IBM Group Medicare Advantage Plans 2023 - Pros & Cons

IBM 2023 Retiree Plan Pros and Cons
For the second time in just a handful of years, IBM is changing its retiree benefit plan.
This time, they are changing to Medicare Advantage Plans. Some have been confused and mislead by the UHC presentation. This video is meant to help you fully understand the Group Advantage Plans Pros & Cons

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If you are an IBM retiree you have probably already received a notice about their changing retiree plans to a United Healthcare Group Advantage Plan.
A number of our clients are IBM retirees who chose to work with us in years past and have asked my opinion on the new Group Advantage Plan choices. I have read the material and have seen the presentation by United Healthcare, and I believe it certainly deserves some comments and clarifications. That is what I will do with this video.

If you are still using Via Benefits for a supplement, as of January 2023 you are no longer incentivized to use them, so and I am pretty sure we can lower your premiums. The supplement plans they offer are specially priced for those who have chronic health problems need a guaranteed issue plan. If you are not in such poor health that you need a guaranteed issue, you will be pleasantly surprised when you let us compete for your business. There is a link in the upper left corner and video summary below to contact us. Our services are free to the consumer.
A dose of reality here: IBM retirees who went with Via Benefits years ago because they were told that is what they have to do to get the IBM subsidy, now are forced to make a change or lose the IBM subsidy. They are in overpriced supplement plans and have now lost a subsidy that at least reduced the cost somewhat.
In the first line they state that the plans have combined features of a Medicare supplement, Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans. This is the first of a series of comments that led people I have talked with to believe this is some enhanced Medicare Advantage Plan. It’s not. By the way, all Medicare Advantage plans are custom designed. Some are custom designed for your area, some for a specific group, like these.
The plans being shown for 2023 are Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans. They are nothing more than a Medicare Advantage PPO with a bundled Part D plan. I have looked at all the material provided, including the Summary of Benefits and cannot find any specific feature of a Medicare supplement within these plans. None.

#medicareexplained #IBM #medigapseminars

[MG-qktx]

I initially believed what this guy was saying but after doing some research I think he is just another "salesguy". His statement of only 45% of doctors accept any Medicare Advantage is totally false. With a little googling you'll see that 75% to 88% will accept Medicare Advantage plans because of the volume of customers they bring. Yes, they would like more money but they are not going to deny money coming in in the volume the Advantage plans bring. 80% is better than 0%...

[kristinmccoy]

Having major issues assisting my father who has spent weeks in the hospital. The plan didn't not want to approve him for Rehab or a Nursing home facility to build back his strength after 3 weeks in the hospital. After averaging about 30 hours of calls to the united health advantage plan they finally approved him. He could barely walk at the time and wanted to send him home. We are two weeks in rehab and they again want to send him home. He is gaining strength but still isn't there yet. It is frightening and filling us with anxiety every week that goes by. We have been told that this would never have been a problem if he had regular Medicare. It is sick and disgusting what they are doing to the elderly. I am beyond shocked and horrified how this plan is being run.

[dennismiller]

I am a recent IBM retiree and we chose to go with a Medicare supplement offered by the National Education Association and underwritten by United America Life. My wife is a retired teacher. We see any provider we want and never pay any deductible or copay. Yes there is a premium for the policy but it is reasonable and well worth it. My insurance is much better than even the IBM PPO Plus I was enrolled in when working at IBM and our combined premium for Medicare Part B and the supplement is reasonable.

[CahalanTennis]

Thanks! Its getting down to the wire (end), and I heard enough about Advantage plans hidden tricks for coverage by all Medicare doctors. Its what I and friends have suspected. I just cancelled Essential, and requested restart of my original Humana Plan F Supplement at $75/mo, and will call back Friday to setup a new Part D with Humana instead of prior Aetna to see if similar low price. Thank you for your video. Forget the annual $3K HRA we used to get, no matter.

[scalesfj]

Thank you so very much for this very helpful analysis of the IBM plan. I feel sorry for those who will find out the insurance company rejects what their doctor perscribes when they get seriously sick. Thanks for pointing out how deceitful the suger coated words are.

[marshcreek]

An absolutely wonderful and timely video! Packed full of valuable information as I had been putting off wrestling with the question as a retired IBMer of whether I should move from my current supplement plan to IBM's new Advantage plan. This forced me to finally look at it. Of course I hate to give up the FHA company subsidy, but there are simply too many "what ifs" with the new Advantage plans to relinquish my Medicare Supplement plan. I'll definitely request a quote for supplement pricing going forward. Thanks!

[chuckm]

Matthew, thanks loads for your presentation. it is very timely. I was an early adopter of Medicare Advantage and was aware of the apples to oranges in coverage. Thanks you reminded me of them and the need for more due diligence with the plans being offered.🙂

[darlenericotta]

Thank you for your videos! They sure help understanding the difference and who you should use with your Medicare or not.

[tulsatom]

I belong to a University’s Retiree Group that
- covers former employees Health Care during their age 65 to 70 period of retirement, and
- historically has been a Group Supplement Plan-F;
We learned last week that the Group Coverage is also (like IBM) switching to a Medicare Advantage Drug Plan. We were all surprised on 10/19 (those of us who attended the meeting), and given until 11/11 to yay or neh the subsidy (full payment of premium - no out-of-pocket (except for Rx copays).
* What I have discovered in the meantime is that those of us who are ‘Aging-Out’ (70th birthday) during the year 2023 - have ‘Medicare Guaranteed Issue’ Rights to an Individual Plan F or G or N or etc., withOUT Medical Underwriting - at 3 points of time in this process:
1. On January 1, 2023, because the Group Plan Coverage CHANGED from Supplement to Advantage.
2. At the end of Eligibility of Coverage from “Aging-Out’ - my 70th birthday is in June.
3. Or any time in-between if/when I discover that the providers and/or the procedures that I have been used to receiving are not being covered to my satisfaction.
There are consequences or pros and cons of each choice.
1. Leaving Early: Loses our subsidy (full pay of health plan and drug) and we incur full-pay of an Individual Plan F and Plan D and increased co-pays on the Rx plan. For me that would be approximately $140 + $32 = $172 difference per month x 5 months ($860 extra for getting-out-early).
2. Going with the Change: Saves the $172/month out-of-pocket for the period from 01/01 until the 70th birthday Age-Out. But you wrestle with Approvals for procedures that you have had covered at least during your 65-70 retirement coverage, and probably the years of employment, before.
** The important Caveot - the Guaranteed Issue Right (for Individual) happens when there has been a change to your Group Plan; it happens ONCE - so take your time to pick the Right PLAN and the Right COMPANY - because if you find out later that you don’t like the Plan or Company - there is No More Guaranteed Issue Right - and you will have to Medically Underwrite and could get DENIED Coverage to change.

[ggjr]

Very interesting. I would be interested in hearing your view of what’s going to happen to postal employee retirees after the the postal service switches to their own insurance and not the federal system. I believe the change will start during open enrollment 2024 to take effect January 2025.

[garytx]

I have BCBS of Texas as gap insurance and am very happy with it. So now, the IBM bean counters must change it. Do you have a new plan recommendation for me ?

[geraldbuttelwerth]

Thanks for the information. Just wondering, AT&T also offers a Group Medicare Advantage PPO. Have you reviewed the AT&T plan and made a video?

[jamescully]

Besides going through Via Benefits, where else can we go to look for supplement plans? We live in the Hudson Valley area in NY. Anyone who you can recommend? My husband is successfully being treated for cancer at MSK and receives monthly immunotheraphy treatments as well as numerous CTs, MRIs and lab work up.

[LouisWilen]

As an active participant in the new IBM UHC plan since January 2023, I assert with utmost certainty that the new plan is utterly abysmal. The so-called "in-network" physicians and dentists are a sham, with many of them not truly being in-network at all. The primary healthcare providers that supposedly fall within the "in-network" category not only reject new patients en masse but also consist predominantly of third-rate doctors hailing from third-world medical schools.

Adding insult to injury, the UHC customer service representatives exhibit a shocking lack of knowledge about the plan, routinely providing incorrect answers to inquiries. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of UHC reps display a glaring disinterest in performing their job responsibilities, as if their indifference were an inherent part of their job description.

[cbbcbb]

Why is it that people cannot have both a supplement plan and a Medicare Advantage plan?

[sharonf]

At least in New York his statement that you can get a gap policy for less than you are paying with via benefits is totally false. Makes me wonder about the rest of what he is saying. He clearly sells gap policies and is very negative about advantage plans. Just look at his website name

[davenone]

The UHC Advantage plan is far superior to those being pumped by celebs on TV. Do not be lead astray by this guy badmouthing this plan. All those horror stories about an advantage plan are true for those plans but do not be misled this UHC plan is a horse of a different color and none of those horror stories apply here! There are very good at following Original Medicare guidelines and getting you the care you need. You will not be disappointed in your coverage. BTW how much is IBM charging you monthly for these 2 plans?

[donaldbingham]

I wish I had seen this earlier. I have already enrolled in the enhanced IBM plan and wish I hadden't. I had no idea that the supplement I have could be found for much less. Actually it has been not costing anything since IBM reimbursed that cost up until the end of the year. Staying with the current plan would have cost about $2400 more next year assuming no premium increase. The cost of the premium for this new plan would be much less. I assume that once I committed to change I am stuck.
I had two small squamous cell skin cancers removed so I also assume that would preclude my being too able to get coverage from a Medicare supplement in the future. Am I out of luck?