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For the first time, I have to decide on dads supplemental insurance and I am like a fish out of water. He barely uses it, because I try to keep him in his VA environment. He is in a ALF right now, but the medicines are taken care of by VA Home Health Prime, who supplies the doctor and does evals and nursing care as a special service tucked away under his VA benefits, for no extra charge. Which doesn't mean that he has no medical part of ALF, but it has been reduced by $300 bucks a month (we pay 800 just to have the pills given to him twice a day.

Anyhow, can anyone tell me why I need the supplemental? What will it pay for if VA is taking care of his meds, physical therapy and evaluations? VA asked if I had secondary insurance... and we did, until one of the rehabs messed it up by putting him onto a prescription plan they didn't have the authority to do (unless it was in the fine, fine print). I am totally baffled. United says it is $226--I think that means a month, but I cant tell.... dad used to get supplemental with part of his medicare, part b...?

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you are the 2nd one to mention that and I shall ask! (first I need to read my contract with them)
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Medicare Part B covers doctor visits and other outpatient care. If you have a supplemental policy of some kind, it picks up what Medicare Parts A and B don't cover, such as deductibles and co-pays. I am not very familiar with VA benefits, but if your dad is getting his care through the VA, the supplemental policy might not be a good value for him.

I don't see how a rehab facility could contract for a prescription plan (Medicare Part D) for your dad. Who handles his finances? Do you have POA for finances? Someone would need to pay the premiums. If he is getting his meds through the VA, he surely doesn't need to pay over $200 per month for prescription coverage.

Also, he pays $800 per month just to have his meds dispensed at the ALF? Could part of this cost be to repackage the meds coming from the VA? I pay $118 per month to have meds dispensed twice per day at my mom's ALF. However, her meds have to come from one of two pharmacies that package them in cassettes for the ALF. If I get her meds elsewhere, such as a mail-order pharmacy, there is a charge to re-package them. I am wondering if the rehab facility thought that it might be cheaper if your dad had a prescription plan allowing him to get his meds at a retail pharmacy "ready to go" thus saving some of that $800 monthly fee at the ALF. I would suggest that you find out just what the $800 charge is for and then look into your options.
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read the ALF policy?
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Read the policy, because I don't know why it isn't already covering the $800 a month you are paying out of pocket.
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