Posted on 09/29/2012 5:43:18 AM PDT by knarf
I'll be 65 in March and the fliers have started to come enticing me to contact this one or that one about parts A, B, C, D, .... LMNOP....
I've tried to search out what Medicare is and, I must be stoopid, 'cause it seems to me Medicare is a word to describe various access to plans ... but not a plan itself.
Am I misreading, suffering from sometimers or what?
I'd appreciate FreepeR's input about what it all means.
I've lost my part time job so all I have at the moment is less than a thou a month SS.
(which serves because I planned years ago, by realistically looking at my wasted years and adjusting my lifestyle to live adequately .. own my home and land, garden, can, etc .. )
You don’t have to sign up for medicare....it automaticly takes place...you have NO choice!
I was told I COULD opt out.
If OsamaObamaCare comes into force none of us will have any real choices.
Not so....opting out doesn’t not compute with Socialism. I’ve already gone down this path and it’s all automatic. That’s not the bad part, at present it’s about $100 a month but thanks to Obamacare that amount will go to over $200 in the next five or six years.
From what I hear .. next to nothing.
I apologize, but I'm really trying to figure it out.
If you have private insurance and want to keep it, sign the back of the SS card you’ll get in the mail and send it back. There are two parts; A and B.
A is for hospitalization which you should sign up for. Don’t sign up for B and you won’t get the $100/month for doctors.
If you want both, follow the instructions on the card and SS will take $100 from your monthly SS payment. Check with your doctor to see if he/she is accepting new Medicare patients.
I’ll be 65 in Feb . Last night I went on line to look for additional insurance plans that evidently we will need to have. Do I get a supplemental, an advantage? Does it cover part A or part B? Why is there still a $5000 yearly out of pocket even though I have an additional insurance plan? Finally gave up for the time being.
About 80% of their designated cost for a particular visit or procedure. Getting a doc to accept will become more difficult with time. Then, you will need the prescription add on of some kind. Then, you will need a supplement to cover some or all of the 20% Medicare leaves off.
The basic cost, now $98/person/month will balloon to, I believe, $247 by 2014. The exact costs can be found on the internet...just google Medicare and it should give you the sites with more detail.
Once you see what they do to doctor’s office payments, you will understand why the very good ones tend to shy away from accepting patients with Medicare. We had one essential to life doc who opted out of Medicare coverage around 2008. That left us with paying the 80% with the supplement paying PART of the remaining 20%.
And, Palin was right about Death Panels...alas.
There is Medicare Part A (hospital insurance). That does not cost you anything for premiums.
There is Medicare Part B (outpatient physician coverage). That’s the part that costs about $100-$150 per month or so.
Then there is Medicare Part D (drug coverage). The costs for that are dependent upon which plan you take.
Then there are Medicare supplements, Medigap, etc.
Seriously, if you are physically capable of working, I would suggest trying to find a job with a company that has health insurance as a fringe benefit. I know of a whole lot of folks who work well into their 70s... they do so primarily so they can steer clear of the Medicare mess.
The private insurance I have now is going up to $525 a month with a $3500 deductable so I doubt if I would want to keep it.
Then I started thinking about medicare and etc.
That's the reason for this post ... just trying to figure out which way to go.
I DO have a stand alone AFLAAK-type plan that's only 20 a month.
“it seems to me Medicare is a word to describe various access to plans ... but not a plan itself.”
No, Medicare IS the gov’t insurance plan you get at 65. If you’re already drawing Social Security the $99 will be deducted automatically.
I’m kind of surprised Medicare didn’t send you the book they send to all recipients. If you haven’t, they will send it to you.
The various “access to plans” is what is called the “Medigap” plans..A, B, C, etc.
Those are sold by various private companies (Blue Cross/Blue Shield, for example) in your state to “fill in the gaps” (deductibles) Medicare does not pay for. You get Medicare part A and B at 65.
Medicare C is the Medicare Advantage Program (which has no additional premium other than the $99.00 from the SS check) Medicare C would be the equivalent to HMO type coverage. You don’t pay an additional premium, but you have to go to a certain hospital, or certain doctor.
Medicare D is the Prescription Benefit Program, and is administered by private companies. You pay a premium each month, and your drugs are discounted when you purchase them.
FYI, When I turned 65 in August I purchased a “Plan F” from Mutual of Omaha, and pay for it monthly with an electronic debit from my checking account. This is in addition to the $99 they withhold from my SS check. I chose that plan, as I want to be able to use any hospital, or use any doctor that accepts Medicare. “Plan F” fills in, and pays for, all of the deductibles of Medicare.
The Insurance Agent that sells you your auto or homeowners policy Might also be able to sell you a “medigap” policy. If you already know the differences in plans A, B, C, etc, then it’s just a matter of which company you want to purchase the insurance from, as all the plans each company sell is exactly the same, by law. It’s only a matter of premium.
I’m up for Medicare in a couple of years. I want to avoid any involvement with AARP but the F supplement has been recommended. I think this is AARP only. Anyone have experience with this?
In most cases, if you choose to buy Part A, you must also have Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) and pay monthly premiums for both.
All companies offer plan F....as a matter of fact all plans are identical except for price. Companies may offer more on plans but cannot offer less. i.e. AARP offers free membership at a exercise spa!!!
BTTT
Unless they have a supplement!!
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