Medicare with Advantage with Medicaid?

November 1, 2011 5:31 PM

Does it make sense to choose a Medicare Advantage program if I have QMB and MA-AD-care through the state as well as straight Medicare and a prescription drug plan? Naturally I'd like some dental and vision coverage, which I understand are limited in Medicare. (Snowflakes below)

I spoke at length today with a very knowledgeable Medicare representative and she answered all my questions except the overlap in coverage between Medicare and the state of MI programs. I'm looking at a Blue Cross Vitality program with some dental and vision and a premium that we can manage but would definitely feel. Does it make more sense to save this premium then pay dental and vision out-of-pocket? My doctor is retiring and I'll have to find another who can treat my rare, chronic condition. I take four meds per day and don't foresee on any more surgeries apart from a dermatological thing for biopsy.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (1 answer total)

You might try talking with the Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP). Or maybe that's the organization you spoke with today.

MMAP is one of the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). SHIPs offer free, personalized counseling related to Medicare enrollment. The SHIP for each state can be located through the Contacts page at Medicare.gov. On that page, in the Organization Name drop-down, select "SHIP - State Health Insurance Assistance Program," and choose your state. To get the answers you're looking for, if the SHIP volunteer isn't well-equipped to deal with your set of circumstances, ask if someone with more specialized knowledge might be available to help.
posted by Snerd at 7:49 PM on November 1, 2011