American Expats using Medicare as a way to cover medical needs

[gk10002000]

But it still comes down to, for purposes of this subject ALONE, what does it mean to be a resident of a particular state? And the issue/answer isn't necessarily going to be the same as requirements for voting or DLs or other governmental things.

--What if you have a U.S. mailing address only?

--What if you live in the U.S. 3 months and Thailand 9 months?

--What if you divide your time 6 months in the U.S. and 6 months in Thailand?

And how's the insurance company going to know, one way or another, anyway, as long as you pay your premiums, respond to their requirements and mailings, and seek medical treatment when needed in the U.S.?

Just asking...

For example, when I signed up for private life insurance before I moved here, the insurer sent a nurse to my home for a routine physical check, and that included verifying my address and wanting to see a copy of my driver's license confirming my address.

I suspect (but don't know) that none of that kind of thing occurs with the private Medicare insurance add-ons.

when i applied for Fl Bue Cross Blue Shield back in 2006 I had to sign a form asserting I was physically in the state contiguously for six months up to the time I submitted my application. They also were going to make me get a physical in the state which meant of course I would be physically there for that, but since I had previous coverage, they waived that. So I did not have to meet anybody. I had been a legal resident of Florida since 2000, but since then I travel out of state a lot for contract engineering jobs. Asserting I was a fl resident was easy. Got my driver license etc. Be warned that currently FL requires two recent bills or something like that with your name and address on it before they will issue a driver license. Also, asserting a new state residency is not the hard part. They want the tax money if applicable. The hard part could be your old state saying just because you moved a bit doesn't remove you from their state residency books. New Mexico is particularly nasty. Read their tax instruction preamble form. Being in state in 2006 was fortunate as I got an assignment in Melbourne, fl and was able to truthfully assert and satisfy the 6 month presence thing for medical.

[DogNo1]

CaptHaddock: A friend of mine had a bypass operation in Southern California which was very well covered by Medicare Part A. What reference do you have for saying that Part A only covers nurses? I've never heard that before.

I believe that there is an open enrollment period each year for Medigap programs. If there is a penalty for not having enrolled in a Medigap program for a period of time while having part B, could you please state the reference? I think that the enrollment rules are prescribed by Medicare rules, not the insurance company rules.

Regarding the 10% penalty for not enrolling in Part B while overseas, we are not taking about a great deal of money. If your premum is $120, enrolling 10 years late would make it $240.

[DogNo1]

Also, Isn't a Medigap policy the same thing as Medicare Advantage?

[taxout]

No, Medicare Advantage is different. As said, it's managed care.

The penalty for late enrollment applies to Plan B and D, not Medigap. There's no penalty as such for late enrollment in a Medigap policy, but your guaranteed right to enroll in a Medigap policy at standard rates without regard to your health status exists only for a limited time. If you try to enroll late, the insuror can refuse you or charge you more. (As said before, it's possible that a few states like New York have more liberal rules.)

As to the cost of the Part B penalty, of course in ten years the basic Part B premium will be a lot more than $120 and will continue to increase.

[CaptHaddock]

CaptHaddock: A friend of mine had a bypass operation in Southern California which was very well covered by Medicare Part A. What reference do you have for saying that Part A only covers nurses? I've never heard that before.

I believe that there is an open enrollment period each year for Medigap programs. If there is a penalty for not having enrolled in a Medigap program for a period of time while having part B, could you please state the reference? I think that the enrollment rules are prescribed by Medicare rules, not the insurance company rules.

Regarding the 10% penalty for not enrolling in Part B while overseas, we are not taking about a great deal of money. If your premum is $120, enrolling 10 years late would make it $240.

Doesn't pass the smell test.

If Part A alone covered a bypass then people would not be buying Parts B, D, and Medigap or Medicare Advantage.

[DogNo1]

Well, of course. My friend's outpatient care was covered by Part B and his medicine, or most of it, was covered by Part D. But you've dodged the question which is concerning whether Part A only covers nursing as you previously stated. For him, it covered the complete cost of his hospitalization and surgery.

[CaptHaddock]

Well, of course. My friend's outpatient care was covered by Part B and his medicine, or most of it, was covered by Part D. But you've dodged the question which is concerning whether Part A only covers nursing as you previously stated. For him, it covered the complete cost of his hospitalization and surgery.

I could be wrong. I am trying to make sense of the absurd American system as much as anyone else. My reasoning is this:

1. I read many places that Medicare ends up covering only half of actual costs. Your friend's experience is the only counter-example I have ever encountered.

2. Therefore many people buy additional insurance plans like Medigap or Medicare Advantage. There wouldn't be a market for such services if major surgeries, which are the big ticket items, were fully covered by A, B and D.

3. I look in vain in descriptions of the coverage provided by Part A for services provided by surgeons and anesthetists. The usual short description of Part A is "hospital services." But when you get those big surgeries the doctors in the room send you separate bills, because they are not employees of the hospital usually. Their services are not billed by the hospital and presumably therefore not "hospital services."

Here is the most detailed itemization of Part A coverage that I have found. Doesn't mention surgeons or anesthetists. Nor does it mention diagnostic tests such as CAT scans, MRIs, endoscopies, etc.

So, my expectation is if such services are not explicitly identified in coverage descriptions it is because they are not covered.

https://medicare.oneexchange.com/medicare/part-a

Part A Covered Services

Medicare Part A helps pay for the care you receive as a patient in a hospital or a skilled nursing facility with some limitations. It also helps cover hospice care, some home health care, and inpatient care in a Religious Nonmedical Health Care Institution, but you must meet certain conditions to get these benefits.

If you stay in a hospital, Medicare Part A will pay for:

• Semi-private room
• Meals
• Regular nursing services
• Drugs
• Supplies and equipment
• Physical therapy
• Medical social services

This includes inpatient care you get in critical access hospitals, acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, inpatient care as part of a qualifying research study, and mental health care. Medicare Part A will pay for inpatient mental health care in a psychiatric facility. You can have this coverage for up to 190 days in a lifetime.

If you stay in a hospital, Medicare Part A will not pay for:

• Private duty nursing
• A television or telephone in your room
• A private room, unless medically necessary
• Personal care items

If you stay in a skilled nursing facility, Medicare Part A will pay for:

• Semi-private room
• Meals
• Skilled nursing and rehabilitative services
• Drugs
• Supplies and equipment for use during the SNF stay
• Rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy services
• Medical social services
• Other services and supplies (only after a related three-day inpatient hospital stay)

If you receive blood in a hospital or skilled nursing facility during a covered stay, you may have to pay for the first three pints of blood you receive in a calendar year. In most cases, the hospital gets blood from a blood bank at no charge, and you won't have to pay for it or replace it. However, if the hospital has to buy blood for you, you must either pay the provider costs for the first 3 units of blood you get in a calendar year or have the blood donated by you or someone else.

In some circumstances, Medicare Part A will pay for home health care after a hospital stay or after leaving a skilled level nursing facility:

• Reasonable and medically necessary part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care and home health aide services
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology that are ordered by your doctor and provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency
• Medical social services, such as rides to doctor appointments or home inspections to ensure your home is suitable to live in with your condition
• Durable medical equipment (such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen, and walkers) and other medical supplies

If you have a terminal illness and receive hospice care, Medicare Part A will pay for:

• Physician care
• Nursing care
• Counseling, including bereavement counseling
• Medical social services
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
• Home health aide and homemaker services
• Drugs for symptom control and pain relief
• Respite care for five days or less to provide relief for the patient's caregiver

Hospice care is usually given in your home (which may include a nursing facility if this is your home). Hospice care doesn't cover room and board unless the hospice medical team decides that you need short-term inpatient stays for a level of care you can't receive at home. Medicare Part A also covers some short-term hospital and inpatient respite care (care given to a hospice patient so that the usual caregiver can rest).

[taxout]

As an example, here's Medicare's description of how costs are broken down between Part A and Part B in the case of a kidney transplant:

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/transplants-kidney-adults.html

"Doctors' services for kidney transplant surgery (including care before surgery, the actual surgery, and care after surgery)" are covered under Part B, not Part A.

As I said before, if you only have Part A, then you're not at all as well covered as you might first think.

Also, hospital expenses under Part A involve a flat-fee co-pay per admission, while other expenses covered under Part B require a 20 per cent co-pay, with no cap on the total co-pay. This means that Medicare generally has an incentive to keep expenses on the Part B side.

[charliebadenhop]

I will reply in "chunks" here so as to cover all points.

1. I am retired so not showing any income. Thus income tax in any particular state would not impact me.

2. In regard to being "so old" that anything that goes wrong could be considered a pre-condition-

I am not needing to be in the same shape as a 40 year old person (as an example).

Depending on the company you insure with, you either have to get a full physical or sign saying that you do not have condition X,Y, and Z.

AND they charge a lot more for people my age, and they know what their liabilities are overall.

[NeverSure]

Edit.

The short version is that insurance companies are licensed by each state and can't cross state lines. They may be licensed in every state or just one or a few. Nonetheless you must buy your insurance from a company that is licensed in your state.

Thus the granularity of the residency requirement for supplementary insurance which is sold privately even though heavily subsidized by the feds. The Feds subsidize mine about $1100 per month.

I have A and B and F and RX. F is also called Medigap and is a step above Advantage as it has no deductibles or co-pays. RX of course is prescription drugs. I bought mine at the prescribed time and it all costs me about $260 per month of which B is about $104 and RX is about $25.

No matter how expensive a condition I have might be it will cost me nothing, nada, zip for any tests and treatment other than a 10% deductible for RX. Advantage would have deductibles and co-pays and I wouldn't like that at all.

Cheers.

[charliebadenhop]

All of the various posts on Medicare are a LOT to take in, but I do very much appreciate reading it all.

My next task is to look at the BUPA site as suggested.

Thanks to all of you!

[GinBoy2]

Just out of curiosity, but a lot of speculation here. Has anyone actually tried to use medicare while living here?

I've been tempted, since I maintain a state residence to participate, not for any anticipation that I could use it here, but if I ever needed something either denied to me here or something I thought would be better done in a US hospital.

[DogNo1]

GinBoy2: I'm not sure that I understand your question. US Medicare can't be used in a foreign country. You must return to the USA for treatment.

CaptHaddock: Those horrendous doctor's bills occur when the hospital calls in an outside consultant or specialist of some sort such as an anesthesiologist or a thoraxic surgeon. If you can ensure that that doesn't happen, you won't get hit with the extra bills. My friend didn't. All of his doctors were in-house.

As other posters have mentioned, there are deductibles and co-pays that you won't be covered for if you are not resident in the USA and signed up for the supplemental coverage but let's say, for example, that you wanted some elective surgery such as knee or hip replacement but could still get around a bit, even if in a wheelchair. You could conceivably return to the US, sign up for the supplemental plans and then have your surgery. The lead time that you can spare before your surgical procedure would be a crucial element. For those people over 65 living in Thailand who might face the need for rapid medical care, the only answer is still to self-insure. If you check the posts of NancyL, you will find that she has helped many indigent Americans in bad shape return to the US for medical care. You can scan for posts that she's made on the subject.

[JLCrab]

Establishing a reserve account and self-insuring are not the same thing.

[PacificCrossInsurance]

As you mentioned there are some ailments where you can fly back to the US, assuming you are still covered by Medicare, and depending your ailment allows you to fly.

I would recommend considering what you could afford to spend in a case where you cannot get back to the US and take a deductible for that amount. This will reduce the cost significantly.

Pacific Cross provides a life time policy, so it does not matter how old you are, but admittedly it is reflected in the cost of the policy.

Call them at 02 401 9189 and they will advise you - then make your decision. I recently heard that a gentleman of 89 opened a new policy.

new service offices are now opening around Thailand, including Pattaya in December, and Hat Yai, Hua Hin, and Phuket next year.

[taxout]

"Has anyone actually tried to use medicare while living here?"

Once you reach 65 and have your Medicare card, you are entitled to Part A Medicare when you are in the U.S. as well as Part B if you have subscribed to it, even though you are an overseas resident. There is no uncertainty about this.

It is difficult for overseas Americans to subscribe to Medigap policies, though, since these policies are offered on a state-by-state basis by different private insurance companies, much like Obamacare.

Note that enrollment in Medicare is not necessarily automatic when you reach 65; you need to enroll to get a Medicare card, and do so within a limited timeframe. If you aren't formally enrolled in Medicare, then you aren't eligible for Medicare benefits, even though you are over 65.

[charliebadenhop]

Jess,

Can you give me a contact person at BUPA?

I have tried contacting them through their website but got no reply of any kind.

TIA,

Charlie

[charliebadenhop]

BUPA Thailand finally contacted me today.

Here is what the lady said-

Can not apply if you are over 65.

If you apply between 60-65 you will only be covered until you are 70!

Not sure exactly what she said, but I believe she said- If you apply before you are 60 you can have lifetime coverage.

The part I am not sure about is whether she said "if you are under 60 when applying" or if she said "if you apply prior to being 50".

Not claiming this is the gospel, but this is what the lady said.

[Pib]

BUPA Thailand finally contacted me today.

Here is what the lady said-

Can not apply if you are over 65.

If you apply between 60-65 you will only be covered until you are 70!

Not sure exactly what she said, but I believe she said- If you apply before you are 60 you can have lifetime coverage.

The part I am not sure about is whether she said "if you are under 60 when applying" or if she said "if you apply prior to being 50".

Not claiming this is the gospel, but this is what the lady said.

It's if you are under 60 when applying.

The info is on their website.

http://www.bupa.co.th/en/individuals/health-insurance/individual/detail.aspx?iid=13&ifid=46#tab

[charliebadenhop]

For me, after talking to a friend in the US who is the same age as me, Medicare treatment in the US makes no sense at all.

Here is why-

My friend pays $120 a month to Medicare as it is not free unless you are indigent.

She pays $150 a month for a full supplemental program.

So she is fully covered for a cost of $270 a month.

I can get insurance here for around $400 a month for INPATIENT only, which suits me.

If I take a $1,600 deductible the cost goes down to about $350 a month.

AND my premiums will increase as I get older, but I was also given a schedule showing how much.

So give what I now believe to be the case, it is hard to imagine how an expat living in Thailand can make sense out of relying on Medicare in the US.

Anything I might be missing?

[Pib]

Guess Medicare would be used in those cases where a person preferred to got back to the U.S. (or its territories such as Guam) for certain/major medical care. And they didn't want to incur the 10% per year for life premium penalty for not signing up when eligible at 65. Ex: Delay your sign up until age 70, that's 5 years X10% =50% higher premium for life over those who signed up at 65. So late signup can be a consideration especially if you feel you will be moving back to the U.S. at some point in your golden years.

Also, for military retirees (and their dependents) to continue their Tricare coverage uninterrupted (medical coverage of active duty/retirees and their dependents) "worldwide" they must sign up for Part B coverage at 65. Then their Tricare coverage continues to provide medical coverage regardless of what country on Earth they live in and coverage for life (75% reimbursement for in-hospital and outpatient care). Medicare generally provides no coverage outside the U.S. but Tricare continues to...if living outside the U.S. instead of mailing your claim to Medicare you continue to mail it to Tricare as you did before you turned 65. Additionally, if a person decides to move back to the U.S. later on then they are covered by Medicare and Tricare which covers 100% of their medical costs after deductibles.....Medicare provides first coverage, then forwards the un-reimbursed part to Tricare for reimbursement....works out great for a military retirees and their dependents.

But for a person not eligible for Tricare coverage, then signing up for and paying for Medicare premiums if living outside the U.S. would not provide any coverage unless the person went to the U.S. for care....and once again a person must take into the late sign up penalty for life especially if they feel all of their golden years will not be spent outside the U.S. I can be a tough decision sometimes.

[DogNo1]

I didn't sign up late for Part B because I had (and have) no idea when I might suffer a serious illness and need to be treated in the US. Incidentally, I talked to an American man from San Francisco yesterday who said that his wife was treated for cancer under Medicare for some time before she died and it didn't cost him a penny! All fees were waived. This makes three illnesses that I have heard of that cost the Medicare recipients nothing.

[Langsuan Man]

I didn't sign up late for Part B because I had (and have) no idea when I might suffer a serious illness and need to be treated in the US. Incidentally, I talked to an American man from San Francisco yesterday who said that his wife was treated for cancer under Medicare for some time before she died and it didn't cost him a penny! All fees were waived. This makes three illnesses that I have heard of that cost the Medicare recipients nothing.

If it cost them nothing then I can guarantee you that they had a private supplement plan for Medicare Part B; the only way to have a major medical problem and not get eaten alive by co-pays, deductibles, and incidentals, is to have a Medicare Supplement plan like those offered by AARP or private insurance companies

[Pib]

I didn't sign up late for Part B because I had (and have) no idea when I might suffer a serious illness and need to be treated in the US. Incidentally, I talked to an American man from San Francisco yesterday who said that his wife was treated for cancer under Medicare for some time before she died and it didn't cost him a penny! All fees were waived. This makes three illnesses that I have heard of that cost the Medicare recipients nothing.

If it cost them nothing then I can guarantee you that they had a private supplement plan for Medicare Part B; the only way to have a major medical problem and not get eaten alive by co-pays, deductibles, and incidentals, is to have a Medicare Supplement plan like those offered by AARP or private insurance companies

Yea, I expect there was other insurance involved...like maybe Medicaid.

• Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have a very low income.

But when using Medicaid the devil is in the details...it's means tested...is for low income folks....and after death Medicaid can come after assets (e.g.s., their home) left by the deceased to partially or fully repay the medical bill. Can vary from state to state as to how Medicaid works as Medicaid is a joint state and federal program and works differently from state to state.

[thaigold]

As stated, US Medicare is useless overseas, so if you are retired overseas you will have to return to the US, or on of its territories or possessions for treatment - this includes Guam. And Guam, for American Thai expats is workable - with a suggestion; secure a primary physician on the island prior to seeking treatment.
Additionally, Thai medical care is world class, especially in Bangkok. Americans need to understand that unless you have a place to stay in the US and an accredited physician to admit you to a hospital, you are going to incur additional costs.

Put all this together; air fair; drug costs; 20% US deductibles and you may find self-pay cheaper in the Kingdom.
If I needed major surgery (not elective) I'd fly to Honolulu, go to the Queen's Medical Center ER and collapse. Other than that, Phayathai #1 - superb health care ...

[thaigold]

It is discouraging to me as an American expat seeing some of my European friends with full 100% health care, Americans still have to deal with this can of Medicare worms; expensive US costs; 20% deductibles, and no overseas protection. Useless.

Guess Medicare would be used in those cases where a person preferred to got back to the U.S. (or its territories such as Guam) for certain/major medical care. And they didn't want to incur the 10% per year for life premium penalty for not signing up when eligible at 65. Ex: Delay your sign up until age 70, that's 5 years X10% =50% higher premium for life over those who signed up at 65. So late signup can be a consideration especially if you feel you will be moving back to the U.S. at some point in your golden years.

Also, for military retirees (and their dependents) to continue their Tricare coverage uninterrupted (medical coverage of active duty/retirees and their dependents) "worldwide" they must sign up for Part B coverage at 65. Then their Tricare coverage continues to provide medical coverage regardless of what country on Earth they live in and coverage for life (75% reimbursement for in-hospital and outpatient care). Medicare generally provides no coverage outside the U.S. but Tricare continues to...if living outside the U.S. instead of mailing your claim to Medicare you continue to mail it to Tricare as you did before you turned 65. Additionally, if a person decides to move back to the U.S. later on then they are covered by Medicare and Tricare which covers 100% of their medical costs after deductibles.....Medicare provides first coverage, then forwards the un-reimbursed part to Tricare for reimbursement....works out great for a military retirees and their dependents.

But for a person not eligible for Tricare coverage, then signing up for and paying for Medicare premiums if living outside the U.S. would not provide any coverage unless the person went to the U.S. for care....and once again a person must take into the late sign up penalty for life especially if they feel all of their golden years will not be spent outside the U.S. I can be a tough decision sometimes.

[Pib]

Yea, but some of those Europeans countries are true nanny states where a person's income is taxed big time at the federal and local level...and part of that high tax is to cover their universal health care program.

And based on another ongoing thread it appears due to a recent change UK citizens do not get any health care coverage under the universal health care program until they move back to the UK and establish residency for X-months which means a UK person could not expect to say run back to the UK for a critically needed free health care and get it immediately when setting foot in the UK...instead they have to wait X-mounts/establish residency again. At least with Medicare the second you set foot back on U.S. dirt you can get care under Medicare...at least the Part A hospital/inpatient coverage, but you would in most cases have to wait until the next annual Part B sign-up window to get the outpatient/other coverage.

Yea, like I mentioned earlier, whether to sign up for Part B Medicare coverage can be a tough decision sometimes for an expat unless they are 100% sure they will never live in the U.S. again/never go back for medical care. A lot depends on whether they can afford the late sign up penalty for Medicare.

I know it can be easy to say, "Yea, I'll never go back to the U.S....I'll going to live in Thailand for the rest of my live." And that gets easier to say when still in good health...but everyone's good health eventually goes away, a major disease pops up such as cancer, stroke, heart attached, etc. However, even people who are 100% sure about something today, all to frequently change their minds and wish they had made a different choice. This paragraph sounds like an insurance salesman don' it.

For me and my current life here in Thailand and current plan to live here forever (but always subject to unexpected change), if it wasn't for being a military retiree and having Tricare which I can continue to life if signing up for Medicare Part B once I turn 65 I would truly struggle whether to signup for Part B. I haven't reached 65 yet but I do plan to sign up for Part B when the time comes in order to maintain my Tricare for Life coverage which provides medical coverage anywhere on Earth. I can afford the 2016 monthly premium of $120 and will get some of that back each year as I file for reimbursement of medical care most everyone needs periodically. And god forbid during those years when I may need BIG MONEY medical care that $120/month coverage will be worth its weight in gold.

And I think my first big money use will be in a year or two when I may get a knee replacement which can run from Bt200K/$5700 in a private Thai hospital like Thonburi Hospital I use here in western Bangkok up to approx Bt500K/$14,200 at a high end private hospital like Bumrungrad in central Bangkok. Let's say I go do the knee operation at Bumrungrad....their $14,200 cost is 10 years worth of monthly $120 monthly Medicare premiums. I know you can tweak the payback period by considering deductibles but even then that's very good payback and peace of mind and also guards your financial assets.

Yeap, whether or not to signup of Part B at 65 can indeed be a tough decision for many US expats and each person's situation will vary.

[charliebadenhop]

Maybe it is just me, but I get confused while reading this thread....

I contacted another friend, who is old enough for Medicare and he confirms that indeed to get full coverage and individual is going to pay around $300 a month, give or take.

So if one is not a retired military person, why would anyone pay $300 a month for full coverage in the States, when you can pay $400 a month here in Thailand?

And yes- If you think you might return to the US to live, that would put a different spin on things.

???

[Pib]

Maybe it is just me, but I get confused while reading this thread....

I contacted another friend, who is old enough for Medicare and he confirms that indeed to get full coverage and individual is going to pay around $300 a month, give or take.

So if one is not a retired military person, why would anyone pay $300 a month for full coverage in the States, when you can pay $400 a month here in Thailand?

And yes- If you think you might return to the US to live, that would put a different spin on things.

???

Could be various reasons your friend is paying around $300. Maybe he didn't work/pay into Social Security long enough 40 credits which not only qualifies a person for a social security pension but Medicare also. If not having enough work credits then he could still get Medicare coverage but would have to pay a much higher price for the coverage. Or, he could be in a high income group where the Medicare premiums are higher. Or, he could have delayed signup for Medicare past 65 and incurred a 10% premium penalty per year for life. Or maybe he also has Part D Drugs coverage which adds on cost. Or maybe he just didn't mention it to you but he also as a MediGap policy he also paying for and just didn't make it clear to you. But if he's paying around $300/mo only for the Part A (normally free unless not automatically qualifying) & Part B coverage he probably didn't pay into social security long enough to automatically qualify for Medicare A & B coverage at its lowest monthly premium.

But for the typical person come 1 Jan 16 if they were alreay signed up for Medicare and since there was not COLA increase for 2016 their monthly Part B premium will continue at $104.90. For new Medicare enrollees for 2016, their Part B premium will be $121.80. Over the coming years folks getting hit with the higher $121.80 premiun will see lower increases and the folks currently paying $104.90/month will see higher increases until everyone is paying the same again. It's the nature of the fine print in the COLA and Medicare laws.

See below links for more info:

https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-b-costs/part-b-costs.html

http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-04-2011/medicare-eligibility.html

[taxout]

I read "full coverage" to suggest that the friend pays for both Part B and Medigap.