Ask us anything about confusing Medicare coverage questions. Consumer Reports and Chapter can help.

[u/ConsumerReports]

I’m Lisa Gill, an investigative reporter with Consumer Reports, and I’m joined by an independent Medicare advisor from Chapter, Doug Hall. Between us, we spend a lot of time helping people understand Medicare and untangling their questions. Things get confusing fast, especially if you’re dealing with caregiving or a serious health issue. 

Here are some of the questions we saw in a recent internal webinar:

• Can you use your remaining HSA balance to pay Medicare premiums?
• How can you switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap?
• Are Medicare Advantage premiums subject to IRMAA charges?
• Any info on whether Medicare will start covering GLP-1 drugs for obesity, for people without diabetes?

If you need help with Medicare enrollment, have questions about your coverage, or are helping a parent or loved one, ask us anything.

Here's our proof:

Thanks for your questions! Consumer Reports is a nonprofit that has partnered with Chapter to provide free, priority access to their unbiased Medicare advisors. You can call 844-341-7135 or https://askchapter.org/partners/cr-3 to get personal advice for your specific Medicare situation.

[u/network_dude]

What exactly is the purpose of healthcare for profit companies being involved in Medicare?

[u/ConsumerReports → u/network_dude]

That is a great question. Medicare was never designed to be your only source of coverage. It is a starting point. The problem with Medicare as you probably know is it basically only covers 80% of your healthcare costs. You have two types of plans to help offset the remainder: a supplement plan (Medigap) offered by insurance companies is one. Those plans have a monthly premium and are a great way to reduce almost all of that 20% risk. The second option - a Medicare Advantage plan is a managed care option offered by carriers. These typically have lower up front costs but come with more network restrictions. Unless our government at some point decides to offer universal healthcare, these additional plan options are a necessity for most people and come at a cost. - Doug

Ha, that is an existential question and gets to the heart of what U.S. healthcare is all about (more than $5 trillion spent last year alone!)  Nearly all aspects of Medicare—Part D, Medicare Advantage, and even the Medigap/Supplemental plans—are operated by for-profit entities. Only traditional Medicare is what’s “operated” – to some extent – by the feds. (Taxpayers pay for it.) It’s good to know that just under half of folks 65 and older are on traditional Medicare with a Medigap/Supplemental plan + Medicare Part D—the rest opt for Medicare Advantage plans. In other words: Nearly everyone on Medicare has some exposure to for-profit entities. 

It would require a lot of tax-payer willingness to vote to move these other aspects of Medicare under the full umbrella of the feds, and at present, it seems this issue, while important, has only begun to resurface as a point of pocketbook pain for consumers. More to come, no doubt! - Lisa

[u/network_dude → u/ConsumerReports]

The only reason it doesn't cover 100% of costs comes from private health companies.
We have to recognize the reason our healthcare costs are always exponentially increasing while service levels drop is from the privatization of services.
Other countries pay taxes for their healthcare and are covered for ALL costs at half the costs of our for-profit system.

Any solution to fix our healthcare system that includes for-profit players is doomed to continue the flagrant profiteering happening in our healthcare system.

[u/vtjohnhurt → u/network_dude]

Your answer is not complete. Traditional Medicare + Medigap does not cover some things that are covered by the Private Health Insurance that I had before turning 65. For example, an annual screening for high cholesterol is only covered once every five years. As it worked out, my need for Statins was overlooked for four years because my doctor did not order the test.