Not necessarily a statement of the above discussions, but my mom (and dad before he died last year), needed frequent contact with their Medicare adv program over the phone..For me, a 40+ college grad nurse, I often found the system hard to maneuver and get answers or clarifications.I did many appeals for them because of incorrect information and lack of payment..I don't know how the elderly without asistance from a child of other, are able to do this on their own..It's difficult just getting through the prompts (for someone who has no hearing difficulties).
As for insurance costs in general- my son had an ear infection over the summer-common for him as he's at our lake cottage..Because his ped office would not prescribe over the phone without seeing him, we ended up in the ER-only place to go in a small town..It cost over $500+ for insurance cost for a ten minute eval by a PA..Ear drops and antibiotic prescribed-the usual for my son. It would never be anywhere near this at the dr office..