The first thing to doublecheck is thatt you do not already have a supplementary retirement health plan from work, because if you then enroll in something else that duplicates that you could lose it, permanently. You could doublecheck with your workplace's personnel department on that.

I like either Blue Cross or Blue Shield, because they are nation-wide. I have been in good plans on both and they have never presented any problems to me.

If you plan to travel or possibly even relocate at some point, make certain that you choose a plan with a nationwide network, so you will be able to find participating physicians and hospitals wherever you go. BC/BS has had a good network for me in several states. Usually there is an online listing you can check.

You might also want to check with your physicians to see which plans they participate in, and even ask their billing clerks which plans are most cooperative--some plans are notoriously reluctant to actually pay up, and clients do not receive coverage unless they appeal. It's well worth it to pay a bit more for coverage by a reputable company.

Each area is different regarding costs and providers. You could also try checking with your county's health department or department of aging--they may even provide free seminars or talks to help you choose.

If you are already covered by a private insurance that you like, you could ask them what they provide in the way of seconday coverage plans.

I use BC&BS and have for years as did my mom. We pay the premium and nothing else. I did pay for a tetanus shot once time. It is simple to use and dependable. I have their top plan F I think, because it paid for foreign travel. They they sent me forms to take with me on my trips, because other countries would not have them. I carried them with me on every out of the US trip.

I second the recommendation that you look into the medicare counseling thru your local area agency on aging. Free, and useful. The same plan, and Plan F is the most inclusive, can cost twice as much thru some providers as others. But it should be exactly the same plan, wherever you buy. Best to buy by price, since the plans are standardized.

My husband has Plan F through Priority Health. He has a lot of medical issues and this plan fits his needs perfectly. No unexpected costs at all!

My husband has Plan F through Priority Health. He has a lot of medical issues and this plan fits his needs perfectly. No unexpected costs at all!

Thank you all for your advice. My husband and I have been waiting and waiting for our insurance agent to get certified by United Health care so we can go through him. Our insurance man excellent at what he does. We do not understand is why is UHC taking so long? It isn't like our insurance agent is a newbie. He's been around for years. We are getting very nervous because we need to have our Medicare in place by April 30. Any thoughts from any of you would be most appreciated. Should we just go with another agent we know and trust who is already certified by UHC? Help, please!

My husband and I have been waiting for over a month for our insurance agent to get qualified by United health Care to help us with our Medicare. He is an excellent agent and has been around for a number of years. We do not understand why UNC is taking so long to certify our agent. We are getting very nervous since we must be on Medicare by the end of this month, April 30. Should we go to another agent who is already certified with UHC?

Blue Cross is not "nation-wide." Each is a separate corporate entity, and is not responsible for the obligations of similar entities in other states.

I had forgotten that about BC&BS thanks for reminding me. We were notified a few years back that they were leaving our area, but they wanted to let us know that existing customers would still be covered.