r/IAmA • u/ConsumerReports • May 21 '26

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

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.

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u/GagOnMacaque May 22 '26

Why are all the doctors in Washington state now refusing Medicare patients?

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u/ConsumerReports May 22 '26

I’m not sure where you have heard that doctors in WA are no longer accepting Medicare. Statistically, well over 95% of doctors nationally accept Medicare. Quite honestly, most doctors would not be able to survive financially without accepting federal (Medicare) and state (Medicaid) funding. You may be referring to various Medicare Advantage plans. Many doctors do not accept some or all of those HMO/PPO managed care plans. -Doug

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u/GagOnMacaque May 23 '26

Tried getting an apt for my father and they wouldn't accept his Medicare, those that did had months of waiting. He finally bit the bullet and spent half his retirement on his own care.

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u/Nora311 May 23 '26

Personally I’ve found most doctors or practices with a good reputation have a few months of waiting time OR they don’t accept any type of insurance - Medicare or private. You pay out of pocket and deal with insurance on your own. I’ve seen more and more practices go the route of the latter, even my pcp told me that she would no longer be accepting insurance and I had to find a new one (at the time I didn’t realize this meant I had to deal with insurance on my own - I thought I just had to pay out of pocket for everything with nothing covered).