Turning 65

[fast4522]

It is automatic when you turn 65 your medicare cards come, but not so clear hat supplement to buy, and from who ?

[Inner Dirt]

I am so sick of Joe Namath pimping some supplemental medicare coverage,

him and J.J. Walker and added SSI benifits. I still have a few years to worry about both of those.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by fast4522

It is automatic when you turn 65 your medicare cards come, but not so clear hat supplement to buy, and from who ?

You need to enroll in Medicare, it is not automatic.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by AndyC

You need to enroll in Medicare, it is not automatic.

I just learned that myself. I have very good insurance right now that I get through my girlfriend’s job. I would WAY rather keep that than go onto Medicare and deal with all that nonsense.

[fast4522]

Originally Posted by AndyC

You need to enroll in Medicare, it is not automatic.

Wrong, if your 65 on July 25 you are autoenrolled July 1. You are required to enroll in part d or some advantage plan 90 days prior or after. Many companys bombard you with their plans and it is up to you to select part d at a minimum. One would think that this place would have good stuff other than bogus polls anyone can skew.

[xtb]

Originally Posted by fast4522

Wrong, if your 65 on July 25 you are autoenrolled July 1. You are required to enroll in part d or some advantage plan 90 days prior or after. Many companys bombard you with their plans and it is up to you to select part d at a minimum. One would think that this place would have good stuff other than bogus polls anyone can skew.

I would ask for a refund.

[dnlgfnk]

Originally Posted by fast4522

Wrong, if your 65 on July 25 you are autoenrolled July 1. You are required to enroll in part d or some advantage plan 90 days prior or after. Many companys bombard you with their plans and it is up to you to select part d at a minimum. One would think that this place would have good stuff other than bogus polls anyone can skew.

I am declining "C" and "D" and will inform Medicare that I have carried over "credible" insurance from my former employer for prescriptions...

https://www.medicare.gov/drug-covera...llment-penalty

They are going to begin deducting "B" monthly premium ($170 for 2022) from social security monthly annuity. My current prescriptions are roughly $60 month under current "credible" other insurance. The cheapest PPO Med Advantage plan offered me is $76 mo., and would still have $30 copay unless seeing their doctors.

[lamboguy]

i have a suplemental plan from Blue Cross Blueshield called Medex.. it cost $225 a month. i get my money back because i go to a chiropractor twice a week, and get money back for my gym. i went to Urgent Care for the Corona, last night i went because i had oral surgery and my face felt like i went 15 rounds with Mohamed Ali. no charge. i went to a podiatrist, no charge.

[fast4522]

Originally Posted by dnlgfnk

I am declining "C" and "D" and will inform Medicare that I have carried over "credible" insurance from my former employer for prescriptions...

https://www.medicare.gov/drug-covera...llment-penalty

They are going to begin deducting "B" monthly premium ($170 for 2022) from social security monthly annuity. My current prescriptions are roughly $60 month under current "credible" other insurance. The cheapest PPO Med Advantage plan offered me is $76 mo., and would still have $30 copay unless seeing their doctors.

Your going to get Part A & B for that premium, in NH the open PPO is zero cost. It is labeled as "C" advantage plan. You select this and the insurance is with that company not medicare and coverage is "A", "B", and "C". Every state is different, before you turn 65 they start calling and mailing in a attempt to get you to select their company. A friend who is 66 and still working I have yet to talk to about it.

[dnlgfnk]

Originally Posted by fast4522

Your going to get Part A & B for that premium, in NH the open PPO is zero cost. It is labeled as "C" advantage plan. You select this and the insurance is with that company not medicare and coverage is "A", "B", and "C". Every state is different, before you turn 65 they start calling and mailing in a attempt to get you to select their company. A friend who is 66 and still working I have yet to talk to about it.

I'm going to see how it goes till open season, where one can always change to Med Advantage and back again. But I cannot surrender my credible coverage from my previous employer, which includes my wife and one of my children not yet 25 yrs old.

[Dave Schwartz]

I've been on COLUMN F since I went on Medicare. It started at $137 and now, at age 71, it is $209.

But, get this... It is zero-deductible, and zero-copay.

IOW, I pay for NOTHING that Medicare covers.
(Not talking about meds, just prescriptions.)

This includes doctor visits, physical therapy, chiro, blood work.
(Subject to Medicare limits on visits, etc.)
____________
I recently had to have the 2nd surgery of my life to repair a 35-year old hiatal hernia. The surgery was $65,000. I had to pay for some meds that Medicare didn't cover because it was considered "outpatient" (even though I was in the hospital overnight).

Total cost for the surgery: $0
The meds, originally billed at over $2k, were written down to under $500.
____________
IMHO, people who are looking to spend the LEAST AMOUNT POSSIBLE are making a huge mistake.

Sure, you're healthy today, but watch what happens when you get some condition. You won't be able to qualify for this kind of coverage.
____________
Now, the BAD NEWS.
They stopped taking new enrollments for Column F 2 years ago.
____________
But there is GOOD NEWS!
My wife has Column G, which is better than Column F.

It's cheaper - she pays like $147 per month.

It's better. How can that be?
Because her deductible is under $500 and so is her out-of-pocket! And, the deductible counts towards the out-of-pocket!

And get this... Meds count towards the deductible!

She's got some big prescriptions. Two that are around $200 per month. So, she buys her drugs in January and pays nothing for anything for the rest of the year!

Last year she had a total knee replacement and another surgery. Total cost was just under $200,000. She got a bill for $0.

COLUMN G is it.

[vegasone]

If you are covered by insurance from a job, etc. and you can prove it, you would not need to enroll in medicare till your coverage ends. You never need to enroll if you don't want to but then of course you won't be covered. If you don't enroll when required and don't have coverage elsewhere, there is a penalty for enrolling late.

At least that is the way it was several years ago. Rules change so it is best to do some research. It is pretty confusing, which is what they probably wanted.

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by vegasone

If you are covered by insurance from a job, etc. and you can prove it, you would not need to enroll in medicare till your coverage ends. You never need to enroll if you don't want to but then of course you won't be covered. If you don't enroll when required and don't have coverage elsewhere, there is a penalty for enrolling late.

At least that is the way it was several years ago. Rules change so it is best to do some research. It is pretty confusing, which is what they probably wanted.

However, if you don't enroll at the onset of age 65, you don't have guaranteed enrollment - if you want one of the supplements. (Advantage plans may be different.)

As an example, I was rejected by the column G companies because of health conditions, so I am with Column F forever.

[davew]

Originally Posted by vegasone

It is pretty confusing, which is what they probably wanted.

that is what happens when the government runs things.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by fast4522

Wrong, if your 65 on July 25 you are autoenrolled July 1. You are required to enroll in part d or some advantage plan 90 days prior or after. Many companys bombard you with their plans and it is up to you to select part d at a minimum. One would think that this place would have good stuff other than bogus polls anyone can skew.

Only if you are receiving social security. If not, your enrollment is not automatic.