Radiation Questions, Insurance, anyone in Los Angeles

I don’t live in L.A., but since you’re on Medicare (do you have a Part B supplement or an Advantage plan?), call around to Radiation Oncology depts. to find out which ones take Medicare assignment (and are within your supplement or Advantage plan’s network). Make sure to ask if ALL the radiation oncologists in that practice do, and if not all do, insist on being treated only by the ones who do. It’s the most convenient, of course, to have one-stop-shopping for your cancer care (e.g., a hospital where your entire care team practices), but plenty of patients here have different members of their teams at different hospitals.

I noted on another thread that you are considering a Part D plan. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan (aka Part C), that already includes your prescription coverage. If you do purchase a Part D plan, you would lose your Advantage plan and have to either buy a Part B supplement or have just “original Medicare,” which has higher deductibles and co-pays. I went with separate Part B “private fee-for-service” and D supplements because I didn’t want to be restricted by an HMO or even PPO. Unfortunately, more and more insurers are dropping their “private fee-for-service” plans in favor of HMOs & PPOs. Since you’re already on Medicare, by now you must have been mailed the annual Federal Medicare Handbook. If not, they’re available at your local Social Security office (even if you’re not yet collecting Social Security) or online as .PDFs. That handbook lists every 2017 Part B, C and D plan offered in your area.

BCBS, as long as it's not an HMO, has a very broad network—even for its PPOs. For its PPO plans, you may pay a more for out-of-network care—but you're still covered. And even out-of-network providers bill lower fees for anyone covered by any insurance.

I highly advise you add a Part D plan, because even generic drugs aren't as cheap as they used to be. I got sticker shock when my regular insurance ended and Medicare kicked in on New Year's Day (I'm a January baby) and I filled a prescription—but meds are still cheaper with Part D than if you're uninsured. And if you're on any form of Medicare, you can no longer use mfrs.' co-pay discount coupons. (It's a problem for me because I take so many other meds that I fell into the “donut hole" coverage gap and won't have spent enough to emerge from it until 2016 ends and the “meter resets," so to speak. You won't have that problem, since the cancer-related meds will be the only ones you take. Even if you get chemo, that's a “treatment" and covered fully under Part B and your supplement).