Medicare Choices... Polls

[tsptalk]

One of our members asked me to post this as a poll, and to open it up for discussion. I'm not sure the poll as stated will be effective since you can only choose one option, but let's see how it goes:


1. Would these help you in making Medicare choices/ changes?

__ searchable plan database using keywords

__ insureds satisfaction ratings of their plans

2. If using Medicare, did you keep Fed health ins?

3. What are your best sources for making Medicare plan choices?


Please feel free to discuss these issues below:

 

[jon]

If the poll mechanism allows only one choice, could a third option of "both" or "all" be added along with a fourth of "neither" re: making medicare choices/ changes?

Readers might wonder for what purpose might be accomplished by answering these questions. If there is enough support or interest in these questions of (Medicare) process improvement, then we might try to expand the audience for these questions or related discussions thru web sites, blogs and publications of OPM, other retirement forums like NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees Assn), AARP, and finally Medicare.

Perhaps one or more of our members knowledgeable in database design could address feasibility of some kind of database/ knowledge base or a better alternative for helping people make easier and more informed choices about Medicare. It seems there ought to be a Medicare system of questions and answers like Turbo Tax that guides people thru all key questions like features and benefits and costs that enables people in a less complex yet more thorough way to make smoother, better informed decisions about Medicare choices.

I don't know if Medicare sponsors demonstration projects, but if so, maybe this might qualify.

Besides trying to learn to make better investment choices, I am personally interested in identifying examples of and improving environments to allow individuals to express positions on integrity and fairness where ever at work and in communities and to responsibly challenge policies and practices that limit freedom of speech or co-op peoples personal integrity. Also, no saint am I who makes lots of mistakes and unfortunately, have been known to be rude, thoughtless and arrogant. But I'm trying to clean up my act.

 

[Silverbird]

Not to unnessarily complicate things, but can't it depend on which medical insurance program you are taking into retirement? I would think the idea is to avoid as many holes in coverage and extra expenses as possible?

 

[tsptalk]

If the poll mechanism allows only one choice, could a third option of "both" or "all" be added along with a fourth of "neither" re: making medicare choices/ changes?

Thanks. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that. :embarrest:

 

[jon]

Silverbird,

We need to hear the experiences (good or bad) of many retired Fed employees re medicare.

You are right about costs vs. benefits. But have you ever used any Federal program that is simple to understand? Actually, I believe the Fed. Employee Health Benefit program is among the best simple, efficient great programs in the public or private sectors. (How did they allow that to happen?) If our government made other programs simple for the public to use, how might that affect the need for Fed. employees, not to mention accountants, lawyers, lobbyists and thousands of wealthy contractors selling stuff to the gov't?

The chances of getting Medicare to change to make things clearer and simpler are small. But hopefully it is a challenge worth taking on. How many lobbies exist with the sole purpose of trying to improve/change the Fed (I had accidently typed Red) Govt?

Managers dismiss lots of silly suggestions, but that includes many powerful, money saving suggestions that might adversely affect that manager or any manager above them.