OT? Cost of my heart treatment

Ditto impressed but need to see where that is coming from.

adding @WendyBG It has gone up this year to $1676. What @intercst is forgetting are all the other copays.

To calculate a Medigap payout for a hospital stay, you first need to understand the costs associated with the hospital stay under Original Medicare (Part A), then determine how your Medigap plan covers those costs, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays.

Here’s a breakdown:

  1. Original Medicare (Part A) Costs:
  • Deductible:

You’ll pay a deductible per benefit period (a period of consecutive days of hospitalization). In 2025, the Part A deductible is $1,676.

  • Coinsurance:

After meeting the deductible, you’ll pay coinsurance for days 61-90 ($419 per day) and days 91-150 (lifetime reserve days) ($838 per day).

  • Lifetime Reserve Days:

Medicare covers up to 60 lifetime reserve days (days 91-150) with a daily coinsurance.

  • After 150 Days:

You pay 100% of the costs.

  1. Medigap Plan Coverage:
  • Deductible Coverage:

Medigap plans vary in their coverage of the Part A deductible. Some plans fully cover it, while others cover a percentage.

  • Coinsurance Coverage:

Medigap plans typically cover the coinsurance amounts for days 61-90 and 91-150, helping to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

  • Out-of-Pocket Maximum:

Some Medigap plans have an out-of-pocket maximum, meaning that once you reach that limit, the plan pays 100% of covered costs for the rest of the year.

  • Additional Benefits:

Some Medigap plans offer additional benefits, such as coverage for skilled nursing facility costs, home health aide services, and prescription drug costs.

  1. Calculating Your Medigap Payout:
  • Identify Your Medigap Plan:

Determine which Medigap plan you have and its specific benefits.

  • Calculate Original Medicare Costs:

Determine the total cost of your hospital stay under Original Medicare, including the deductible, coinsurance, and any other applicable costs.

  • Determine Medigap Coverage:

See how your Medigap plan covers those costs, including any deductible coverage, coinsurance coverage, and out-of-pocket maximums.

  • Calculate Your Medigap Payout:

Subtract the amount your Medigap plan covers from the total cost of your hospital stay under Original Medicare to determine your out-of-pocket expenses.

Example:

Let’s say you have a hospital stay that costs $10,000 under Original Medicare, and your Medigap plan covers the full deductible ($1,676) and 100% of the coinsurance.

  • Original Medicare Costs: $10,000
  • Medigap Coverage: $1,676 (deductible) + coinsurance amount
  • Your Out-of-Pocket Costs: $10,000 (Original Medicare costs) - Medigap coverage = Your out-of-pocket costs.

Important Notes:

  • Benefit Periods:

A benefit period begins when you’re admitted to a hospital and ends when you’ve been out of the hospital for 60 consecutive days.

  • Lifetime Reserve Days:

You have a total of 60 lifetime reserve days that can be used during your lifetime.

  • Medigap Plan Variations:

Medigap plans vary in their coverage, so it’s essential to understand the specific benefits of your plan.

  • Contact Your Medigap Provider:

For specific questions about your Medigap plan’s coverage, contact your Medigap insurance provider.

  • Inpatient Hospital Care Coverage - Medicare

In 2025 you pay: * Days 1–60: (of each benefit period): $0 after you meet your Part A deductible ($1,676). * Days 61–90: (of each…

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Medicare

  • Costs - Medicare

Days 1-60: $0 after you pay your Part A deductible. Days 61-90: $419 each day. … After day 150: You pay all costs. … Days 1-20…

[image]

Medicare

  • Medigap - Center for Medicare Advocacy

Hospital deductible per spell of illness; Hospital coinsurance payments (Medicare covers the first 60 days in full after the deduc…

[image]

Medicare Advocacy

  • Show all

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1 Like

Because I went to a Medicare SHIP seminar and understood what was presented. The “20% that Medicare doesn’t pay” is a slogan designed by salespeople to bilk seniors.

I did a write up of the whole process back in 2020

intercst

3 Likes

Leap, don’t get hoodwinked.

Before I turned age 65, I called the Washington State Insurance Commissioners Office and asked for the data on consumer complaints for the dozen or so insurers that sell policies in the State. I’d hoped to use this information to judge the customer service quality of the insurers.

The rate analyst I talked to said, “We get very few complaints on Medigap, largely because there’s not much that a Medigap insurer can do that would cause you to complain. About the only time a policyholder complains is when they cancel it, and the insurer is slow in stopping the direct monthly debit from the customers checking account for the premium.”

He went on the explain that, “Medicare does all the benefit administration and accounting, the Medigap insurer just collects the premium, and pays what Medicare tells them to pay. They’re not making any decisions. So you can safely just choose the insurer that offers the lowest premium – THEY’RE ALL THE SAME”

Good information to know. It sounded like a wonderful business to me. I wanted to learn more.

I then came across a study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on the Medical Loss Ratios for Medigap insurers. It seems that about 20% of the premium goes to the non-existent overhead for the insurer since they’re not doing anything – Medicare does all the work for them. The excessive Executive Compensation must be extraordinary. {{ LOL }}

Kaiser did a study a while back showing that very few Medicare beneficiaries select the lowest cost plan available to them, so they’re being doubly fleeced.

{{ This policy brief provides an overview of the Medigap market, national trends in enrollment and premiums, variations across plan types and states and by different beneficiary characteristics. Lastly, the brief examines whether Medigap policyholders are enrolled in the lowest-cost plans available in their states. }}

The Washington State Insurance Commissioner publishes a quarterly report with the monthly premiums for all the Medigap insurers licensed in the State. So it’s easy to check if a salesman is lying to you.

https://www.insurance.wa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/medicare-supp-plans_78.pdf

For Plan G, the most popular option, the monthly premiums range from a high of $389/month to a low of $206/month. It’s very easy for someone who hasn’t done their research to get royally screwed.

intercst

3 Likes

Most of the seniors in the hospital for 60+ days don’t come out alive, so the cost is irrelevant to them.

intercst

1 Like

Medicaid kicks in

098755332