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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Jul 10, 2017 - 05:26pm PT
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You are welcome. It's insanely complicated isn't it!
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2017 - 05:29pm PT
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Phylp, that was exactly what I was looking for as I'm just over-the-top slammed with work...again, really appreciate it.
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jstan
climber
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Jul 10, 2017 - 05:33pm PT
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1. As Phylp says, to avoid penalties you have to join Medicare on schedule. 65
2. If you figure on living a long time, you can get a higher SS benefit/mo and total benefit by waiting to go on SS until you are older than 65. Go on at 62 if you are going to die soon. Doing so costs. Get info either off the net or from an office of the SSA. The SSA runs on only 3% overhead so you will need to make an appointment to talk to their office in person.
3. I found being a member of the AARP to be cheap and very helpful.
4. I did not go thru all of the bureaucracy of trying to compare gap plans. When I need a doctor and have to wait and get denied I figured I would have a stroke. So thru the AARP I got UH's plan F. Go to any doctor accepting medicare you choose. You do have to check whether a doctor accepts medicare.
5. You get financial accounting paper work from both the SSA/CMS and the insurer. To have any chance of tracking what is going on I keep a spreadsheet tying all the reports together. The first thing it makes clear is that without medicare you might as well just die. Doing so will be far easier. The spread sheet also allows you to track directly how much profit is going to your insurer. When that profit goes down, then is when you can begin to expect funny work.
6. Since 1978 I have kept all receipts and financial records in chronological spiral note books. When a problem comes up it does not become a research project lasting months. No risk of apoplexy. I copy the relevant receipt and my redacted bank statement. Legal proof. Problem solved. Immediately.
Edit:
Line up you medical care people early. I go to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. On Dec. 24 at 2AM Cottage had me on the table for heart surgery by 6 AM with a surgeon recently teaching at the University of Chicago. Just before the anesthesiologist did his job I asked the doctor what my odds were. He said 98%. Two seconds after I replied, "Let's do it" I was gone. Those were exactly the same odds I required when climbing.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 10, 2017 - 05:36pm PT
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My mom has United Healthcare. Their coverage is OK but finding a doctor with
less than fourteen consonants or vowels in their name that went to a reputable
medical school is really hard. I'm sorry but UCLA, USC, or any US school,
trumps East Jibip Medical School any day of the week.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Trad climber
Will know soon
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Jul 10, 2017 - 06:08pm PT
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Phylp is right on. I have Medicare Part A and Blue Shield Part B. I pay $160 a month for BS and to my way of thinking it is well worth it. I can choose who I can go to and so far in nearly 4 years everything is covered by A and B. I too have an inexpensive RX plan as I take no RX meds. Mine is more expensive than Phylp's so I will check into that. Medicare is the only thing that getting older is good for....oh yeah, and the forever National Park pass at $10 that is soon going up to $80 I hear.
Phylp, great job!
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feralfae
Boulder climber
in the midst of a metaphysical mystery
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Jul 10, 2017 - 06:29pm PT
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Yes, I love my Park Pass, too! Hoping to use it more these next few years as I slowly retire.
I have a Plan F, and the lowest cost Rx plan, since I don't take any pharmaceuticals or other corporate medications. But I do set aside the cost of an Rx plan in my savings account just in case I ever need some exotic drug to cure some rare something. :)
Phylp, that was a great explanation, clear and concise. Thank you.
feralfae
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Jul 10, 2017 - 06:49pm PT
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A lot of the carriers don't offer the plan G. I'm not sure why. It's exactly the same as Plan F except for the deductible. Plan F is by far the most popular plan.
I'm also not sure why different carriers will offer a plan in one zipcode and not another. It's probably because they can make a profit in one area that they don't make in another.
In my zipcode AARP was the only carrier that even offered the plan G. If I had chosen plan F, I would have had the choice of 5 or 6 carriers.
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TLP
climber
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Jul 10, 2017 - 07:00pm PT
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Healy, it's actually incredibly simple to deal with. Seems that you might already have done, but I took the stack of stuff I'd gotten from the company I had my pre-65 health coverage from, found the 800 number, and phoned. They explained what the options were, circumstances each would be advantageous for, and what I needed to do in like 5 or 10 minutes. I can't remember if I did it on line or a simple paper form, but it took just about zero time. I did part A and B and a gap policy, passed on part D (prescription drugs) for now, and I was done. Relatively cheap, worked really really well the two times I had any medical care. No muss no fuss. Maybe for some weird specialty in a rural or small-city market you might have to look for a provider who takes Medicare, but my experience has been a cruise; way easier than it seemed when I looked at the incredibly confusing stuff at first.
Hope you get it sorted but most of all, need as little medical stuff as possible! Good luck.
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Jul 10, 2017 - 09:11pm PT
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Costs go up each year
Medicare deductible
Medicare premium
Gap insurance premium
Faster than inflation?
Are you covered Ina "foreign" country?
If you travel
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Jul 10, 2017 - 09:45pm PT
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On Medicare for 15 years. A little paperwork at first, but it has treated me very well. I have an Anthem supplemental through my state retirement system, and its premiums have gone up. I think strong means-testing will be essential for Medicare viability.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 2, 2017 - 10:43pm PT
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Got the officially old card...thanks again for your help.
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