# Retirees, Social security, Medicare



## farmerjan

Hi everyone.  I am @farmerjan and have been on the site for over two years.  I do post on others' threads but have never started my own.
Anyway, I am going to hit 65 this fall.  Have been inudated with 900 million things for supplemental ins and all this stuff in the mail.  Crazy.....

What do you other retirees have, or like or don't like with medicare and supplement plans?  Our health ins provider has been trying to give us some info as there are HALF of us milk testers in the 60 + over age bracket and very few young ones willing to take on the crazy hours and such.  With the state of the dairy industry, I'm not sure that this isn't a dying breed/job  anyway.

I have talked to several financial advisors that have said to keep working as long as I can and the SS check will be bigger.  One of the girls at work said her financial advisor told her to start her SS as soon as she wanted;  they did cost comparisons as to how much less she would get and how long it would take to "break even".  She started hers and has been putting the whole thing towards what mortgage she has left and said it will get paid off soon and that she is GLAD she opted to start it.  Also, her advisor said that it would take an average 7-10 years to reach that break even point and that who knows how long you will live.  Case in point;  the former CEO of our company waited to retire at 65, and collected SS for 5 months and dropped dead of a heart attack.  So I can see the reasoning.  Plus there are rumblings that by 2030 there might only be enough to pay 70 cents on the dollar due to the financial solvency... The difference for me to wait til 66 is only about $100 month and I can make that up with cattle money so I am probably going to start SS.
I try to explain to the financial advisors  the pain in the ankle and my knees, the years of being on concrete, and the limited options I have for the ankle besides fusion.  Being off concrete for a few days, really does make it not quite so painful.  I have tried everything that has been suggested, have been for consultations to over 10 different doctors over the last 5 years.  I have been doing prolotherapy;  the 2nd level which is PRP (platelet enriched plasma) injections to help possible regeneration of the cartliledge  without the hoped for results.  Some of the damage is wear and tear, some is from a couple of accidents.   I just had some stem cells harvested from my hip and injected into the ankle joint.  It will take some time to see if it will help.
Mind you, none of this is covered by ins., so is all out of pocket, but I really don't want replacements if there are other options and replacement of the ankle is iffy since there are 3 joints and only one is replaced.  Knee replacement has been discussed too.  I will wait for medicare to kick in since it will cover much more than my present ins. due to our high deductible.

So all that said, I take no "drugs",  no high blood pressure, no diabetes, no cholesterol, nothing except being overweight and that has partly come from the joint problems;  I cannot walk the pastures checking on the cows and cannot ride the hay wagons as I am not stable enough on my feet on the moving wagon,  so I am not getting the exercise I used to.  I am working on trying to figure a way to drop some and I usually do in the summer just from sweating while raking hay and such.

So please, anyone willing to weigh in on the different plans, pros and cons, and how you have dealt with it all.

Thanks, Jan


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## Mike CHS

I'm not much help on offering different options since I'm retired military so I'm drawing retired pay and Social Security.  I'm on Medicare but also have Tricare as the backup for Medicare which has worked fine so far.

The one opinion I can offer that may help is that I  have seen far too many people pass on not long after applying for Social Security and a couple of friends that passed on before they started drawing it.  I also did the math and the payback for me was longer than 7 1/2 years.  I had planned on drawing at 62 but my old employer kept talking me into staying on the job each time the contract got renewed so I was 65 when I started drawing it.


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## Baymule

My husband started drawing at 65 but kept working until he was 70. He had to "turn off" the SS after he made $14,000 at his job. Finally, it didn't matter how much he made, he didn't have to pay a penalty and could draw his SS and work too. We moved and he had to quit! LOL

He is on Medicare. After taking care of my Mother and witnessing her medical care, we did what she did for a supplement. My husband is on AARP traditional supplement, Plan F. It is a little pricy at just under $200 a month, BUT he has had some MAJOR surgeries and we have been out not one dime in costs. We have never paid anything out of pocket-nothing. He had open heart surgery, a 3 way bypass. This was followed by months of physical therapy-for which we paid nothing. He had both shoulder and knee replacement-again followed by months of intensive therapy 3 times a week (if we were paying out of pocket it would have been $400 per session) and we again paid nothing. 

When you walk into any doctor or hospital and lay the AARP traditional supplement card on the counter, it paves the way for treatment. 

I started drawing my SS at 62, am 63 now. It is a pitiful amount, will cover medicare and supplement in 2 more years. Then I'll go down the road of knee treatments, probably replacement. 

When we did the math on DH drawing SS, it would have taken 14 years to equal out the money. We didn't even bother with mine, I just signed up. 

I can't recommend the AARP traditional supplement enough. It is easy, accepted at ANY hospital or doctor that takes medicare. NO "network" or "accepted providers" or any of that other crap people have to put up with. Worth every penny.


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## greybeard

Twin brother..officially retired and went on SS in July of the year he turned age 67. He died 4 months later. The only upside to that was it made it easier for his widow to get 1/2 his SS benefits since she didn't have to jump thru quite as many administrative hoops to file for it.
I opted to take SS benefits a year earlier and have not regretted it.

Medicare...
Don't confuse 'Parts' with 'Plans'.
For most people, there are 3 Parts to medicare.
Part A covers many "in facility" hospital procedures. For most folks, it is free, depending how many quarters of medicare taxes you have paid in while working.
Part B is your medicare  for Dr visits. It's base will cost (for 2018) $134/month. If you are drawing SS benefits, that $134 will be deducted directly from your monthly SS benefit 'check'.
It will not cover nearly all your routine visit costs so that's where the supplement comes in that you are being deluged with in your mailbox.
You purchase it thru an insurance provider such as Humana, Blue Cross, AARP/United Healthcare etc.

Part D is your drug plan. You buy it from a health care insurance provider. Whether it is cost effective or not all depends whether you have a lot of qualifying prescriptions or not. Lots of medications it will not cover and lots it will pay a lesser % of..meaning you have a co pay at your pharmacy. Just because you aren't currently using any medications doesn't mean you won't be next week.

Plans. IIRC, plans run Plan A thru G, and the difference is how much and what they cover and what Co-pay and deductible you can stand. Their cost is based on what benefits you get. Plan F for instance has a fairly high monthly premium, a low deductible, and usually no co-pay for Dr visit or Hosp procedure.

Most of the supplement plans, regardless of who the company is,  are supposed to be the same as far as benefits go. IOW, Plan A from Humana is supposed to be the same as Plan A from AARP...PlanB from one insurance provider is supposed to be about the same as any other Plan B.  
The difference, is the cost, and whether your Dr or other medical facility actually accepts that insurance company's policy. This was the way it was set up via Obamacare...Medicare dictated this accross-the-board 'similarity'. 

Then, there is Medicare Advantage. I don't know much about it except it is more expensive than the others.


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## goatgurl

I opted to start drawing my ss when I was 62.  like others I did the math and it would have taken 7-8 years to catch up.  have humana as my supplemental insurance.  its ok, have little co-pays but so far nothing I can't handle.  before I retired I paid my property off and built a little house with my savings so I have very little left to fall back on.  down side to that is that I don't have much to fall back on, good side is that no one can ever take my home or land away from me.  taxes are tiny and since i'm now over 65 my property taxes are frozen.  I've never had to watch money more carefully than I do now but I've never been more content.


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## Mini Horses

goatgurl said:


> I've never had to watch money more carefully than I do now but I've never been more content.



I  am working at not working.  

That time when you say "enough is enough".  Have a 12-18 month plan to be debt free as it can be -- taxes never end!  Daily needs and maintenance, etc.   Have put myself on a cash only life to pay off and "practice" the life I will be in -- in case   Setting up for a little more farm income -- nothing huge but, cover expenses of animals, primarily.  That's food & repairs.  And working to be more efficient in providing food sources for me and them from/on the farm.

So the SS will be main source of income.  Still working 2PT jobs that flex so some weeks I work 60-70 hrs and others 20.  It is "seasonal" as the surges occur with each job.  @ 18 months  I will divest of one job, eventually the other.   At my age there are not a lot of job sources and this one is ok with & for a senior -- although I am healthy & active, may not be in 10 yr.  Sure plan to be!   Learning practical farm modifications to make life easier all along.  My tractor is my best friend quite often...and a needed source to maintain 14 acres of pastures, crops & fence.

I started SS at 62, been 10 yrs.  Same as all with medicare and the cost from SS.  It's fine.   It isn't the income that is the concern so much as being prepared for any emergency maintenance needs.  Like -- my nightmare -- the well pump dies!   Several thousand immediate.  Keeping options for such.

My decision to start collecting ASAP was a good choice for me.   The difference then or several years later at 70 was minimal and not enough to make up for what I was able to get and use right then.  At the time I had a FT job and several months of SS was held for the $1 for every $2 deal.  As luck would have it, the company was sold to a larger one and they dropped all of our office jobs in the buy-out of our firm.  Then unemployment kicked in, the previously held SS funds were paid to me and I was sure glad to have a check already active!  I've never looked back or regretted collecting ASAP.

I believe -- beyond any retirement &/or SS -- comes a need to be able to adjust, assist and know where help can be found within your area.   Short term needs, medical & RX expenses, help with maintenance or repairs, food, all that, is often available via your county, state & federal resources.  Some power companies, churches, counties, have funds to help.  Some have outreach & community service to help, or know of temporary assistance available.

We will all have some tough times....most already have.  It's life and needs to be addressed.   Care & relocation of animals and your self should be a consideration.  Long term care is an unbearable expense for most....letting your loved ones know where & how to care for your animals is a must...etc.  Print your routine, the locations of feed, needs for animal care and post it some where. Would anyone know what to do if you ran away today????


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## Bruce

farmerjan said:


> and the limited options I have for the ankle besides fusion


My Dad had an ankle replacement a few years ago.



Baymule said:


> My husband is on AARP traditional supplement, Plan F.


Went to the monthly retiree lunch last Wednesday. Most are 65+ but I am not. In any case the whole insurance thing comes up often. Last week's "nugget" was that people with "Plan F" can continue to get it. Won't be available to new people. This is not insurance provider specific.



greybeard said:


> Part B is your medicare for Dr visits. It's base will cost (for 2018) $134/month. If you are drawing SS benefits, that $134 will be deducted directly from your monthly SS benefit 'check'.


Good info, didn't know they took your medicare cost out of the SS check. That sure would be a surprise if one started SS before 65 then WHAM! Sorry but your check is now $134 less per month. That could certainly mess with one's budget.


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## greybeard

> Good info, didn't know they took your medicare cost out of the SS check. That sure would be a surprise if one started SS before 65 then WHAM! Sorry but your check is now $134 less per month. That could certainly mess with one's budget.
> 
> Bruce



It's not an automatic thing. You will be asked by medicare or the plan provider how you want that $134 deducted or how you want to remit the funds. You can have it automatically deducted from your bank account or send them a check..or deducted from SS benefits before it is even direct deposited in your acct.

Plan F is not going away for everyone and even after 2018, some, not already signed up can still opt for Plan F.
Plan C is going to have a similar restriction beginning in 2020.

_The new law states that on or after January 1, 2020, a Medicare Supplement policy that provides coverage of the Part B deductible may not be sold or issued to a newly eligible Medicare beneficiary.  You can read more here. That means that people whose birthday is December 31, 1954 (turning 65 on December 31, 2019) may be the last group able to enroll in Medicare Supplement Plan F. After January 1, 2020, you will not be able to enroll in Medicare Supplement Plan C, one of the closest alternatives to Plan F, either, since it also covers the Part B deductible.  If you already have Plan F, you can keep it. The law only affects new enrollees.

The good news for enrollees buying a Medicare Supplement plan after January 1, 2020 is that the Part B deductible, which will not be covered in your plan, is not one of the biggest health-care costs under Medicare. In 2018 the Part B deductible is $183 per year. The Part A deductible is more than seven times that amount. Almost all the standardized Medicare Supplement plans available in most states (except Medicare Supplement Plan A) still may cover at least 50% of the Medicare Part A deductible, which in 2018 is $1,340 for each benefit period.

If you are unable to enroll in Plan F or Plan C, you may consider buying Medicare Supplement Plan G, which generally covers everything Plan F covers except the Part B deductible. Plan G may cover:

_


_

Medicare Part A deductible

Medicare Part B excess charges

Part A hospital and coinsurance costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted

Part B coinsurance or copayment

First three pints of blood used in an approved medical procedure (annually)

Part A hospice care copayment or coinsurance

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) coinsurance

Foreign travel emergency medical care (80% up to plan limits)
_
[/b]

If you currently have Plan F and like it, DO NOT let your coverage lapse!!!


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## Bruce

greybeard said:


> If you currently have Plan F and like it, DO NOT let your coverage lapse!!!


True that!

I guess Plan F is too good a deal so they are getting rid of it. I read all you posted and find it quite confusing. 
Glad I have nearly 3 years before I have to understand it.


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## Baymule

What SS office you go to for help has a lot to do with it too. We went to Lufkin the first time for DH, which was an hour away-and the opposite direction from the Houston area. We were pleased with the small town friendly people who worked there and the time spent plainly explaining everything to us on that and subsequent visits. 

We went ONE time to the SS office in Tyler. Vastly different experience. Will never go back. Bigger city, crowded, a loooong wait, overloaded and over worked people, a run-the-cattle-through attitude. Later on, we had a question and went back to Lufkin, 2 hours away, were in and out in less than an hour, question was answered to our satisfaction and a pleasant experience. 

Government offices of any level in Tyler are pretty much a miserable experience. When I needed to renew my drivers license, we went to the county north of us to a small town about 45 minutes away.


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## Bruce

Sadly it looks like we are screwed on that account. Only 3 offices in the state, one in the biggest city, one in the state capital and one in the biggest city in the southernish part of the state (actually a lot closer to the middle of the state than the middle of the southern half). No "small town friendly" available.


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## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Sadly it looks like we are screwed on that account. Only 3 offices in the state, one in the biggest city, one in the state capital and one in the biggest city in the southernish part of the state (actually a lot closer to the middle of the state than the middle of the southern half). No "small town friendly" available.



Everything related to applying for SS and medicare benefits can be done via telephone or on line. The same person that signs you up for SS can usually sign you up for Medicare.
1-800-772-1213
https://secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/rib
Things you will need in front of you in either case:
https://www.ssa.gov/hlp/isba/10/isba-checklist.pdf


Make sure, you are in a quiet place in your home, that you won't be disturbed or interrupted, that your phone is fully charged and if possible, temporarily block any incoming calls or computer updates.

Make SURE, that you know the place and means any former marriage ended, if the former spouse is deceased, his/her date of death..helps to have the death certificate in front of you.

Took me about 20 minutes by phone and there were a few glitches, as I did not have a former wife's death certificate, but since I knew where and when she died, they (SS) were able to look it up.

Make sure as well, that you have your bank's name, your account # and bank's routing number in front of you.

IF, your former spouse is deceased, and had ever paid into SS/Medicare, you will be asked if you want to draw on their benefits..you can't draw both yours and theirs simultaneously. One or the other. The SS rep will be able to tell you how much the former spouse benefits to you will be. You 'can' draw their's first, then file to draw your own later. (I don't remember exactly how that worked, but I declined 'hers'.)


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## Mini Horses

Just a note....to claim a spouse's earnings benefits, you must have been married at least 10 months.   To collect for a child's share, no elapsed time required...or even a marriage.

The little $255 death "benefit" is paid ONLY to a current spouse OR a dependent child.   So, if a widow/widower parent dies and children are grown, nothing paid for funeral assist.

Been there for both...….


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## Bruce

greybeard said:


> IF, your former spouse is deceased, and had ever paid into SS/Medicare, you will be asked if you want to draw on their benefits..you can't draw both yours and theirs simultaneously.


So grubby as it sounds, my friend who's ex dropped dead 3 months ago with no medical warning signs could pull from his SS when he would have turned 62 in 6 years and wait to collect hers when she is 70 in 11.


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## greybeard

Bruce said:


> So grubby as it sounds, my friend who's ex dropped dead 3 months ago with no medical warning signs could pull from his SS when he would have turned 62 in 6 years and wait to collect hers when she is 70 in 11.


I may be wrong on this Bruce, but there's something in the back of my mind that makes me remember it thusly: That the surviving spouse is entitled to only 1/2 of the deceased's monthly benefits.


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## Bruce

Funny thing is that she and I had been talking Thursday about when it is best to start pulling SS. She didn't mention he had died until just before I left. I hadn't thought about the possibility she could pull from his until your post. It gives her a somewhat unique ability to wait and "not wait" at the same time. Even if she doesn't need the money (and if you can even consider waiting past your earliest date, you don't NEED the money), she could collect it and gift it to their 2 boys, now 21 and 23.


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## greybeard

It does go smoother, if the deceased had already signed up for SS benefits before assuming room temperature..

Receiving SS benefits of deceased spouse:
https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/ifyou.html


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## Bruce

And of course there is this:
"There are limits on how much survivors may earn while they receive benefits."
She would have to retire before collecting on his SS. Her earned income is far too high to not have the SS run to $0.


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## Mike CHS

What really skews the calculations is how the SS web sight reads about how they will deduct x $ for X $ that you made.  I worked till the end of June the year that I started to draw SS but when I applied that year they asked about what your estimated wages will be for the remaining months of the year.  My income was high enough that I expected some major deduction but that didn't happen.  What did happen is my actual earnings didn't match what SS estimated so I had to go speak to an agent at the SS office.  It got adjusted down and no changes were made and my monthly draw was the same as originally scheduled.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Miss @farmerjan,

    What did you end up doing regarding taking Social Security and Medicare?

Senile Texas Aggie


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## farmerjan

At present, I have signed up for SS to start in Jan 2019.  The lady I talked to at our office, was very nice and although confusing, did a pretty good job of trying to help me through it.   First complication, they needed a copy of my birth certificate because the date they had was one day before my actual birthdate.  So had to go through the rigamarole to get a copy of my birth certificate from the city clerk.  That of course seemed to take forever, even with a priority envelope prepaid, provided to them.  So got that to prove who I was when I was born.
When discussing the different amounts according to when I would take it, it seems there is like only about a $6. difference per month for me to wait longer. NO BRAINER.....  but the reason I am waiting to Jan2019 is the allowable earned income increases to something over $44,000 from the current 15,000  or so. Since I have made over $15,000 as taxable wages, they would hold my first 2  SS checks and then after the end of the 2018 year, I would get what I was allowed.  Since I have never made over the $44,000 new allowable limit, it was just easier to wait 3 months and not have to deal with all the "held back" checks and such.  3 months isn't a big deal, and I will get a "smidgen more".  They still hold the first check so to speak... I will get the "january check" the first of february.

I will be starting medicare the first of December as that is the start of our fiscal year at work. I wanted to be sure to get the rest of the health savings match our company did through the end of our 2018 year.  Since the dairy industry has gotten so bad in general, and so many farms are skipping tests or going to every other month or every 3, I will be losing my full time status by the first of 2019 so it is going to work out pretty smoothly to start.  I am now signed up for Part A & B  and have to get the drug plan which I think I will go with F from what our health ins lady at work has suggested.  It seems that our insurance at work does not have a "creditable" drug plan so it was pretty much a foregone conclusion to go on Medicare. It is either F or G and she said her husband has F and they paid a total of $187 out of pocket for his knee replacement, rehab, etc and so forth. I've got to do a little more studying on it, but because I will have coverage through work for another month or so,  they told me I can sign up without a penalty because I qualify for the open enrollment as well as the enrollment that everyone has when they are turning  65.  I should have made a decision by next week,  I am just waiting on a call back from an ins provider that I met at a seminar given for seniors, for advise to a couple of questions I had.

It still takes a Philadelphia lawyer to figure it all out.....


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## B&B Happy goats

I retired at 62, after doing the math....it didn't  matter, had savings and everything  paid for, including home. I only have medicare because.....a insurance agent who sold medicare supplement  insurance told me (while my ex husband had cancer) that your better off without the supplement  because the out of pocket would be less and hospital would write off.....so thats what i do .....medicare, small ss check , husbands diabilty ck...cash and happy goats !


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## Mike CHS

When I applied for SS it was about 4 months before I had planned to retire.  I applied in February and planned to retire in late June.  I actually didn't get leave my job until July and I also got my first check in July so toward the end of the year I got a form to fill out since I earned a months more pay than I had previously filled out.  My first check was for my full amount and when everything got reconciled the following year everything balanced out.  My gross earnings for the almost seven months the year I retired was over $60K and I never took a hit on the following SS amounts so color me confused.  The things I read on the SS site basically said it doesn't matter what you make before you start drawing but it's rather what you make above SS payments after you start drawing.


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## greybeard

B&B Happy goats said:


> that your better off without the supplement because the out of pocket would be less and hospital would write off...


The "hospital would write off" _what_?


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## Bruce

Presumably the part one couldn't pay because they had no supplemental insurance. Though as I hear it, they will work you over good and try to come up with a payment plan long before they write it off.


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## Baymule

Not to mention ruin your credit.


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## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Presumably the part one couldn't pay because they had no supplemental insurance. Though as I hear it, they will work you over good and try to come up with a payment plan long before they write it off.



Well, cash talks and hospitals will lower the bill if one walks in with a big wad of benjamins and grants. That is not 'writing' anything off tho. 
As far as stiffing anyone, I'm not much in favor of it, especially an outfit that just made me well or saved my life..or one of my family. I don't believe in free rides at all and it don't make a crap to me how much $$, wealth, or assets the place has already gotten or where they got it. I agreed and signed on the dotted line I would pay before I ever laid in their bed and danged if I'm going to go back on my signed name, which is my word.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

Miss @farmerjan (and possibly others),

    Before I logged onto BYH I looked on the Social Security website to try to find a policy that is being phased out but certain people born before a certain date are still eligible.  (Although I could not find the info on the SSA website, here is a discussion about it at Charles Schwab: https://www.schwab.com/resource-center/insights/content/when-should-you-take-social-security ).  My wife and I will be taking advantage of this strategy.  Although it is talking about married couples, it may apply to divorcees whose spouses are eligible for SSA benefits.  I will continue to look on the SSA website, but you might want to see if you qualify for spousal benefits from your ex-husband and, if so, which would be greater.

Senile Texas Aggie


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## Bruce

greybeard said:


> I agreed and signed on the dotted line I would pay before I ever laid in their bed and danged if I'm going to go back on my signed name, which is my word.


Commendable and I generally agree. But if you don't have the hundreds of thousands of $$ that some bills can come to, what then? It isn't like you go to the hospital and say "quit when the bill hits $xx because that is all I have" .

I recently heard that the "lifeline" helicopter rides can run $40K and insurance doesn't always cover it. I doubt if I were in need of same that I would have time to see if my insurance would cover it and if not say "no thanks". In all likelihood even if I knew it didn't I probably wouldn't be in a state to tell them not to pick me up.


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## Mike CHS

Just as an aside, Life Flight insurance is $120 annually for both us since any major event is going to require a helo to Nashville or Franklin.  The insurance works and we personally know of people that have it and use it.


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## B&B Happy goats

Bruce said:


> Presumably the part one couldn't pay because they had no supplemental insurance. Though as I hear it, they will work you over good and try to come up with a payment plan long before they write it off.


Bruce if that was pertaining to my comment that i posted above, it was due to the fact that his cancer treatment costs were crazy high, after we did what his agent told us to do, the drs, hospitals changed and lowered the bills to medicare standard  payments....and the hospital wrote the rest off. Although its been quite some years, my credit score has only gone up, so no credit issues for doing it that way, at least in the situation that ex and i were in at that time....


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## greybeard

Bruce said:


> Commendable and I generally agree. But if you don't have the hundreds of thousands of $$ that some bills can come to, what then? It isn't like you go to the hospital and say "quit when the bill hits $xx because that is all I have" .
> 
> I recently heard that the "lifeline" helicopter rides can run $40K and insurance doesn't always cover it. I doubt if I were in need of same that I would have time to see if my insurance would cover it and if not say "no thanks". In all likelihood even if I knew it didn't I probably wouldn't be in a state to tell them not to pick me up.


No, I don't do that. I just pay the bill even if it meant I would have to sell off something, liquidate something or as last resort, make monthly payments till the full balance is paid off.
It is, what I agreed to do when I walked in their door and signed the financial responsibility form.

I have seen some good regional medical centers shut their doors because so many people just said "Screw it--they got plenty of $$...I ain't paying it".


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## animalmom

When a Doctor or Hospital agrees to accept Medicare then that is what they are paid.  The Dr or Hospital can bill you for the deductible or the difference between what Medicare allows and what Medicare pays, but the Dr or Hospital can not come to you for the difference between what they billed and what Medicare allows.  This is the portion they "write off".

So if the hospital bill was 1000.00 and Medicare allows 800 and pays 700 of the 800 then the hospital can only bill for the 100 difference, not the difference between what they billed and what Medicate allows.


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## farmerjan

@Mike CHS ;  am interested in the Life Flight ins you mentioned. Who/where did you get it?   It seems to be a good deal at a very reasonable cost and I do not see where it is a covered expense in what I have been looking at.  I think that I would want to carry that just in case.  My biggest thoughts are for any kind of accident that I might be in on the farm, or even an auto accident... know several who have been life flighted to hospitals.  
I am going to be talking to the lady who does our ins at work and has given me advice in the past.  I went to a seminar that was given for seniors and they seemed to suggest that Plan F would cost more as the years went on due to a smaller base once it is no longer available.  So, maybe the thing to do is to get it now and then switch in a few years as is allowed when you can do so with no penalties?  One question I will be asking.


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## greybeard

animalmom said:


> When a Doctor or Hospital agrees to accept Medicare then that is what they are paid.  The Dr or Hospital can bill you for the deductible or the difference between what Medicare allows and what Medicare pays, but the Dr or Hospital can not come to you for the difference between what they billed and what Medicare allows.  This is the portion they "write off".
> 
> So if the hospital bill was 1000.00 and Medicare allows 800 and pays 700 of the 800 then the hospital can only bill for the 100 difference, not the difference between what they billed and what Medicate allows.



Medicare allows some exceptions to that. Among them is Medicare's 2 Midnight Rule.
If a member is transferring temporarily from skilled nursing to a hospital, the the Three Day Rule also applies.


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## Mike CHS

farmerjan said:


> @Mike CHS ;  am interested in the Life Flight ins you mentioned. Who/where did you get it?



There is more than one company and you can buy from them direct but we got a discount going through our Insurance with Farm Bureau.  The link I'm pasting might be some help to you.  We have a small regional hospital for most things but any major trauma event is going to require going a minimum of an hour away by vehicle.  In our area the EMS folks automatically look for a decal or the card that you are told to have next to your license.

https://www.airmedcarenetwork.com/


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## farmerjan

Well, I am OFFICIALLY an OLD PERSON..... I got my medicare card in the mail...... Part A & part B  and even paid my first 3 months payment on the part B, although I am looking at the monthly withdrawal out of my bank account.  
Takes effect DEC. 1 ST.  YAY !!!!.  
Social Security starts Jan 2019....

I feel ANCIENT !!!!!


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## Bruce

Older sister just filed. Had to go in for something Tuesday, had been told she needed to bring her divorce papers and something else. Waited a few weeks for the appointment after being told it couldn't be done on the phone. The guy she saw didn't want to look at the stuff she brought and gave her a form she had to fill out. Seems like they could have mailed that to her!


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## greybeard

farmerjan said:


> Well, I am OFFICIALLY an OLD PERSON..... I got my medicare card in the mail......!


Don't get too used to your medicare number IF your brand spankin new  medicare card shows your medicare # as the same as your "Other Federal ID #" + 1 digit. If it does, then you will be getting another medicare card and a new/different medicare ID# within a month.


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## Mike CHS

Congratulations on officially becoming an "old" person.


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## Baymule

Congrats on the medicare. Make sure that you get a supplement to go with it. As you probably know, medicare only pays 80% and you are on the hook for the rest. Hospitals discount to medicare and supplements, but will rip your head off for your 20% at the full, not discounted price. My husband has a traditional AARP, through United Healthcare, supplement. Through his heart surgery, knee/shoulder replacement, plus months of therapy on all 3, we paid not one penny out of pocket.


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## Mike CHS

I consider myself lucky to have Tricare as my supplement.  My shoulder surgery cost me $9 for a painkiller that I never used.


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## Senile_Texas_Aggie

farmerjan said:


> Well, I am OFFICIALLY an OLD PERSON..... I got my medicare card in the mail.



Miss @farmerjan, don't worry.  I got my Medicare card back in Oct 2017 and I lived to tell about it!   And I am a year older than you are, so you'll be OK.  Just take care of yourself, because we want you around for a LONG time here on BYH! 

Senile Texas Aggie


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## Mini Horses

farmerjan said:


> Well, I am OFFICIALLY an OLD PERSON..... I got my medicare card in the mail...... Part A & part B and even paid my first 3 months payment on the part B, although I am looking at the monthly withdrawal out of my bank account.
> Takes effect DEC. 1 ST. YAY !!!!.
> Social Security starts Jan 2019....
> 
> I feel ANCIENT !!!!!




OFFICIAL!!    Guess that's like reaching the age for a driver's license?     Yep...it isn't a bad thing.  I'll be "official" for 8 yrs come January -- have never used my medicare.  So, looking at those "Advantage" plans again and just not thinking I'm there.  If I needed meds, the State has a plan I can get for help to pay for them.    Right now, occasional aspirin is it.   I am fortunate!!

If I had issues, as some of you do (sorry), I would certainly be thinking about a supplement plan.

ALSO--@farmerjan,  VA has expanded it's Medicaid to include us "singles" now, so you may want to look into that dual coverage as it would help with the 20%  & drugs.   That is possibly where I will go next year, so long as I cut back work so my income doesn't disqual me.   My taxes help pay for it for everyone else.


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## Baymule

We do not have a prescription plan. We use the Texasdrugcard.com and it gives a good discount. I looked it up on my phone and saved it to my phone, the Rx can scan it.

Virginia has one too. My guess is that every state has one.

https://www.virginiadrugcard.com/


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## farmerjan

@greybeard  I looked and the "number" on the Medicare card has numbers and letters all mixed in together.  The ins lady for our work ins, said it is my new number, guess since it is not the old "ID" plus one number.  Got a supplement ins too and am looking at the different "drug plans" since I don't take any drugs.  Might see about the one @Baymule  posted the link to.  She said since I am not taking anything now, so don't have to worry about any lapse in it, the only problem I might face is that I might have to pay for any prescrips for the month of Dec if I need any.  Plus our ins year was Dec 1st to Nov 30th and all the rest are on a calendar year for deductibles, so It won't hurt me that way because if I did have to get a prescrip., I would have to meet deductibles for 2018 and it is almost over.   As soon as I start receiving my SS my ins lady says they will start taking my part B out automatically, so she said I need to be sure that the either return what I will have "overpaid" by paying it for 3 months, or not start taking it out until March;  and SS is set to start in January.  She told me what she would get if she were to go on Medicare right now, (she's 62) and what her husband went on last year when he turned 65.  Since she has been our ins advisor for over 30 years at work, with several different bosses that did some other research on other ins reps and stuff, I feel like she hasn't steered us wrong yet.  She said I can call her anytime if I need anything explained, or if I hear about something different and want to find out about it.  So, I feel comfortable with her on that.


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## greybeard

Some states, that expanded Medicaid when Obamacare went into effect, have their own drug supplement programs that are more affordable than the Part D supplements most people buy. Va may be one of those states.
Texas is not. 

Be careful...there are some drug "insurance" and pharmacy discount scams being run...and they usually come in the mail. At best, their claims are misleading, at worst, they are downright crooks.
(there are also a few good ones)


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## Baymule

If you have a good pharmacist who will look up generics and if the drug has any manufacturer's coupons, they can get the cost down. We just use the state drug discount card and it really does bring the prices down. Dh only takes a few medications. Ya' gotta watch the doctors or they will load you up with crap that the side effects are worse than what ails you.


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## frustratedearthmother

Baymule said:


> Ya' gotta watch the doctors or they will load you up with crap that the side effects are worse than what ails you.


And that's the truth.  When I took in my parents after Hurricane Ike my dad couldn't get out of a chair by himself at 88 years old.  I got him off his cholesterol meds and within a week he was getting up and down alone.  Side effects suck!


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