 |
 |
Bonnie, et al.... By the time I'd I got my Medicare benefits I'd asked everyone I knew who had Medicare about their medical care (just as you're doing now in asking me) and the word I heard the most was "Kaiser." I called Kaiser's Member Services and asked 'em if they worked with Medicare. I not only got a "Yes," but a promise to send me out their Medicare information packet, which arrived the next day. I also called Blue Cross and a coupla-three other HMOs and found that one of them had an AGENT who came to your HOME to do a presentation and sign you up right there, on-the-spot . I declined to permit their agent into my home and asked that they send me their info packets which I eventually received. I suggest you or your parents call local HMOs and/or other medical services in your parents part of the country for information about the benefits they'd receive if they become one of their members. I would ALSO go to SEE their medical offices AND any hospital or other ancillary, I.e., labs, physical therapy, etc.. facilities they have in order to make sure they're up to date in providing you with the variety of equipment. I'd also wander around the facility and talk to any of their staff members I could corner to find out what THEY thought of the service. THAT played a huge part in my decision to go with Kaiser (and I feel that those Kaiser staff members I spoke with we very honest with me) ASIDE: I've had a positive relationship with Kaiser for 4 1/2 years and think they have one of the most superb attitudes in dealing with the their members I've ever seen. They *ACT* like they REALLY care about you as an individual. I can't say for sure that they DO care, but I classify the Kaiser Member Services ATTITUDE as ALWAYS being warm and empathetic. They FEEL like their on YOUR side, even if they only have KAISER'S best interest at heart. Even if you chose NOT to go with Kaiser, you SHOULD have become familiar with the service you join BEFORE joining. That makes a heckuva difference in your comfort level when you DO join. Errrrr... I'm not an employee of Kaiser, and receive no remuneration from them for saying what I've said 'bout 'em. Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Bonnie Rowley <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thursday, August 05, 1999 9:49 AM Subject: Barb M - Re: Need advice re Medi-gap Insurance-young onset PD >Barb, >I didn't know that Medicare could be assigned. >Can you tell me how one goes about doing that? >Or are you referring to what Medicare does not cover? >What you have sounds like a much better deal than what I (my parents) have. > >Bonnie > >In a message dated 8/5/1999 3:23:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >[log in to unmask] writes: > >in part: >> >> I've assigned my Medicare to Kaiser Permanente, >> where I get decent-but-not-great medical care. Each >> visit I make to a Kaiser facility (I go to the Woodland >> Hills Kaiser) costs me a $3 co-payment, no matter >> what service I'm there for. I get my prescribed drugs >> at the Kaiser Pharmacy for a flat fee of $7 per prescription. >> >>