|
|
Post by AlanC on Aug 26, 2017 12:20:28 GMT -5
Big momentuous day- I filled out my online application for Medicare. I said "no" to their Part "B" but I'm not sure what I'm going to do. At our humble company we have Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Mississippi. We have already inquired of them and they don't fool with Part "B" so I will have to go out into the wide, wide insurance world and pick a company or sumpthin for myself.
What say you, my fellow old timers? What are you doing or what are you gonna do?
ps- 10 minutes of reading or hearing about insurance and my eyes glaze over and my lids get lead sinkers attached to them. If it continues, I fall into a coma or a fugue state.
|
|
|
|
Post by epaul on Aug 26, 2017 12:40:40 GMT -5
I will sign up for Part A sometime this winter in order to get into the system. I won't sign up for Part B or D as I have good coverage through Charlene (ten years worth or so) and I don't need any drugs.
Why don't you want to sign up for Part B? Are you still covered by your company policy? Is your company plan primary or secondary to Medicare? Are you just looking for a supplement plan?
|
|
|
|
Post by drlj on Aug 26, 2017 13:32:03 GMT -5
Part B is pretty important. We signed up for both A & B when we went on Medicare.
If you are looking for a supplemental plan, most insurance companies offer them. What they cover is pretty much the same but prices can differ. AARP offers them, too, and you can request information from a few places, see what they offer and compare prices.
We have ours through a retired teachers' organization so it is a group plan and is a bit cheaper for that reason.
|
|
|
|
Post by brucemacneill on Aug 26, 2017 13:46:38 GMT -5
Part A only covers you if you're an in-patient. Out-patient stuff is Part B. Unless you have some insurance to cover Dr. visits, you need Part B. Those 2 would leave you with co-pays and a couple of deductibles for which you can get a supplement. I have the AARP Plan F supplements for Mary and me. I haven't seen a drug plan that makes a lot of sense if you don't use any drugs except that if you don't sign up for one now, there will be a penalty payment if you sign up later. With the drug prices skyrocketing What was a $10 co-pay under your group plan can easily be a $50 co-pay under Medicare, because Medicare was forced to use the ACA drug tiering model and can't bargain with the pharma companies like your group plan could. Under Mary's plan at work, for instance, her thyroid pills cost $15/mo. Under Medicare plan D, they're $47/mo or $102 for a 3 month supply. My eye-drops went from about $10/mo to $47/mo. OTOH, supposedly, the retail on the drops is $340/mo so the insurance is paying somewhat more than I'm paying for the coverage if I believe they're actually paying that.
You may be better off, assuming you don't need much medical, to get a Plan C (Medicare Advantage) if they're available in your area. I had one from Humana for the first couple of years. That combines plans B and D and throws in some vision and dental and it's usually pretty cheap. I dropped it and went with the Plan F when Mary went on Medicare because we got a family discount for the 2 of us on the same policy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Russell Letson on Aug 26, 2017 13:51:26 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by AlanC on Aug 26, 2017 13:52:06 GMT -5
Part A only covers you if you're an in-patient. Out-patient stuff is Part B. Unless you have some insurance to cover Dr. visits, you need Part B. Those 2 would leave you with co-pays and a couple of deductibles for which you can get a supplement. I have the AARP Plan F supplements for Mary and me. I haven't seen a drug plan that makes a lot of sense if you don't use any drugs except that if you don't sign up for one now, there will be a penalty payment if you sign up later. With the drug prices skyrocketing What was a $10 co-pay under your group plan can easily be a $50 co-pay under Medicare, because Medicare was forced to use the ACA drug tiering model and can't bargain with the pharma companies like your group plan could. Under Mary's plan at work, for instance, her thyroid pills cost $15/mo. Under Medicare plan D, they're $47/mo or $102 for a 3 month supply. My eye-drops went from about $10/mo to $47/mo. OTOH, supposedly, the retail on the drops is $340/mo so the insurance is paying somewhat more than I'm paying for the coverage if I believe they're actually paying that. You may be better off, assuming you don't need much medical, to get a Plan C (Medicare Advantage) if they're available in your area. I had one from Humana for the first couple of years. That combines plans B and D and throws in some vision and dental and it's usually pretty cheap. I will look at the Humana. I didn't sign up for Part B online because that would be getting it from the Gubment? Correct? Is that comparable to getting it from a private company? I hate dealing with insurance. I think I will delegate this to Faithful Wife and Number One Daughter. |
|
|
|
Post by kenlarsson on Aug 26, 2017 14:00:17 GMT -5
I'm on part B, as retired military once we go on medicare we get Tricare for Life which acts as a secondary insurance covering all medicare co-pays and prescriptions but we have to be on part B to it. All in all not a bad deal and the health care coverage I've gotten as retired military has been excellent.
|
|
|
|
Post by theevan on Aug 26, 2017 15:05:12 GMT -5
Or delegate it to a trusted insurance agent.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cosmic Wonder on Aug 26, 2017 15:56:50 GMT -5
Medicare pisses me off. Do you know they have no discounts on beer or tequila?
Mike
|
|
|
|
Post by brucemacneill on Aug 26, 2017 16:01:04 GMT -5
Part A only covers you if you're an in-patient. Out-patient stuff is Part B. Unless you have some insurance to cover Dr. visits, you need Part B. Those 2 would leave you with co-pays and a couple of deductibles for which you can get a supplement. I have the AARP Plan F supplements for Mary and me. I haven't seen a drug plan that makes a lot of sense if you don't use any drugs except that if you don't sign up for one now, there will be a penalty payment if you sign up later. With the drug prices skyrocketing What was a $10 co-pay under your group plan can easily be a $50 co-pay under Medicare, because Medicare was forced to use the ACA drug tiering model and can't bargain with the pharma companies like your group plan could. Under Mary's plan at work, for instance, her thyroid pills cost $15/mo. Under Medicare plan D, they're $47/mo or $102 for a 3 month supply. My eye-drops went from about $10/mo to $47/mo. OTOH, supposedly, the retail on the drops is $340/mo so the insurance is paying somewhat more than I'm paying for the coverage if I believe they're actually paying that. You may be better off, assuming you don't need much medical, to get a Plan C (Medicare Advantage) if they're available in your area. I had one from Humana for the first couple of years. That combines plans B and D and throws in some vision and dental and it's usually pretty cheap. I will look at the Humana. I didn't sign up for Part B online because that would be getting it from the Gubment? Correct? Is that comparable to getting it from a private company? I hate dealing with insurance. I think I will delegate this to Faithful Wife and Number One Daughter. Let me put it this way, within 4 days of dropping Humana and picking up Part B and the AARP supplement, I went in for colon surgery that was billed at $40,000. I did no paperwork and paid no co-pays. |
|
|
|
Post by epaul on Aug 26, 2017 16:26:23 GMT -5
If you are covered by an existing plan through work (either you or your spouse), you only need to sign up for part A (the free part). This gets you in the system. You have nothing else to worry about until the plan holder retires or loses the job. If one of those events occur, you have eight months to sign up for part B and whatever drug plan (D, for example) you want. And you have your choice of any supplement you want to add.
The exception to the above is if your company employs less than 20 people, it may not function as a "primary" plan after you become eligible for Medicare. Then you should sign up for part B right off the bat. Also, if this small company plan doesn't offer drug coverage that is up to Medicare Snuff, you should also pick your drug plan if you want one. Check with HR (which may be you).
Alan, my advice is that you to sign up for plan B. I do not believe any private plan would provide the same coverage for anywhere near the price (much higher price). You can opt out of plan B later, if you wish. The only reason one would generally do so is if you get a full time job with good coverage or marry a younger woman who has good plan through her work.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hobson on Aug 26, 2017 16:29:40 GMT -5
YTD medical expenses billed for my spouse on Medicare with a supplemental policy, $22K, all for Part B. Out of pocket cost zero. Last year $36K billed, also all Part B. Out of pocket $125 for vaccinations that are not on the recommended list. (They were recommended by the CDC for travel to certain areas.) Drug coverage is another story. Anywhere from a $1 copay to Medicare Part D plans don't cover some drugs at all. And if you have the misfortune to reach the "donut hole," it's all out of pocket until you hit $4,950 in total covered drug costs, i.e. total of what you paid and what insurance paid.
|
|
|
|
Post by epaul on Aug 26, 2017 16:42:55 GMT -5
At you age Alan, you shouldn't using drugs anyway. A shot of whiskey to start the day and three or four more to end it and you should be well taken care of. No reason for all those expensive drugs when you can get Phillips Premium for $6 a gallon from Fred in the Walmart parking lot.
|
|
|
|
Post by theevan on Aug 26, 2017 17:08:48 GMT -5
YTD medical expenses billed for my spouse on Medicare with a supplemental policy, $22K, all for Part B. Out of pocket cost zero. Last year $36K billed, also all Part B. Out of pocket $125 for vaccinations that are not on the recommended list. (They were recommended by the CDC for travel to certain areas.) Drug coverage is another story. Anywhere from a $1 copay to Medicare Part D plans don't cover some drugs at all. And if you have the misfortune to reach the "donut hole," it's all out of pocket until you hit $4,950 in total covered drug costs, i.e. total of what you paid and what insurance paid. An administrative weirdness costing the gummit scads of dough is this: Nancy gets a shot of something the three consecutive days after each chemo. No prob, they said, you (meaning me) can give her those shots. Hitch: Doing it that way classes it as prescription drug. Our COPAY is $500. Um, per shot. But if we drive to the hospital and let them give the shot, it's therapy and 100% covered, even though it costs Medicare and our supplemental considerably more to do it that way. That's moot now. We're on a brand spanking new oral chemo now. So it's classed as prescription. But wait, there's more! (Said the TV pitch man). The newfangled drug is persona non grata with Medicare. No coverage. Doctor a bit peeved, says no prob, I'll pay for it myself, out of my pocket. It shouldn't cost you anything. T'ain't right. That's to the tune of a few thousand dollars a day. So that's where we are right now. |
|
|
|
Post by brucemacneill on Aug 26, 2017 17:10:22 GMT -5
At you age Alan, you shouldn't using drugs anyway. A shot of whiskey to start the day and three or four more to end it and you should be well taken care of. No reason for all those expensive drugs when you can get Phillips Premium for $6 a gallon from Fred in the Walmart parking lot. That I agree on except down here you can negotiate with Fred and get a discount. |
|
|
|
Post by Marshall on Aug 27, 2017 14:26:34 GMT -5
I get my part B and D thru AARP. |
|
|
|
Post by drlj on Aug 27, 2017 14:30:19 GMT -5
I get my part B and D thru AARP. Commie!! |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2017 14:33:34 GMT -5
After returning to Canada, I have three months before I can, once again, use our "free" healthcare. I hope I stay well until then and then don't need it. Hmmmm. Is it free even if you don't use it?
|
|
|
|
Post by epaul on Aug 27, 2017 14:34:32 GMT -5
I get my part B and D thru AARP. I got my last Martin through AARP. They have a deal with Martin and the discounts are great. |
|
|
|
Post by millring on Aug 27, 2017 14:36:27 GMT -5
I get my part B and D thru AARP. I got my last Martin through AARP. They have a deal with Martin and the discounts are great. Make sure you get one of his string winders, then. |
|
