Hacker News Reader

This doesn’t seem like a “Medicare Advantage” problem. It seems like these folks didn’t want to pay the 20% co-insurance for government Medicare and now don’t like the trade off they made.

My parents are on a Medicare Advantage plan. They like it fine, but I wouldn’t do it to save a few bucks on the front end. They also recommended we get an ARM when we refinanced in 2021 (we didn’t obviously). Goddamn boomers.

View on HN

The medical underwriting on Medigap plans also affects people who have the foresight to choose Original Medicare with Medigap.

Once you have a disqualifying health condition (and since Medicare is for the old and disabled, this is most people), you are stuck. If your Medigap provider raises their premiums above the rest of the market, you can’t switch to another one. If you miss a premium payment and get dropped by the plan, too bad, so sad, Medicare Advantage is your only practical option now.

They want to switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap plans, which also cover the 20% co-insurance.

The problem seems to be that the law that forbids insurance companies from considering pre-existing conditions doesn't apply to them.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com