To enhance the coverage in our new health section, reader’s health-related questions will appear online as well as in the soundoff column in the Lawrence Journal-World.

Q: My wife and I purchased a supplemental Medicare health insurance through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. We were informed if we used a hospital we could save around $1,200 on our premiums. Lawrence Memorial Hospital isn’t on the approved list. Can you tell me why?

A: Blue Cross Plan 65 Select is a Medicare Select policy, which is an alternative to a traditional Medicare Supplement plan. LMH’s analysis of the Blue Cross Plan 65 Select determined that it is not financially feasible for the hospital to participate, according to Simon Scholtz, chief financial officer.

To lower Blue Cross’s costs, participating hospitals must write off the patient’s inpatient deductible, which is approximately $1,000 per admission. Only 10 to 12 hospitals, out of over 140 eligible hospitals in Kansas, participate in this plan.

It is important to note that subscribers to Select plans can come to LMH for all outpatient services without any change in coverage. They also can still use LMH if they need inpatient services; they will, however, have to pay the Medicare deductible of approximately $1,000 per admission.

Consumers are urged to carefully review options and compare all costs, not just the premiums, before selecting a plan. Anyone who joins a Medicare Select policy, such as Blue Cross Plan 65 Select, does have the right to change their mind within the first 12 months and switch to a standard Medicare Supplement policy.

To learn more about Medicare plan options or to find lower premiums on standard Medicare Supplement policies, go to the Kansas Insurance Department’s Web site and click the Medicare/Seniors link.