Texas Fall/Winter thread!

[NativeSon]

Congrats Dennis. Hope your ticker keeps ticking for many years.

Charlie

 

[pacerron]

Congrats! Dennis, you just never get enough good news from your doctor. It must be all that parking lot striping in the middle of cold wet weather that made you tough.:thumbsup:

EDIT: I had my PET scan yesterday. The cost of the test was a little over $4k, but my cost is $0. Thank you Medicare and Tricare supplement.

Did you wiggle out of paying the $104 per month each for Medicare Part B under TriCare for Life?

 

[Western]

Thanks Jim, yeah, I get to walk ALLOT on a parking lot :laughing: even though the machines are "ride-on"

Scans "aint" cheap!! I haven't had one under this new policy and will avoid it if possible. What shocked me was my 1sy colonoscopy...6K !! Had insurance then that covered near all.

Maybe I need to sign up for that medicare stuff!

 

[jinman]

Did you wiggle out of paying the $104 per month each for Medicare Part B under TriCare for Life?

I pay for Medicare Part B, but what is the "each"? My wife is not old enough for Medicare. I also think that when people talk about medical costs, they generally aren't talking about insurance, but rather the copay costs. There are lots of people out there paying much more than $104 per month and still paying high copays. I also have Delta Dental at around $60 per month. My wife's dental is far less than that on an annual basis paid at 100%. But I don't mind paying, just in case.

 

[pacerron]

Thanks Jim, yeah, I get to walk ALLOT on a parking lot :laughing: even though the machines are "ride-on"

Scans "aint" cheap!! I haven't had one under this new policy and will avoid it if possible. What shocked me was my 1sy colonoscopy...6K !! Had insurance then that covered near all.

Maybe I need to sign up for that medicare stuff!

Dennis,
Don't let Jim's medicare expense fool you unless you are a fully retired veteran.
I didn't stay in long enough for that, should have but there were other factors at the time.
Under medicare A the only thing covered is hospital expense, with deductibles. The Part B at $104 per head per month is for the doctors, surgeons, etc.
Then there is the part C. That's where Jim gets a break on the Tricare for Life.
If you buy medigap insurance, like most of us do that want to be able to pick our doctors and hospitals, and to pay the deductibles of medicare
then there are a string of choices. They are all the same coverages by letter, but the prices vary per company. The one we have "F" does not cover out of country, so if we go outside to Canada, Mexico or anywhere else it doesn't pay. It does pay more than the earlier letters.
Ours is $180 per month each for our age group. It goes up in increments of 5 year age categories but can go up for everyone in the group at any time do to expenses, and has regularly.
Then there is Part D for drugs. If you don't take any you can say, I'm not paying for something I don't need, but when you get to the point you do, then there is a big penalty for not enrolling at the beginning age. There is an up front deductible like $300 per head then partial payment depending on whether you take generic or their preferred drugs or non-preferred drugs. plus a monthly premium of $22 per head at our company. The cost of the drug, not what we pay, is totaled toward the GAP.
So your looking at about $6000 in premiums plus your part of the drug charge. That is with no dental insurance.
Some loose caps and fillings for both of us this year was another $3000 out of pocket.
So yes, we do consider that amount of premium money to be part of our medical expense.

One thing that really PMO is all these junior Senators and young people that keep saying we old folks are getting all our coverage at little or no cost now and don't consider all the money we paid into the fund while we were working as well.

 

[Western]

I'm not even close to getting medicare/medicaid. I dont see how many folks will ever re-coup what they pay in for 30-40 years? Just to have to pay the cost you mention above. ANT THEN, they mention having to "supplement " the insurance companies to help them pay for the Ocare provisions,what!!!

I dont think it has any more to do with "health" IMO . Now we have to look into catastrophic insurance to see if that is an option.

 

[Bird]

My wife and I each have deducted $104.90 for Part B, so we're paying $209.80 a month for Part B, then our Part A supplement is $303.00 for both of us, Part C for prescriptions which pays very little, but costs $355.00 for both of us, the Dental coverage, with a maximum $1,000.00 per year they'll pay on each of us is $48.27 and the Vision coverage for $10.52 that pays for a basic annual exam, new lenses if needed annually, and new frames every 2 day.

Dentists and pharmacies get us pretty good, but the other stuff costs nothing; no deductibles so far.

 

[txdon]

Now we have to look into catastrophic insurance to see if that is an option.

I don't think that is an option anymore unless you also want to pay the Ocare insurance penalty which increases each year.

 

[Western]

I don't think that is an option anymore unless you also want to pay the Ocare insurance penalty which increases each year.

Probably not, they have drawn it up to make sure the little we have goes to the ones that want allot....for next to nothing or free. 1st year fine is $95 and cheap enough.

 

[jinman]

Dennis,
Don't let Jim's medicare expense fool you unless you are a fully retired veteran.

Exactly! Don't ever doubt how lucky I know we are. We also get our prescriptions drugs from Express Scripts, which is the TriCare pharmacy. We get 90-day prescriptions filled by them for low cost ($9 to $27 or free generics). Amazingly, that's not my only option. Since I am a service-connected disabled vet, I can get all prescriptions through the VA at no cost if I decide to go that way. Express Scripts is the easier option right now, so we use them. We are blessed to have so many great options and such great coverage.

 

[pacerron]

Exactly! Don't ever doubt how lucky I know we are. We also get our prescriptions drugs from Express Scripts, which is the TriCare pharmacy. We get 90-day prescriptions filled by them for low cost ($9 to $27 or free generics). Amazingly, that's not my only option. Since I am a service-connected disabled vet, I can get all prescriptions through the VA at no cost if I decide to go that way. Express Scripts is the easier option right now, so we use them. We are blessed to have so many great options and such great coverage.

Your long years of devoted service, disability and sacrifice to your country makes you well deserve it.:salute:

 

[Western]

Our last policy we had $5 prescriptions, just got another bottle of Hydrocodone and sticker shock! My FIL re-tired after 37 years in the Army, shoot, they will almost pick him up for VA visits:laughing: He has lifetime 100%, or so he says. Darn good retirement pay as well!

 

[Western]

Don, registered and made my 1st report with CoCoRaHS. A big fat "0":laughing: Do you do the hail pads?

41* this morning, but supposed to warm and windy, nice day for shoveling asphalt...OH yippeee

 

[txdon]

Don, registered and made my 1st report with CoCoRaHS. A big fat "0":laughing: Do you do the hail pads?

41* this morning, but supposed to warm and windy, nice day for shoveling asphalt...OH yippeee

Whoo Hoo! :thumbsup: No, I do not have hail pads. I used to log in my everyday zeros but now I just fill them in from the monthly zeros tab whenever it rains to fill out the calendar. Looks likes we may actually have rain to report this weekend!

 

[pacerron]

Whoo Hoo! :thumbsup: No, I do not have hail pads. I used to log in my everyday zeros but now I just fill them in from the monthly zeros tab whenever it rains to fill out the calendar. Looks likes we may actually have rain to report this weekend!

Here's a nice calculator to determine how much water falls in a storm on your roofs, yards, ponds,
acreage, etc. starting at 1/100ths of an inch.
How much water falls during a storm? USGS Water Science School

 

[Western]

Whoo Hoo! :thumbsup: No, I do not have hail pads. I used to log in my everyday zeros but now I just fill them in from the monthly zeros tab whenever it rains to fill out the calendar. Looks likes we may actually have rain to report this weekend!

Actually, I think that's what I did?? When I logged on, 0 was already there so I clicked the time and submit.

 

[Western]

Ron, you should join, you have a Phd too right:confused3: I know Jim has one

 

[Western]

BTW, 84 * at the house!! no wonder I'm beat, only 3068# to shovel today.

Saw the police had main street shut down in Weatherford, said there was a FG running around in Daisy dukes and a wife beater top:shocked::rotfl:

 

[jinman]

Woohoo! Got my garden all tilled up today. My wife helped a bunch and we got-r-done quickly. The KKII tiller is a dream. Two more freezes forecast for next week and then we'll plant.

Of course, I did screw up a bit. I made a boneheaded mistake and didn't notice until too late that my tiller was in my asparagus. DOH!:mur: Oh well, some may be damaged, but some may just be transplanted.

 

[dsquire]

Had my Echo-cardiogram yesterday afternoon:thumbsup: Doc says the pumper looks great for my age and can see no irregularities. Said the muscle balance was of a 30 year old:thumbsup::thumbsup: Of course he scolded me for smoking over the years, but said for a smoker, my ticker was in better shape than he expected and I should take advantage of it. Was cool watching the valves working LOL Have another check up in 6 months, so in the mean time I will try to work on my diet:thumbdown: He said I have a better than normal diet, I need to cut out allot of fats and sweets and eat more regularly.

They have another test I would like to get done, but since my insurance sucks and out of pocket is now $6500, I have to budget med care for the 1st time. The test measures anticipated plaque build up in the arteries by taking measurements of veins in the neck, then apply s the findings to known #'s of average people. Wish I could remember the name of the test..Don??

Mentally I'm stoked, after moms ordeal, I was a tad concerned since I have abused myself over the years:laughing: Of course the cardiologist said he wouldn't guarantee I don't "drop tomorrow", but said it would be very unlikely.:laughing:

Cold 20* this morning and I'm am almost ready to go over to FG's side of the fence, I 'm ready for better weather so I ca get back to work!

Denis

In my travels on the web today I found this gem that kind of fits in here. It hits home for me as well so please don't feel as though I'm picking on anyone.

Cheers :drink:

Don