Medicare enrollment before Dec 7th. Additional plans, costs and penalties.

[Snattlerake]

I told you all in my first post I was a babe in the woods about Medicare.

IF... anyone here still does not know, You have to pay the government for medicare even though you have paid into it all your working life. People only talked about the medicare costs that medicare doesn't cover. I blame myself for not making this guy I went to meet to go through his lesson plan. No one ever said anything about paying the government besides paying an insurance company for the supplementals. Apparently the cost is supposed to be taken out of your social security check every month and you never know it. Since I have not elected to draw social security yet, Hoooah! Big surprise.

I fought hard to get my identification verified to even get on medicare. Same as the V.A. They have contracted a third party to verify you are really you.

I got my first bill over $450 for the quarter before I got my medicare card. I freely admitted I was naive when I started this thread. I'm writing this entry to inform the rest of the naive people out there you have to pay for the privilege to have government insurance PLUS pay for the supplements. This is why insurance companies offer "advantage plans" to "manage" your life for a price. Most of the insurance agents I have talked to will not sell these plans because they are not a good value for anyone that is still healthy with their own assets.

Medicade is a state run plan that covers everything but you almost have to be indigent to even be on it.

These "Call us to see what additional features you may be entitled to" Joe Namath talks about are mostly based on zipcode and your bank book balance.

 

[dennishoddy]

I told you all in my first post I was a babe in the woods about Medicare.

IF... anyone here still does not know, You have to pay the government for medicare even though you have paid into it all your working life. People only talked about the medicare costs that medicare doesn't cover. I blame myself for not making this guy I went to meet to go through his lesson plan. No one ever said anything about paying the government besides paying an insurance company for the supplementals. Apparently the cost is supposed to be taken out of your social security check every month and you never know it. Since I have not elected to draw social security yet, Hoooah! Big surprise.

I fought hard to get my identification verified to even get on medicare. Same as the V.A. They have contracted a third party to verify you are really you.

I got my first bill over $450 for the quarter before I got my medicare card. I freely admitted I was naive when I started this thread. I'm writing this entry to inform the rest of the naive people out there you have to pay for the privilege to have government insurance PLUS pay for the supplements. This is why insurance companies offer "advantage plans" to "manage" your life for a price. Most of the insurance agents I have talked to will not sell these plans because they are not a good value for anyone that is still healthy with their own assets.

Medicade is a state run plan that covers everything but you almost have to be indigent to even be on it.

These "Call us to see what additional features you may be entitled to" Joe Namath talks about are mostly based on zipcode and your bank book balance.

A lot of folks don't know you have to pay medicare and then get a supplement to cover the rest when they retire.
Wife and I went to a couple of seminars prior to my retirement which was first to gain knowledge about all the different government plans.
Supplements change every year. What is good for you one year may not be the best the following year.
My advice is to do research on an independent insurance agent that looks over several companies with some specialty in Medicare supplements. My agent has recommended changing carriers three times since I retired 7 years ago.
I've never had to pay a medical bill.
Don't forget to take income tax from your SS payments. Lots of folks think it's tax free when it's not.

 

[Pstmstr]

I just want the free Medicare for all that Bernie and AOC keep talking about. I turn 65 this month so I should be eligible. It’s gonna be great isn’t it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Uncle TK]

Medicare Part A (Hospitals Free Zero Cost)
Medicare Part B (80% of Doctors Bills) Cost for 2020 was $1,725.20
Supplement (20% of Doctors Bills) Starts out cheap and goes up every year (A to G are the same coverage by Insurance companys)
Medicare Part D (Drugs & RX) Coverage varies

Medicare Part C (Advantage) You deal with a insurance company (Cost depends with company)

 

[okcBob]

I’m enrolling this year. Working on getting educated on everything, but have several months before having to make any decisions.

 

[JD8]

I told you all in my first post I was a babe in the woods about Medicare.

IF... anyone here still does not know, You have to pay the government for medicare even though you have paid into it all your working life. People only talked about the medicare costs that medicare doesn't cover. I blame myself for not making this guy I went to meet to go through his lesson plan. No one ever said anything about paying the government besides paying an insurance company for the supplementals. Apparently the cost is supposed to be taken out of your social security check every month and you never know it. Since I have not elected to draw social security yet, Hoooah! Big surprise.

I fought hard to get my identification verified to even get on medicare. Same as the V.A. They have contracted a third party to verify you are really you.

I got my first bill over $450 for the quarter before I got my medicare card. I freely admitted I was naive when I started this thread. I'm writing this entry to inform the rest of the naive people out there you have to pay for the privilege to have government insurance PLUS pay for the supplements. This is why insurance companies offer "advantage plans" to "manage" your life for a price. Most of the insurance agents I have talked to will not sell these plans because they are not a good value for anyone that is still healthy with their own assets.

Medicade is a state run plan that covers everything but you almost have to be indigent to even be on it.

These "Call us to see what additional features you may be entitled to" Joe Namath talks about are mostly based on zipcode and your bank book balance.

Spot on.


Just a review. You're also charged more as your income rises?

https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-b-costs

 

[MacFromOK]

Medicare "Part A" is indeed free, but it covers hospitalization only.

"Part B" which covers Dr. office visits and prescriptions, cost $142.50 per month (2021). Sweetie has both A & B, but I only have "Part A" (so far, my out of pocket for visits & scrips have been cheaper than Part B premiums).

AFAIK, either one (or both) only covers about 80%. These are the only two plans I'm familiar with.

 

[Snattlerake]

Well I just met with another insurance fellow who is a member here. He and his wife braved the ice and drove to OKC to meet me and my wife and we had a great time drinking cold coffee at a local coffee house. We had so much fun we agreed to meet every year and do it again. Maybe with booze next year.

I'm checking on my eligibility with the VA's Tricare program, currently on hold for 67 minutes.

 

[Snattlerake]

The further adventures of Humana and Part D

Humana called me offering substantial savings IF I elected to use their 90 day drug supply mail order service through their Humana Pharmacy. It sounded real good but their was sometrepidation on my part about the Percocet I get every month and having to wait on it to come through the mail system which I don't trust.

The lady was quite the sales person quoting me prices on all the drugs I'm taking at ZERO DOLLARS copay to pennies on the dollar copay for others. WHat she didn't say was she was quoting me prices that were AFTER I met the deductable which she conveniently didn't know if I had or had not. I had to be transfered to another department to get that information.

I told her I was going to hold off on ordering as there was still some confusion as to which amount I was going to pay on one drug. I had previously been quoted $500+, $400+, $300+ a month now down to $200 for a 90 day supply. That department said I had met the deductable by over $50. They also contradicted the previous person telling me that my Rx for Percocet was covered when it was not. Having been through the mill I asked person number two if the 90 day plan was figured into my deductable and was that the reason they said I had met it. He said no. (I found out later it was) I also asked if the fact I refused the Percocet by mail was the reason it was not covered and he said no, it was not the reason.

Two days go by and low and behold there is a package from Humana Pharmacy with a different drug and an invoice for $47.30. I did not order this drug because I was nowhere near neading a refill . I had also been quoted ZERO DOLLARS for the drug.

Norman Correlate!

But wait there's more!
Donut holes!

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/medicare/part-d-all/understanding-the-medicare-donut-hole

 

[JD8]

There are groups out there that will peddle drug/part D plans. They will have contracts with several carriers and then claim to be with "Humana" or whomever. Not saying this is the case here for sure, but there's direct sales and brokered sales of this stuff. The best way to figure out what your costs would be is to put your formulary into the medicare website as there's an comparison tool of all the part D plans. Used to work pretty well.