is about the future. There is a very small chance that I will need to go on dialysis later in life. Are those dialysis treatments considered dr appointments that trigger a copay for every visit? I have been unable to get an answer to this question. If they require a copay every time then that would really add up - 3 visits per week times $20 per visit is $60 per week or $3120 per year in copays. That would lead me away from Plan N.
Thank you for watching! Glad the spreadsheet is helpful! If the treatments are done in your home... no. If you visit a provider, the could. The provider sort of controls that copay. Some providers could charge that, but they don't to help the patient. Others do... So it'll depend on the provider you're seeing for those treatments and how they are coding. Sorry it's not a direct answer. Probably why you're having a hard time finding a solid answer because it is, "It depends..." That's Medicare for you, haha
Awesome video. I like that you don't exaggerate but just speak with plain factors backed by numbers. Totally with you, I am not against any plan, I trust the numbers. You do look like someone who live a very active lifestyle. I actually Googled legendary tennis players who used Wilsons rackets. There are a few.
Yes I saw the thing on the shelf but didn't recognize what it was. So far this year I have saved so much money by switching to advantage (of course it's gone directly to the grocery stores for food haha). I'm thinking I'm going to have to have an mri this year so I guess that will tell the tale. Thanks, as always.
Premium inflation is very important to look at. My 82 year old aunt has a grandfathered plan J. Her premium is over $500 a month now. Her health is suck that I don't think she'd pass underwriting to change.
Super great information. Sincere thanks. Unfortunately, it's too late for me. I've been on an F plan since 2014 with AARP/UH. When they discontinued F I tried to move to a G plan, but because I had a stent place back in 2021 no one would allow me to switch - medical underwriting. I tried again to move to G again last year, but at age 73 little things keep popping up high cholesterol, although it's successfully treated. So I'm now in this supplement trap of rising premiums and no way out. Fortunately, I was able to move my wife from F to G, but now she's had some health related issues from the pandemic and I can't get her moved to a cheaper Plan G.
Another outstanding video...offering your normal, unbiased yet thorough analysis of a tricky subject! The editable spread sheets are ingenious and well thought out...thanks for including them with this video. By the way, I really enjoyed your new website and found several of the links very useful! Keep up the great work; both your mom AND Roger would be proud of all the "racquet" you're making in the space and for helping so many of us!
Scary! But very important to understand the long term costs of our tennis rackets... Funny guy that you are. Like many who faithfully follow your videos, and new website, I was sold on Plan G as I approach retirement but man that is expensive over time. I really appreciate your balanced view and information about the various ways to go. Decisions, decisions... As I seem to remember in another video you mentioned that we can change our Plan option over time, but only to an equal or lesser coverage plan, that we can't decide to go up a plan. Am I remembering that correctly? I will be watching many of your videos again in a few months as I prepare to sign up when I hit 70 and retire. Thanks again for the excellent videos.
Thank you so much for your support! Appreciate it more than you know! In regards to switching, it depends on where you live and the insurance companies in your area. Lots of different rules :) This video goes over that in more detail: ua-cam.com/video/Vnf5UmIclgI/v-deo.html
That's why N is the choice if you want comprehensive coverage. HDG is great if you want catastrophic coverage and self insure. Either choice means not having to deal with networks and annual plan changes like with an advantage plan.
@@candeffect I'm not 65 yet, whether I buy N or HDG will depend on the difference in price. Both are great options because the cost of G will be really expensive by the time your 85 and I would not want to deal with managed care with an advantage plan.
I went with N because it tends to be the lowest cost supplement plan overall. You can always go to advantage from a supplement but it may not be possible to go the other way. If I make it to my 90's and no longer can pay from my supplement, I can always pick the best advantage plan I can find. Being on a supplement with regular medicare, I figure my chances of making it to 90 are a lot better.
@@stanley8574 you can switch you just have to pass underwriting. Maybe 30 questions. HDG is the cheapest overall plan but N is the best if you want comprehensive coverage with a great value. N and HDG in my opinion are the only 2 plans for people to look at. G can cost up to 25 percent more than N and can have annual increases of 10 to 20 percent vs N's 0 to 3 percent.
When we signed up for Plan F, we were both healthy but we knew that a catastrophic health event might possibly come our way. My husband has had a form of cancer for which there is no known cure for more than five years. Now he's in remission, but he relies on chemo to stay that way. He's been hospitalized for as long as a month, had radiation, and his primary oncologist is out of state (not to mention out of area.) We are thankful for our supplemental insurance that has picked up all our medical bills. We don't have to be seen by our primary care doctor to see a specialist. He has had as many as seven medical appointments in a week. We don't need another layer.
Great video Erik.. Thanks once again. If you are in good shape and don't need a doctor a lot, an Advantage plan might work. They won't do much for me with copd/emphysema. I am thankful for my Plan F group plan that I was able to keep after retiring.
I am a football nut!. No one talks about a option that I think is credible (don't know if I will do it). Start with a plan G when you are younger and mobile. That is when you travel a lot and it is affordable. When you get to the point that you are a lot less mobile (maybe in assisted living), switch to an advantage plan for your final years.
Hi, Erik, I have plan F for past 4 years and happy with it. Your spreadsheet definitely will help to explain it to my wife who will signing for Medicare next year. Can you please me how to download the spreadsheet. Great informative video. Thank you
Just when I was enjoying my plan G, here comes the increase! Not bad given the fact that this year have a lot of “issues” I had to take care of. Will see how long before I am forced to switch to Advantage plan offered by my AZ state retirement system plan. Not a tennis 🎾 fan, sorry but once in a while I like to watch a good match. As always, great objective analysis.
Informative video and thanks for the spreadsheet. It's very helpful. I am NOT a tennis fan at all. The last time I played tennis was probably 35 years ago and I usually hit the ball so hard it'd go over the fence....🙄
Very helpful information! Looking at a state retiree advantage plan with lower deductibles and lower out of pocket. This helps a lot to look at the long term picture. Nice racket! I gave up tennis and picked up racket ball a number of years ago. I am thinking of trying pickle ball soon.
I have a plan N and usually am not charged copay with physician visits. The reason I chose N is because healthier people choose N and so as far as underwriting goes over time that group of people should have lower price increases.
Bonus points. Terrific idea. Samethecookingguy just had his march subscriber recipe month and if he cooked your submitted recipe you got one of his knives. Alas my submitted recipe didn't make the cut. But, did he have some good ones. Actually, most videos have good ones to the point that you wished you were his neighbor so you could get some good stuff. So, I don't know who the tennis player might be, since I've never followed the game to the point of knowing who swung what racket, so I will switch-hit to another sport that I used to pay attention to and say your videos' always hit the subject out of the park. (I stopped caring about that sport when they had a strike in 1994; come on, really, you had to go on strike instead of just playing the GAME and having the 'suits' work out the finances and such?).
I'm so confused, I'm still on my wife's plan at work but will have to pick one this time around. I'm currently volleying (1) with a large ins co that underwrites the plan, since they are no longer acceptable for some services, right in the middle of the match (2) forcing me to scramble appointments, tests, etc and leaving a bad taste for them in the future. I was leaning on a supplemental plan thinking it would protect me from ins. co. games. Oh well..
Great use of the tennis words. The good news with supplement plans is they are straightforward in how they work. They just cost more up front with monthly premiums that increase over time. Thank you for spending time with us!
I have been binge watching your videos since I found your channel this weekend Erik! SO much to take in and absorb but so well presented and easy to understand! I already knew my best option for my health is to go with Medicare and a supplement based on conversations with both my internist and wound care specialist. Your wealth of knowledge has offered the tools to help me choose a supplement that works for me. THANK YOU! (BTW...I still have my tennis racket I got for 8th grade graduation...just a few years ago! LOL)
So glad you found us 🙂 Supplement plans are so strong, just need to know what's coming with them. Thank you for making it all the way through the video! 🎾
Sure wish the only racket in all of this was that nice Wilson tennis racket! My head’s about to explode trying to educate myself and decide on the best strategy as I start Medicare in September.
I chose the UHC Advantage plan offered to AT&T former emploees with no out-of-network penalties and yearly MOOP of $900. I'd rather not have gone with an Advantage plan, but seemed an easy score.
I really like the way you serve up this info. Honestly, if anything you are too generous with supplement costs. You never mention the part D deductible. On the other hand you also do not mention the fact that Advantage plans are simply more work. Billing errors are common and without a good agent/broker can be a nightmare to have corrected. Overall though the best balance of info I've seen.
Thank you so much for tuning in! Supplement plans are great, but those costs are something that factors in there. Seems like we all want the coverage of a Supplement plan at the cost of an Advantage plan :)
I went on to the retirement court with Plan G. No major complaints with the exception of the recent premium increase and the truly impossible task of finding my cost share prior to treatment.
My bigger complaint with this whole racket is the development (or lack there of) a system structured for intentional confusion. One should not need PhDs in multiple disciplines to understand their health insurance. No luv in this game.
They don't make it easy :(
I bounced back and forth like a tennis ball between choosing a Plan N or G. I settled on N as a long term strategy.
I did a plan N as well
Did the same.
Same here
I picked N also figured I could avoid advantage longer if I out live my savings.
Federer , Jimmy Connors, Arthur Ash. Not sure.
Your Medicare education is a home run!
Thank you so much 😊⚾️
Thank you. Been an Insurance for 37 years in Florida and this is the most straightforward presentation I have seen. I have now watched at the end of the videos Animals and the Tennis. 😁 and i am going to watch more.
Thank you so much Mike! So glad these are helpful 😊 🐎🎾
Attempting a backhand high lob, have to wonder if only reason to go with advantage is to save money, not a bad reason, thanks for such a realistic point of view without the usual catastrophic results of some of the medicare choices that are so hyped on other podcasts
Thank you so much for watching! 🎾
Why do they make this such a challenge to understand... Why should we even get charged for anything once reaching 65? It's like a net fault and a poor attempt at a backswing to penalize seniors who have already paid their dues over the years. It's almost them trying to sponge up all of our Social Security earnings and leave us homeless. Thanks for your perfect swing information!
Thank you so much for watching. Not sure why they make it complicated.
Other countries it is a lower cost or free
Leave the country, sneak back and claim to be an illegal, then the government will pay for everything. 😊
The federal taxes in countries that offer universal health coverage are higher than in the US
@@krisdavis8542 and the force us to pay into it our whole lives.
You served up the facts with no spin. I have Plan G. Have the Wellcare Drug zero premium plan. You pay nothing but still have creditable coverage- works well if you take no or few meds. Great video- thumbs up.
Thank you so much!! ❤️ 🎾
How is Wellcare? Do you take any drugs? I almost took that this year, but I read that although the service is improving, in the past it has been bad, and they don't accurately represent drug costs. Therefore, I moved to the cheapest version of Silverscript (Aetna). They did catch me last year. I paid a high monthly premium on the plan I had, plus I paid for all my generic prescriptions and never met the deductible. (Before that there was no deductible on Tier 1 and 2 generic drugs.) Since I think this cheap plan will not be available next year, I am trying to see if I have some unnecessary medications I can get off of. But anything you can tell me about Wellcare (if you take any drugs) would be appreciated.
I chose the G plan because I didn’t want to deal with co-pays and excess charges.
I take 1 prescription so my drug plan is $6.30 right now.
I just switched over to my husbands carrier so we could each get a 10% family discount.
Every little bit helps 🙂 12:14
Too expensive for the working class. I'm going for the Adv plan. Our system is broken.
Thanks for the information. I have a G plan and was surprised at the increase announced for the coming year. I appreciate the spreadsheets allowing me to look ahead at possible costs. Still, having been denied needed coverage on a former Advantage plan, I will maintain my G plan for my own peace of mind.
Thank you for watching! :) Plan G is great for peace of mind!
Erik, thank you for responding so quickly to my email and helping me better understand the mysterious Medicare system and the different plans so that I could make a good decision. When I retired a couple of years ago, I didn't know that people like you exist, and so I was making my decision "in the dark." Thank you for shining a bright light on a very confusing subject!!
Our pleasure Pat 🙏
Appreciate you so much!
Eric I am a newly retired RN... You and your channel are extremely informative...thx for all the great info❤
Appreciate you so much! Thank you for watching and saying this!
Advantage Plans and Supplemental Plans seem like such a racquet. Very important and necessary, but deciding between them is such a “volley.”
🙂🎾
it's a government fluster cluck...
Never even heard of Part N and G. New to learning this. Thanks
Thank you for watching!
I LOVE how you SERVED up the options. Great presentation.
Thank you! 🙂🎾
One thing that's seldom mentioned is that Advantage Plans require approval for a majority of expensive services and can be delayed or denied by non medical employees. These are traditionally high cost surgeries or cancer treatments that would automatically be covered by traditional Medicare (with or without a supplement). So it's not always comparing apples to apples with Medicare vs Advantage companies, since you're assuming all surgeries or treatments are approved...
Advantage plans do work differently. We cover this extensively in other videos. We talk about denial rates and the likelihood of denial in this video:
ua-cam.com/video/sA9EzoiHjEM/v-deo.html
The choice between those plans seems like choosing your favorite player, Roger or Sweet Pete, those guys were both incredible. You help set a great baseline for making our decisions easier. And you sure ace those videos of yours!
Appreciate you so much! 🎾
I’m going with Federer…thank you for the great info. I turn 65 in 3 years and am so glad I found your channel now.
He's the one! :)
Glad you found us, too!
Great I turn 65 in 2 years
We turn 65 next year and learn a great deal from your videos. We are volleying back and forth between the different plans at this point because we may travel extensively around the US and occasionally to Europe if we are lucky. Insurance sure is a racket…
Love what you did there. Thank you for making it to the end 😉
Plan F pays for EVERYTHING that Medicare doesn’t pay for. I’d look into this if I were you!!! I’ve had it, I pay NOTHING on anything. No copays, nothing.
Good job, thanks for the info Sport.
Boy I wish I had found this channel last year! Very good information you provide. I was presented with basically the $amt for premiums with no scenarios. Now I’m going out to play some pickle ball ;)
Wish you'd found us sooner, too! But now you have, so we can be friends and I hope our other videos are helpful as well
Game, set, & match for the govt. We pay into medicare all our lives, then after 65..... we have to pay to supplement what we've been paying for all our lives, and it increases every year.
Damn! This guy is good! Finally a retired computer scientist with someone he can relate to!
Glad we could help! Thank you for spending time with us!
That was neat. I have HD G.. I'm not a big fan of advantage plans. I've seen to many family and friends struggle with getting the care they need. Great video though, I like your tennis racket. "the mini one"
Thank you so much! 🎾
On my second year of Medicare on plan G. Unfortunately I’ve used it, a lot. Fortunately, I’ve paid $0 outside my premiums. So far it’s much cheaper than my old employer provided insurance. And yes, I saw your tennis racket.
Thank you for sharing! Sorry to hear you're using it, but glad it is there! 🎾
Hello, Wilson! This 77 year old fixed income gal found your video helpful. Will be checking out your other videos.
So glad it was helpful! Thank you for tuning in! 🎾
I like the little Wilson racquet. And thank you for your information!
Appreciate you watching! 🙏🎾
Thanks for all the help navigating this season of life. Tennis is a great sport :)
Thank you so much for watching! 🎾
Planning to go with N. If the premiums zoom too high in the years to come, I'll ditch it for Medicare Part C, but I'm hoping I don't need to. You served up another ace, sir.
Sounds like a good plan :)
Appreciate you making it to the end!
Wow. This was packed with content. Thanks. I’m guessing Sampras.
I wished I knew how to play Tennis. Thanks for the information. I think that I should go with the G plan.
Tennis is my favorite 😍
G is great!
I am a fan of softball, myself. Thank you for doing these videos. It's VERY informative.
Of course! Thank you for staying to the end!
Thank you for this video! I have a huge spreadsheet with all my retirement numbers, and this was the piece that was missing! I really appreciate another spreadsheet lover crunching these numbers for me.
Haha! So glad it was helpful :)
We do love our spreadsheets!
Sorry this is so off-topic for the channel but I love the set and the new prop. I still have my first tennis racquet, too, an all-wood Davis Classic (back when the face of the racquet was smaller than a dinner plate lol) and it still has the original gut strings (I played on clay and wanted the extra bite and control). I think you'll understand that I want to tell you all this so I can brag about my father. He grew up destitute and never made much money himself but made sure I had the racquet, the best Adidas shoes and the best court to play on (because he built it himself - it even had lights like the city courts so we could play at night, and high chain-link fencing surrounding it so you didn't have to chase balls). Needless to say, growing up in that tennis family is integral to my life and so many good childhood memories. So I'm delighted you're a fan. And Federer is my guess too.
Such a cool story! Thank you for sharing! And you nailed it with Federer 🙂🎾
Great video, Erik! I have learned a great deal from your talks. No BS talk and the way you present is very easy to understand. So very sorry about your Mother. 40 love 😉
Thank you, Jeff! Love what you did there 😏
Federer? Thank you for such a clear presentation. And I’ll be listening to them all/forwarding them to my 7: yr old best friend.
You got it! Thank you so much!
I’m not into tennis, but I’m thinking the racket is a Wilson. Very good video. Medicare is wrecking my sleep and overall peace of mind. Thanks for all you do for us.
Thank younfornwatching! 🎾
An agent/Broker will help ease your mind. Even if it's not us, highly recommend using one. Won't cost you anything, ever. Can take away the stress 🙂
I’m still listening to the videos and trying to understand what my best choice is. Although it is a lot to take in, I wasn’t expecting to need to understand all this information for a few more years. 😢 things changed at my work and now I’m moving on try to figure out my best path. So far I’m just signed up for plan A and B. I know I need to sign up for at least Plan D.
It’s gonna take a minute for me to wrap my head around all this.
I have no idea who your favorite tennis person is. 😂
Thank you for making it to the end :)
This all gets more simple once someone who can help with this knows where you live. These videos are all around national averages and possibilities. Using an agent/broker can help narrow those choices so it isn't so overwhelming. Hope you are well! Sorry to hear things changed at work.
Nice breakdown over time, this will be helpful to my planning. Tennis was one of the many sports my hubs was really good at.. me not so much
So glad it was helpful!
Live me some tennis 🎾 🙂
Awesome spreadsheets, The Retirement Nerds! Managing expectations by understanding the numbers goes a long way toward tamping down an emotional response to any outlier one-year occurrence. Well done, maestro!🎯🔥🎹
We just get too many who didn't know about increases. When expectations and results are off, that's when problems happen. Love the Maestro reference 🎾😊
Didn't talk about community pricing,in newyork based on zip code .
@@andyrisko3195 I live in NY and turn 65 later this year. I'm preparing myself for the sticker shock of a Plan G.
Roll Tide.... Keep them coming. Learning does not stop at 65
Thank you!
Hi Erik, hope all is well for you and your family. Thanks for another great analysis, and in making it easier for many folks in understanding costs with the Medicare plans, at least in this example. I do realize how efficient these medigap plans are, but my Advantage plan has done wonders for me, especially with preventative care. I have a very good doctor, and my plan has a part B give back which I have been on for almost two years now. So as you can see, Advantage plans do work for many people. Thanks again for all the time and effort you place in every one of your videos. God bless.
Hi Miguel! Thank you for watching and hope all is well for you, too!
Love that you shared your experience. So glad to hear your plan is working out for you and your testimonial that advantage plans do work for many people is great. We try to stay neutral and feel that both plans work well for people, they just need to know how the plan works before going in.
Appreciate you!
That’s great that your Advantage plan works well for you. You mentioned your plan has a Part B giveback, which is awesome, but be aware that the majority of people do not qualify for a plan with that benefit. That said, Advantage plans can be a good option for many people, but they need to fully understand what they are getting into, the fact they are replacing Original Medicare with a private, for profit insurance company which will dictate what care they will receive, before signing up.
Nice and detailed comparison of the plans. Thank you. I suggest you split the Advantage Plan analysis into two analyses - one for a healthy person with some unexpected events, and another for someone with chronic ailments and some unexpected events. For the later, the Advantage Plan costs may approach the Plan N analysis costs. Tennis is a great sport but I have no idea who the players are for the most part.
Appreciate you watching (to the end🎾).
Chronic conditions do get expe sive with Advantage plans. Would definitely impact the end number.
Solid work as usual. Thank you. Federer is also my guess.
Thank you! And you are correct 🙂🎾
What A Racket
🎾🙂
My favorite tennis player of all time is Rod Laver!!!! I believe you like Roger Rederer. Thanks for the video!
You are correct! The Rocket! Excellent choice
Great video. I'm 75 and have utilized various Advantage Plans since I turned 65. I've been very pleased with how they have worked for me. I had one bad year (3 surgeries) and still didn't quite get to my MOOP. I'm going with Jimmy Connors since I'm pretty sure that he used a Wilson racket.
Appreciate you sharing your experience!
Connors was great, but my guy retired relatively recently...
I took tennis a long time ago in college! I stunk at it!!🤣
Thanks for a great video and the spreadsheet. We are going on Medicare in June and we chose Plan N. We discussed the fact we can save money today and we can't predict the future. I originally swore we were going on Plan G but thought more about Plan N once I saw a few Plan N videos. As far as Part D, My premium is $79 because I take Xarelto and my wife's premium and out of pocket is $0.00 for the year.
Thanks again for great content!!!
Thank you for watching (to the end!). Sounds like you have a solid plan moving forward!
What isn't appreciated is that if you want to change companies, the new company doesn't need to accept you.
Thanks so much for the great content. Talk about timely. I was going to start building a spreadsheet today to look at long term costs, but you did it for me! I will be signing up for a supplement plan in the next couple of weeks. In Wisconsin we don’t have the same plan letters available as the rest of the country, but we can purchase riders that mimic Plan G and Plan N. Trying to find out information about the various companies has been a nightmare. Getting my engineering degree was easier, haha. I was convinced that Plan N was the way to go as I only have a couple of doctor visits per year. My concern is about the future. There is a very small chance that I will need to go on dialysis later in life. Are those dialysis treatments considered dr appointments that trigger a copay for every visit? I have been unable to get an answer to this question. If they require a copay every time then that would really add up - 3 visits per week times $20 per visit is $60 per week or $3120 per year in copays. That would lead me away from Plan N.
Thank you for watching! Glad the spreadsheet is helpful!
If the treatments are done in your home... no.
If you visit a provider, the could.
The provider sort of controls that copay. Some providers could charge that, but they don't to help the patient. Others do... So it'll depend on the provider you're seeing for those treatments and how they are coding.
Sorry it's not a direct answer. Probably why you're having a hard time finding a solid answer because it is, "It depends..."
That's Medicare for you, haha
Great video, thanks for the effort put into the spreadsheet and thanks for making it available to download. I appreciate your channel
I appreciate you spending time with us! Hope the spreadsheet is helpful!
Awesome video. I like that you don't exaggerate but just speak with plain factors backed by numbers. Totally with you, I am not against any plan, I trust the numbers. You do look like someone who live a very active lifestyle. I actually Googled legendary tennis players who used Wilsons rackets. There are a few.
Thank you so much for watching and your kind words! Wilson dominated the racket industry for a long time. Other brands have caught and passed them.
This is outstanding. Great way to compare costs and help realize how much we will spend. I think you have a great “racket” here!
Appreciate you! 🎾😊 thank you for watching!
LOVE your videos, very educational. I have a year and a half to go before getting Medicare so trying to keep up
Thank you so much for tuning in!
Yes I saw the thing on the shelf but didn't recognize what it was. So far this year I have saved so much money by switching to advantage (of course it's gone directly to the grocery stores for food haha). I'm thinking I'm going to have to have an mri this year so I guess that will tell the tale. Thanks, as always.
Thank you!!
Premium inflation is very important to look at. My 82 year old aunt has a grandfathered plan J. Her premium is over $500 a month now. Her health is suck that I don't think she'd pass underwriting to change.
put her on Advantage and hope for the best
If she has the $500 per month stay with Medigap. Do not sign her on Advantage, never.
Thanks Erik! You are a Pro! I'm definitely diving into all the choices to fit my needs and budget!😊
Appreciate you so much!
Super great information. Sincere thanks. Unfortunately, it's too late for me. I've been on an F plan since 2014 with AARP/UH. When they discontinued F I tried to move to a G plan, but because I had a stent place back in 2021 no one would allow me to switch - medical underwriting. I tried again to move to G again last year, but at age 73 little things keep popping up high cholesterol, although it's successfully treated. So I'm now in this supplement trap of rising premiums and no way out. Fortunately, I was able to move my wife from F to G, but now she's had some health related issues from the pandemic and I can't get her moved to a cheaper Plan G.
Thank you so much for watching!!
I love Roger! I think Novak is the GOAT though. Thanks for this video and the spreadsheet 😃
Hard to argue against Djoker. Roger will always be my favorite 😊
Another outstanding video...offering your normal, unbiased yet thorough analysis of a tricky subject! The editable spread sheets are ingenious and well thought out...thanks for including them with this video. By the way, I really enjoyed your new website and found several of the links very useful! Keep up the great work; both your mom AND Roger would be proud of all the "racquet" you're making in the space and for helping so many of us!
You are always so kind in your comments and I appreciate them more than you know! Great job on Roger :)
Excellent analysis. Thanks, Erik!
Thank you Tina!
Scary! But very important to understand the long term costs of our tennis rackets...
Funny guy that you are. Like many who faithfully follow your videos, and new website, I was sold on Plan G as I approach retirement but man that is expensive over time. I really appreciate your balanced view and information about the various ways to go. Decisions, decisions...
As I seem to remember in another video you mentioned that we can change our Plan option over time, but only to an equal or lesser coverage plan, that we can't decide to go up a plan. Am I remembering that correctly? I will be watching many of your videos again in a few months as I prepare to sign up when I hit 70 and retire. Thanks again for the excellent videos.
Thank you so much for your support! Appreciate it more than you know!
In regards to switching, it depends on where you live and the insurance companies in your area. Lots of different rules :)
This video goes over that in more detail:
ua-cam.com/video/Vnf5UmIclgI/v-deo.html
Game, set, and match!
Haha! Appreciate you! 🎾
That's why N is the choice if you want comprehensive coverage. HDG is great if you want catastrophic coverage and self insure. Either choice means not having to deal with networks and annual plan changes like with an advantage plan.
I have HDG.
It has high incentive to stay healthy to avoid the medical industry.
G and N have low incentive.
@@candeffectI have my own incentive. I don't go by what insurance I have. I want my health so I can enjoy family and what I'm able to do.
@@candeffect I'm not 65 yet, whether I buy N or HDG will depend on the difference in price. Both are great options because the cost of G will be really expensive by the time your 85 and I would not want to deal with managed care with an advantage plan.
I went with N because it tends to be the lowest cost supplement plan overall. You can always go to advantage from a supplement but it may not be possible to go the other way. If I make it to my 90's and no longer can pay from my supplement, I can always pick the best advantage plan I can find. Being on a supplement with regular medicare, I figure my chances of making it to 90 are a lot better.
@@stanley8574 you can switch you just have to pass underwriting. Maybe 30 questions. HDG is the cheapest overall plan but N is the best if you want comprehensive coverage with a great value. N and HDG in my opinion are the only 2 plans for people to look at. G can cost up to 25 percent more than N and can have annual increases of 10 to 20 percent vs N's 0 to 3 percent.
When we signed up for Plan F, we were both healthy but we knew that a catastrophic health event might possibly come our way. My husband has had a form of cancer for which there is no known cure for more than five years. Now he's in remission, but he relies on chemo to stay that way. He's been hospitalized for as long as a month, had radiation, and his primary oncologist is out of state (not to mention out of area.) We are thankful for our supplemental insurance that has picked up all our medical bills. We don't have to be seen by our primary care doctor to see a specialist. He has had as many as seven medical appointments in a week. We don't need another layer.
Thank you for sharing!
@@carolyncaylor4142 Love my plan F.
Great video, Erik! Love the spreadsheet. No spin. Great form and follow through!
Thank you Andy!! 🎾
Great video Erik.. Thanks once again. If you are in good shape and don't need a doctor a lot, an Advantage plan might work. They won't do much for me with copd/emphysema. I am thankful for my Plan F group plan that I was able to keep after retiring.
Thank you so much!!
Your videos are great. Very informative. Thanks -- I like your small tennis racket.
Thank you so much, Bob!! Appreciate you making it to the end :)
This was an Ace of a video! Thanks!
Thank you so much!!
I am a football nut!. No one talks about a option that I think is credible (don't know if I will do it). Start with a plan G when you are younger and mobile. That is when you travel a lot and it is affordable. When you get to the point that you are a lot less mobile (maybe in assisted living), switch to an advantage plan for your final years.
Thank you for watching! Definitely one strategy!
Awesome video. Having said that in the name of competition etc. what a monster system we have created.
Thank you for watching. It is quite the mess of a system
Snow Skiing but I do know which end of a tennis racquet to hold.
Haha! That's half the battle! Thank you for watching! ⛷️
Hi, Erik, I have plan F for past 4 years and happy with it. Your spreadsheet definitely will help to explain it to my wife who will signing for Medicare next year. Can you please me how to download the spreadsheet. Great informative video. Thank you
Thank you for watching!
Here is the link to download the spreadsheet:
theretirementnerds.com/long-term-medicare-costs/
racket. thank you.
Thank you! 🎾
Mine went from $175/mo to $310/mo in four years. And I have hardly used it. Unsustainable.
It makes it tough for a lot of people to stay with them :(
Thanks Erik. Love your videos. As usual, everything was covered. Now on to tennis; isn't that the sport where love means nothing? :)
Haha! Yes... indeed it is :)
Appreciate your support for so long!
Great 👍 information, thank you for the warning ⚠️ on the increases on plans
Thank you Eddie!!
@theretirementnerds sure you're welcome, you're information is very valuable for me, keep me informed
Tennis Racket on shelf. Roger Federer favorite tennis player? Great video. Very informative. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Roger is my guy :)
Yes, plan G went up a lot this year. I was shocked.
Mine has gone up from 219 to 264.
I was starting to understand but this video set me back to WTHeck am I doing on a playing field that I am totally inept on!
Just when I was enjoying my plan G, here comes the increase! Not bad given the fact that this year have a lot of “issues” I had to take care of. Will see how long before I am forced to switch to Advantage plan offered by my AZ state retirement system plan. Not a tennis 🎾 fan, sorry but once in a while I like to watch a good match. As always, great objective analysis.
Thank you so much!
Informative video and thanks for the spreadsheet. It's very helpful. I am NOT a tennis fan at all. The last time I played tennis was probably 35 years ago and I usually hit the ball so hard it'd go over the fence....🙄
It's okay you're not a tennis fan. I still respect and appreciate you :)
Well done. I appreciate your videos. And I also love Roger Federer. (Or Pete Sampras... depending on the era LOL).
Thank you so much!
There's a void in my soul since Roger retired. Pete was also a favorite.
Very helpful information! Looking at a state retiree advantage plan with lower deductibles and lower out of pocket. This helps a lot to look at the long term picture. Nice racket! I gave up tennis and picked up racket ball a number of years ago. I am thinking of trying pickle ball soon.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching! Pickleball is all the rage where I live
My plan went up $30 a month. It’s worth it for me as I am old enough now my body is falling apart.
Way to hit this video out of the park man!
Thank you so much! ⚾️
Thank you 🎾Wilson Racket😊
Thank you so much!! Great rackets :)
Thanks Erik. I "love" this video.
I love what you did there 😏
Thank you!!
Thanks for all you do for us! P.s. like your baby tennis bracket!😃
So glad it is helpful! Thank you for making it to the end 😊🎾
I believe the player is Roger F. Been following you for some time but just now subscribed. You're doing great! Buzz
You nailed it!
Appreciate your support!
I have a plan N and usually am not charged copay with physician visits. The reason I chose N is because healthier people choose N and so as far as underwriting goes over time that group of people should have lower price increases.
Tennis - thank you for your videos. Much appreciated.
Thank you for watching them! 🙂🎾
Thats Federer’s. Good choice and great content.
You nailed it! 🎾
Thanks for all this important info and sharing the spreadsheet. The tennis racket needs to hang somewhere. ;)
Appreciate you watching 🙂🎾
Bonus points. Terrific idea. Samethecookingguy just had his march subscriber recipe month and if he cooked your submitted recipe you got one of his knives. Alas my submitted recipe didn't make the cut. But, did he have some good ones. Actually, most videos have good ones to the point that you wished you were his neighbor so you could get some good stuff.
So, I don't know who the tennis player might be, since I've never followed the game to the point of knowing who swung what racket, so I will switch-hit to another sport that I used to pay attention to and say your videos' always hit the subject out of the park. (I stopped caring about that sport when they had a strike in 1994; come on, really, you had to go on strike instead of just playing the GAME and having the 'suits' work out the finances and such?).
Appreciate you watching (to the end 😉)
Thank you for your kind words!
Tennis, good info, phenominal actually, thank you
Thank you! 🎾
So glad it's helpful!
I'm so confused, I'm still on my wife's plan at work but will have to pick one this time around. I'm currently volleying (1) with a large ins co that underwrites the plan, since they are no longer acceptable for some services, right in the middle of the match (2) forcing me to scramble appointments, tests, etc and leaving a bad taste for them in the future. I was leaning on a supplemental plan thinking it would protect me from ins. co. games. Oh well..
Great use of the tennis words.
The good news with supplement plans is they are straightforward in how they work.
They just cost more up front with monthly premiums that increase over time.
Thank you for spending time with us!
I have been binge watching your videos since I found your channel this weekend Erik! SO much to take in and absorb but so well presented and easy to understand! I already knew my best option for my health is to go with Medicare and a supplement based on conversations with both my internist and wound care specialist. Your wealth of knowledge has offered the tools to help me choose a supplement that works for me. THANK YOU! (BTW...I still have my tennis racket I got for 8th grade graduation...just a few years ago! LOL)
So glad you found us 🙂
Supplement plans are so strong, just need to know what's coming with them.
Thank you for making it all the way through the video! 🎾
Sure wish the only racket in all of this was that nice Wilson tennis racket! My head’s about to explode trying to educate myself and decide on the best strategy as I start Medicare in September.
Thank you for watching! 🙂🎾
An agent will help make this much easier. If you have one, use him or her. Doesn't cost you anything.
I chose the UHC Advantage plan offered to AT&T former emploees with no out-of-network penalties and yearly MOOP of $900. I'd rather not have gone with an Advantage plan, but seemed an easy score.
Sounds like a solid setup!
I played tennis as well and I meet personally Pete Sampras at the us open
That was so cool! Was he nice?
Love the info, really aced the presentation
Appreciate you!!
I really like the way you serve up this info. Honestly, if anything you are too generous with supplement costs. You never mention the part D deductible. On the other hand you also do not mention the fact that Advantage plans are simply more work. Billing errors are common and without a good agent/broker can be a nightmare to have corrected. Overall though the best balance of info I've seen.
Thank you so much for tuning in!
Supplement plans are great, but those costs are something that factors in there.
Seems like we all want the coverage of a Supplement plan at the cost of an Advantage plan :)