chinaco
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2007
- Messages
- 5,072
Call the 800 number and ask.
Medicare
- Thread starter Moemg
- Start date
Call the 800 number and ask.
rescueme
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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.
Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
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 .
GregLee
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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.
waltwill8
Recycles dryer sheets
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!!!!
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!!!!
Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
Thank you ! So basically I will opt for Part B and get a lesser plan from the Federal Government .
GregLee
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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.
