“This is probably a stupid question, but …” It’s surprising how many people who seek Medicare counseling will begin a question with those words. If you say that, expect this response: “There are no stupid questions with Medicare. It’s complicated.” It is. If you have a Medicar e-related question for this column, or wish to make an appointment with a Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) volunteer counselor, please see the end of this column. Here are several Medicare questions for today. I’m 68, had a cancer diagnosis (surgery removed the cancer) and have diabetes. I’d like to buy a Medigap policy, but my sibling in another state says I’m “bleep out of luck” because of my medical history. What can I do? Your sibling is very likely right about what your prospects would be in that state. But Oregon is among a handful of states where you can still buy a Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance policy at the “rack rate” – although you’ll have to jump through some hoops. When you first had Medicare Part B you had a right to buy a Medigap policy without being asked health questions, but that “guaranteed issue” period ended after six months. Here’s what you can do now, though: You can apply for a Medigap policy. You will be asked a battery of health questions, and you will almost certainly have to pay a premium surcharge. To find a policy you can use the Medicare.gov website, speak with a SHIBA volunteer counselor or work with an insurance broker. But you can be free of that premium surcharge in less than a year, this by using Oregon’s Medigap birthday rule. You would use the birthday rule to change Medigap companies during the 60 days surrounding your next birthday; using the birthday rule will give you guaranteed issue, meaning the new policy can’t levy a premium surcharge because of health issues. That may sound a little like gaming the system, but it’s the law. I keep hearing about extra benefits that some Medicare Advantage plans offer to people who are enrolled in them. For example, a friend told me her insurance delivered meals to her home following her hospital surgery. Where can I learn more? You can go to the Medicare.gov website. When you get to the pages where you may review details about Medicare Advantage insurance plans you will see the words “Supplemental Benefits” over on the right side. These are benefits such as gym memberships, dental allowances, allowances for approved over-the-counter pharmacy products, transportation to medically related appointments and, yes, home-delivered meals under approved circumstances. On the website, go through the list to see what benefits interest you for any Medicare Advantage insurance plan. Available benefits will be marked with a green checkmark, those unavailable with a red X. Click on the words See more benefits to see the full list. Still, you will want details about the benefits that interest you – for example, what is the benefit’s monetary value (for cash allowances), what are the terms of a transportation benefit (how many tips, how many miles?), how does the fitness benefit work (what gyms are covered, how much of the gym membership is paid?). To obtain such details, you can call the insurance plan at the non-member phone number shown on the Medicare website. My spouse and I both work for a government entity in Salem, and we have the same insurance. We figured we’d probably do that with Medicare – have the same insurance – but we were told that isn’t necessarily a good idea. OK, but is it a bad idea? Whether spouses having identical Medicare insurance plans or policies is a good or bad idea depends on their circumstances. You might ask yourselves these questions. Do we have the same doctor(s)? If so, then having the same insurance might work for you.  If you take prescription drugs, presumably you take different ones. Looking at a single Medicare insurance option, will it cover all drugs for both of you and at the best price among competing plans? Is one of you in excellent health while the other has expensive medical needs? If so, the healthier spouse might be pleased with a zero-premium Medicare Advantage plan and the one in poorer health might consider a higher-premium Medicare supplement (Medigap) policy that, with Medicare, pays most medical costs. You mentioned that you are public employees. In that event, presumably you are eligible for Medicare insurance through the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). It’s worth reviewing PERS Medicare-insurance options, and comparing them – premiums and benefits – with those on the open market. PERS (503-224-7377) can send you a booklet (or refer you to its website) to see its Medicare insurance options, and also answer your questions.  Jim Sellers of Salem is a certified Medicare counselor with the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program. To ask a question to be answered in this column, e-mail [email protected]. To schedule a free SHIBA in-person, phone or Zoom appointment with a volunteer Medicare counselor, please call 800-722-4134. STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected]. LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post COLUMN: Comparing benefits on Medicare Advantage plans appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less