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Medicare supplement plan benefit are standardized in NY. This list shows all the plans offering plans in NY for 2012 and the rates for them. Please note that rates change by region. Supplements do not have Networks which means you can go to any doctor or facility that takes medicare. The company offering the supplement does not make a difference as benefits are standardized. The only difference is in the price they are charging for the supplement plan.

If you have additional questions or need benefit summaries and applications please contact Edward Crowe at Edward@Croweandassociates.com or by phone at 203-796-5403.

Medicare Supplement Rates NY 2012

Medicare Supplement plans are standardized in Connecticut which makes comparing plans very easy. The link below contains the standardized plans for 2012. This represents all companies offering Medicare Supplement plans in Connecticut for 2012.

If you have questions about which supplement to choose or need additional information of any type, you may contact Edward Crowe at Edward@croweandassociates.com or by phone at 203-796-5403.

Medicare Supplement rates CT 2012

AARP Medicare Complete is a PPO Medicare Advantage plan offered by United Healthcare. (By the way, If you do not have a basic understanding of how Medicare Advantage plans work, please refer to our other blogs for a quick tutorial.) The plan is offered on a regional basis is Connecticut, Mass, RI and Vermont. It was a $0 monthly premium plan in 2011 but now has a $20 monthly premium for 2012.

Here is a basic summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the plan.                   (Looking for AARP Medicare Complete 2013 Info?  CLICK HERE)

Network- United has built up a strong network in Connecticut. The AARP Medicare complete network is second only to the network of Connecticare. Overall, they are very good with network.

In Network Benefits- The AARP Med Complete plan certainly had some benefit changes for the worse for 2012. The most notable changes are Hospital inpatient charge ($400 a day 1-4), Outpatient surgery and Major Radiology at 20% cost share. Copays went up slightly for a primary care doc ($20) and a specialist ($45). Many Advantage plan members, worry about about office copays but the concern should be with the Outpatient surgery and Major Radiology. At 20% cost share, there can be substantial out of pocket costs for the insured.

Out of Network Benefits-The out of network benefit feature is a plus due to the freedom it allows. The fact that the cost share is 30% to the insured is of a concern however. The combined in and out of pocket max for this plan is $10,000 which seems to be a bit excessive.

Overall- While this plan may not look as good as the Anthem PPO (click here for info on the Anthem PPO) on paper, it tends to run much more smoothly. We receive far more client plan and benefit issues from the Anthem PPO than we do with the AARP Medicare Complete PPO. Again, the benefits do not compare well with the Anthem PPO but the administration of the plan is far better on the United side.

If you have specific questions or need any additional information, please email Edward Crowe at Edward@CroweandAssociates.com or call at 203-796-5403

For a link to the Application, Benefit Summaries and Rates click the link below

Click here for Benefit Summaries, applications and rates

WANT TO LEARN MORE?  REGISTER FOR OUR “HOW TO CHOOSE A MEDICARE PLAN” WEBINAR:  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

AARP offers a number of Medicare Supplement plans in Connecticut. The plan benefits and rates are uniform throughout the state. Connecticut does not allow underwriting of any type which means you can not be denied entry into a supplement nor can your rates be changed due to age or health.

For those not familiar with the set up, the AARP supplements are actually United HealthCare products with the AARP logo on them. Here is some basic info about supplements that the Medicare eligible crowd wants to know.

There are a number of options: Supplements in Connecticut range from plan A through N. Each plans covers a different amount of the services not covered by Medicare.

All supplements are the same: If a company is offering a plan F supplement it is going to be identical to every other companies plan F supplement. Supplements are standardized in Connecticut so the benefits for a certain plan are the same no matter which company offers it. The only difference is in the price that the companies offer.

Supplements do not have a network: As long as the doctor, hospital or facility accepts original Medicare, your supplement will also be accepted.

You can change a supplement any month of the year: You can change supplements the first of any month in Connecticut.

What are the most popular AARP options: (I am basing this off of my agencies experience with clients in Connecticut) Plan F is the most popular option because it covers most everything that Medicare A and B does not. This plan is also the most expensive however. ($214.50 a month) The next most popular plan is Plan N which has more cost share (There are 3 things you pay for on a plan N that you do not pay for on a Plan F) but the premium is lower. ($152.75 a month)

For answers to specific questions please Email Edward Crowe at Edward@Croweandassociates.com or call at 203-796-5403. Click the link below for AARP Supplement Benefit summaries, rates and applications

Rates, Summaries and Applications

People that are about to turn 65 or are newly eligible for Medicare have choices about how they want to cover the gaps in Medicare. They can go with a Medicare Supplement plan, an Advantage plan, a part D plan or just Medicare A and B. This guide provides the basics on Medicare and the coverage choices available.

It may seem confusing at first but choosing the right option is not that difficult once you have a basic understanding of the programs. The attached document will certainly be a good start.

For more specific questions or information needs please email Edward Crowe at Edward@Croweandassociates.com or call at 203-796-5403.

Medicare Buyers Guide EC

If you are turning 65 or have recently become Medicare eligible, you have choices to make. Medicare and your choice of coverage does not need to be complicated. The link below contains a quick guide which will provide the basics of Medicare and explain the choices to make.

The guide is a basic overview but will clearly tell you the options available. Contact information is provided in the guide. You are welcome to call or email with any specific questions.

Medicare Buyers Guide EC

Guggenheim has come out with a new fixed annuity with rates guaranteed for the entire term.  Terms range from 3 to 10 years depending on your preference.   Details of the plan are below including a link for a product brochure.

Guggenheim Life – “Preserve Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity”
Year Founded: 1985
Total Assets: $5.9 billion
Interest: This annuity pays a fixed and “guaranteed” interest rate that varies, depending on the term you choose and the amount you deposit.
Deposit Amounts $250,000 PLUS

Click For Guggenheim Fixed Annuity Rates
Term: Your choice of 3-10 years (walk away, no annuitization required).
Sales Charge: None
Minimum Deposit: $10,000 non-qualified / $5,000 qualified

Maximum Deposit: $1,000,000

Issue Ages: 0-90
Rate Lock Protection: 45 Days
Penalty Free Withdrawals: 10% of the previous anniversary account value in year two and later. Also waives withdrawal penalties upon death or annuitization. Includes Nursing Home Care and Terminal Illness Riders.

Preserve MYGA Guggenheim

Email Edward Crowe for additional information or applications:  Edward@croweandassociates.com

The  Anthem Mediblue Preferred PPO became available in CT on 1-1-12.  The plan offers advantages  over all competitors in CT. The key features of the new plan are $0 monthly premium, $0 copay for primary doctor and $0 copay for Generic Drugs. To further strengthen the offering the In network and Out of network Out of Pocket Max will be $3,400 combined. The hospital copay is $250 a day for a max of 6 days both in and out of network.

The plan offers many less high profile but non the less,  important benefits such as Major Radiology copay of $100, expanded Rx list including the Barbituates classed drugs, ect…..

The plan is not perfect as it does have a $60 Rx deductible for name brand drugs but the other benefits are so much better than the competing plans for 2012 that will not have much impact. The key will be to see if they are able to maintain these benefits for more than one year. It makes one wonder how they are going to be able to offer such a strong program compared to other large carriers in the market such as United Healthcare and Aetna.

Time will tell if they are trying to buy membership for one year just to make major benefit downgrades for 2013

Application and Summary of Benefits available below

Anthem PPO summary of benefits

Anthem Medicare PPO application

For additional information or questions call: 203-796-5403

Applications may be submitted to Edward Crowe for Processing:

Fax submissions:  203-567-6235

Email submissions: Edward@croweandassociates.com

Mail: Crowe & Associates, 155 Main Street, suite 205, Danbury, CT 06810

Numerous companies are using income riders to provide future guaranteed income payouts to investors.  They use income roll up guarantees and bonuses to entice potential customers.   With all of the bells and whistles now available, it is easy to lose sight of the most important feature of all which is simply finding which company will pay out the most in any given year.   Here is a sample breakdown using the companies currently offering the highest future payouts.  For this example, we used a 55 year old male, investing $100,000 and looking for possible income in year 1, 5 or 10.

Guaranteed Annuity Income Payout Grid

Please feel free to call Edward Crowe at 203-796-5403 or email at  Edward@croweandassociates.com  if you would like to see a quote from a different company or any other variations such as age or amount.