Retirees, Social security, Medicare

[B&B Happy goats]

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....

 

[greybeard]

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".

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[greybeard]

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.

 

[Mike CHS]

@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/

 

[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 !!!!!

 

[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!

 

[greybeard]

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.

 

[Mike CHS]

Congratulations on officially becoming an "old" person.