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02-17-2011, 04:24 PM
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#21
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harley
Luckily, I'm only 55. I'm sure they'll have this simplified and automatic by the time I get there.
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That's a joke right !
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03-26-2011, 11:39 AM
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#22
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 137
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I went on Medicare last June. I was on my wives private insurance plan through her employer. It was a large group plan and I paid about $700 a month plus $20 when you visited a doctor or had lab work. I too felt overwhelmed by all of the various supplemental plans and Medicare Advantage plans. It did not take long to get past all of the smoke and mirrors.
I decided to go with the AARP supplemental and drug plan. My monthly costs are less then half of what the private plan was and I can see any doctor. The plan I had before was a HMO and I had to drive 70 miles one way to a doctor or hospital.
My monthly premiums are $110 to Medicare, $115 for AARP supplement and $40 for AARP drug plan. That totals $265 and I have yet to pay any copay's. I pay an average $8 for medications. Under my wives plan I paid $10 for medications. I now can see a local doctor and my drive is about 15 min same for a hospital or lab.
I LOVE MEDICARE!!!!!
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04-07-2011, 03:55 PM
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#23
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,671
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Quote:
I was on my wives private insurance
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I think you meant "wife's", right? or are they all cool with this setup?
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04-07-2011, 04:31 PM
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#24
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,072
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The part D legislation implementation is horrible. It did provided drug coverage... but it was a giveaway to the drug companies (no ability to broadly negotiate drug prices) and the insurance companies had inconsistent coverage which resulted in a convoluted nightmare that was difficult to understand.
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04-07-2011, 04:45 PM
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#25
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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I am still confused about Medicare . If you have government retiree health insurance do you need Part B ?
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04-07-2011, 04:47 PM
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#26
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,072
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
I am still confused about Medicare . If you have government retiree health insurance do you need Part B ?
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Call the 800 number and ask.
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04-07-2011, 05:36 PM
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#27
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gone traveling
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 3,851
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
I am still confused about Medicare . If you have government retiree health insurance do you need Part B ?
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Rather than me typing a novel, here's some info:
Understanding Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D -- AARP Health
Each plan covers a different part of your possible health needs. You can (but should not) opt out of Part B (unless you never want to see a doctor!). You'll also need Part D for drugs, but some folks do opt out if they currently don't take a lot of meds.
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04-07-2011, 06:31 PM
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#28
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rescueme
Rather than me typing a novel, here's some info:
Understanding Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D -- AARP Health
Each plan covers a different part of your possible health needs. You can (but should not) opt out of Part B (unless you never want to see a doctor!). You'll also need Part D for drugs, but some folks do opt out if they currently don't take a lot of meds.
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Yes but basically My Federal Health Insurance is part B & D . IMO I can either not take part B or take a lesser insurance plan from the Federal retirement Program and take part B (which will pay my deductibles and co pays ).I can not drop the Federal Insurance or I lose it forever . I am not sure which is better . Luckily I have a while to figure it out .
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04-07-2011, 06:44 PM
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#29
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Waimanalo, HI
Posts: 1,881
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
I am still confused about Medicare . If you have government retiree health insurance do you need Part B ?
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I have state government retiree health insurance, and I do need Part B. My state retirement plan pays the Part B premium of $110.50/mo, but I have to subscribe to Part B for that to happen. But you probably mean federal government retiree health insurance? I found this page Medicare Interactive - Script describing that.
__________________
Greg (retired in 2010 at age 68, state pension)
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04-07-2011, 06:58 PM
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#30
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: S.W. Minnesota
Posts: 134
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My experience
I was a self employed consultant for the last 9 years before Medicare. I had a Blue Cross plan that cost around $350/month for both my wife and myself. $10k deductable, for each. Went for the $15K deductuble the last year for about a 20% premium deduction. (to paraphrase the most interesting man in the world, "stay healthy, my friend")
At 65 we went with a Medicare advantage plan (Humana PPO). Premiums are $49/mo (and they get the approx $100 part B premium that Medicare deducts from SS.)
$10 copay family doctor visits, $30 specialist copay, $150 fixed ambulance copay (where we live, a 100 mi helicopter ride costs SEVERAL thousand dollars getting to a bigger medical center). Part D is included with most generics included free. Silver sneakers is in the plan, so going to the "Y" to work out is free! All this assumes you stay in network ($500 deductable, if you go out of network)
Our approach to geezerhood is to eat healthy (we're low carb paleo and have gotten down to fighting weight in the last 2 years, after reading Good Calories, Bad Calories -Thanks, Rich!) Excercise: brief but heavy weight lifting, like 15 minutes a week, together with yoga or swimming to preference. I could almost say I'm in the best shape of my life (except for the bald part)
Pay attention to whats going with your body. Prevent the problems. Why wait till you are sick? Doctors and hospitals are for sick people - You don't want to go there!!!!
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04-07-2011, 07:47 PM
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#31
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GregLee
I have state government retiree health insurance, and I do need Part B. My state retirement plan pays the Part B premium of $110.50/mo, but I have to subscribe to Part B for that to happen. But you probably mean federal government retiree health insurance? I found this page Medicare Interactive - Script describing that.
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Thank you ! So basically I will opt for Part B and get a lesser plan from the Federal Government .
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04-07-2011, 08:38 PM
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#32
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Waimanalo, HI
Posts: 1,881
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
So basically I will opt for Part B and get a lesser plan from the Federal Government .
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Perhaps. I don't know. I've just read over the page I referred you to, and it seems ... complicated. But I opted for Part B as primary insurance and have a state funded plan as supplementary insurance.
__________________
Greg (retired in 2010 at age 68, state pension)
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