Retirees, Social security, Medicare

[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.

 

[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.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

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

 

[Mini Horses]

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.

 

[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/

 

[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.

 

[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)

 

[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.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

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!