Need Medicare advice

[sweettractors]

I will be 65 this year and I had planned on signing up for medicare and getting off my wife's group insurance plan where she works and save that $400/Mo. How would I proceed? The gumment website does not give any guidelines for this situation. They point me to the State to get answers to questions? Ken Sweet

 

[JakeBrake]

You apply for Medicare at the Social Security website. This applies even if you are not drawing SS.

The United States Social Security Administration

I suspect that your wife's group policy will assume that you applied for Medicare when you reached 65 and will become supplemental, which means they will only pay the part above what Medicare would pay. That's the way the Megacorp I retired from handled it. You definitely need to check into that.

 

[smstonypoint]

Ken,

If you are turning 65, you will soon be (or already are) bombarded with mailings from insurance companies offering supplemental Medicare policies. You need to consider buying supplemental coverage for the expenses not covered by Medicare Parts A & B. This includes policies for Part D of Medicare (prescription drugs).

It would be worth checking with your wife's group plan -- it may have provisions for supplemental Medicare coverage for spouses.

Steve

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I will be 65 this year and I had planned on signing up for medicare and getting off my wife's group insurance plan where she works and save that $400/Mo. How would I proceed? The gumment website does not give any guidelines for this situation. They point me to the State to get answers to questions? Ken Sweet

I would make an appointment with your local (preferably one NOT in a big metro area) SS office. They were very helpful to both me and my wife. I retired from the state, so I kept the group insurance for both of us which is now our supplemental. I would be very careful with my supplemental; some supplementals are not accepted by all doctors and clinics. My group insurance, I don't worry about it being cancelled or being dropped because of any health problems we might have.

 

[radioman]

When I went to a local seminar that was listed in paper about medicare coverage information, I realized it was a marketing thing. I sat down with them and realized in order to get prescription (d) coverage, I must have ab for d or ac for d, the cost is nearly same or more with wife coverage. In our case, it was cheaper to stay with blue cross/blue shield with more options and not worry about medicare hassles.

Since your wife is still working, I'd milk her work insurance as long as you can. Its better and cheaper in short and long run for you IMHO.

 

[patrick_g]

When I went to a local seminar that was listed in paper about medicare coverage information, I realized it was a marketing thing. I sat down with them and realized in order to get prescription (d) coverage, I must have ab for d or ac for d, the cost is nearly same or more with wife coverage. In our case, it was cheaper to stay with blue cross/blue shield with more options and not worry about medicare hassles.

Since your wife is still working, I'd milk her work insurance as long as you can. Its better and cheaper in short and long run for you IMHO.

I have Medicare (Primary) and BlueCross/Shieldfor Federal retirees (Secondary) and it is a very satisfactory arrangement so far.

I'm not knocking BCBS as my use of them as secondary is very cost effective, much more so than just having BCBS alone. Ditto for my wife as we each have our own separate but equal plans. No advantage for two people to have a Family plan. If we had dependent children then fam plan would be a better deal.

Pat

 

[flusher]

I will be 65 this year and I had planned on signing up for medicare and getting off my wife's group insurance plan where she works and save that $400/Mo. How would I proceed? The gumment website does not give any guidelines for this situation. They point me to the State to get answers to questions? Ken Sweet

Medicare is an entitlement--when you reach your 65th birthday you automatically qualify (i.e. are enrolled) for Medicare benefits. You need to figure out if you need/want alternate/additional coverage (Medicare Advantage, Part D prescription drug coverage, Medigap coverage, vision, dental). Use the Medicare website to get started in this decision making process. It takes a little time and effort to get educated about this stuff. Make sure your doctors will accept Medicare's payment schedule.

Good luck.

 

[6sunset6]

When you turn 65 you need to register for Medicare whether you take it or not.
You can continue on your wife's but if you do not register it will cost you more later when she retires. You can register on line.

 

[Bird]

Medicare is an entitlement--when you reach your 65th birthday you automatically qualify (i.e. are enrolled) for Medicare benefits. You need to figure out if you need/want alternate/additional coverage (Medicare Advantage, Part D prescription drug coverage, Medigap coverage, vision, dental). Use the Medicare website to get started in this decision making process. It takes a little time and effort to get educated about this stuff. Make sure your doctors will accept Medicare's payment schedule.

Good luck.

That's not entirely true. You do not automatically qualify unless you would also qualify for social security; i.e., paid in enough for long enough to get the required number of credits. Or if you qualify under your spouse's record. Otherwise, you can buy Medicare Part A for about $400 a month. Part A is the part that most people qualify for at no cost. Everyone has to pay for Part B if they want it, and I think most do.

 

[rsewill]

That's not entirely true. You do not automatically qualify unless you would also qualify for social security; i.e., paid in enough for long enough to get the required number of credits. Or if you qualify under your spouse's record. Otherwise, you can buy Medicare Part A for about $400 a month. Part A is the part that most people qualify for at no cost. Everyone has to pay for Part B if they want it, and I think most do.

I'm 61 so not quite Medicare but am interested in learning more about it.

I was under the impression that you have no choice but to have Medicare. It is mandatory. I thought that mandatory part is what former Texas Congressman Dick Armey is suing the Feds over.

My insurance is through my wife's work (I'm retired) and when we turn 65 her employer's plan says we must apply for Medicare.

 

[JakeBrake]

I'm 61 so not quite Medicare but am interested in learning more about it.

I was under the impression that you have no choice but to have Medicare. It is mandatory. I thought that mandatory part is what former Texas Congressman Dick Armey is suing the Feds over.

My insurance us through my wife's work (I'm retired) and when we turn 65 her employer's plan says we must apply for Medicare.

The government does not mandate that anyone has to sign up for Medicare. However, the Megacorp that I retired from said that as far as it was concerned, everyone who is retired from Megacorp must apply for Medicare and the Megacorp retiree insurance would be supplemental and pay only the part that Medicare would not pay. Whether or not you actually signed up for Medicare was irrelevant. The supplemental insurance through Megacorp is much cheaper than when it was primary.

 

[ccride]

I'm 61 so not quite Medicare but am interested in learning more about it.

I was under the impression that you have no choice but to have Medicare. It is mandatory. I thought that mandatory part is what former Texas Congressman Dick Armey is suing the Feds over.

My insurance us through my wife's work (I'm retired) and when we turn 65 her employer's plan says we must apply for Medicare.

I believe you are correct. I was forced into early retirement before I was 65 but had enough years with my former company to qualify for their group retiree insurance thru BCBS. But when I turned 65 it changed to a Medicare-supplement only plan.

 

[Bird]

As JakeBrake said, Medicare is not mandatory; you do not have to sign up for it. There was a time when some city employees stayed on the city's group health plan, but then the city, as many other employers, said those who are 65 must sign up for Medicare if they want the city's insurance to be a supplement. They cannot stay on the original plan.

 

[TripleR]

My MCHCP from state service required me to take Medicare as primary with MCHCP as secondary, so I dropped it and went on my wife's much better BCBS from the federal government. This fall I will go on part A and skip B and D.

My brother is a federal retiree and this has worked best for him. I am concerned that some doctors and hospitals will stop taking Medicare patients and I don't want to have to drive to St. Louis to find one who does.

 

[QRTRHRS]

My wife is a few years older than I am. We went through this last fall when she turned 65.

Start by considering your needs and ask your doctors if they accept any plan you may be considering. My wife doctors alot and takes a couple of prescription pills daily mostly for heart issues. My insurance through my work offered nothing helpful plus there is the possibility that I may change my situation and wanted no gap for her.

With any of the supplemental plans, the only difference is in the price per plan and some insurers are shall we say harder to work with than others. That and it seems no one is allowed to advise you.

Part A&B started at about 114.30 a month out of her SS check. We picked an "F" supplement for anything not covered by A&B. That plan is through Bankers Fidelity at 101 per month and there are no co-pays, no deductables, zip. So far, this has proved to be about the same or maybe less than what I was paying out due to the co-pays.

Most people go with an "Advantage Plan" because the monthly cost is maybe 35-45 bucks but those come with co-pays but the prescriptions are less I believe.

With the "F" supplement, we had to also get a prescription plan. Most of those come with a 310 yearly deductable. We decided to go with about the cheapest which looked like Wal-Mart Humana.

We have had an issue with this part. My wife takes Zetia which has no generic and the alternative is to take two different drugs that come with purported side effects while the Zetia has been issue free and is working. We are having issues getting the pill covered. I will most likely be shopping elsewhere next fall.

I don't know that any plans offer dental or vision care. Fortunately, I was able to continue the dental coverage through my work plan. My wife does wear reading glasses but has no other issues so no big deal there.

 

[ronjhall]

Do not be surprised if you are still paying $400 a month on Medicare. You will need to signup for part B. About $100 a month. You will need a part D prescription plan. About $50 a month. Then you will need a supplemental plan. Cost can run from $100 a month to $400 a month.
I would check with your wife's plan to see what they offer for their employees on Medicare.

 

[turnkey4099]

Just a comment from one fighting in the trenches. Back when I turned 65 I signed up for A&B. Did not take out any supplementary as I have a very good policy throught the AF (served 21 years). I wish now that I had taken out a policy for nursing home care. My wife is fadig away in to alzheimers and will be needing that care. My retirement which was _very_ comfortable finance wise will turn into bankruptcy.

Something to consider.

Harry K

 

[Bird]

Do not be surprised if you are still paying $400 a month on Medicare. You will need to signup for part B. About $100 a month. You will need a part D prescription plan. About $50 a month. Then you will need a supplemental plan. Cost can run from $100 a month to $400 a month.
I would check with your wife's plan to see what they offer for their employees on Medicare.

Our Plan A is paid for via my wife's social security record. Our Plan B is $99.90 for each of us; i.e., total of $199.80. Our Plan F Medicare supplement is $275 for the 2 of us, Plan D (prescriptions) is $310 for both of us. Some pretty sorry dental insurance is $48.27 and vision insurance is $8.75. And it's all through the city's plan and all provided by AARP's United HealthCare. No deductible and no co-pay on Plans A, B, & F. But the Plan D (prescriptions) has a considerable amount of co-pays, but no "donut hole" that some plans have.

 

[TripleR]

Just a comment from one fighting in the trenches. Back when I turned 65 I signed up for A&B. Did not take out any supplementary as I have a very good policy throught the AF (served 21 years). I wish now that I had taken out a policy for nursing home care. My wife is fadig away in to alzheimers and will be needing that care. My retirement which was _very_ comfortable finance wise will turn into bankruptcy.

Something to consider.

Harry K

Sorry to hear about your wife, we went through that with my grandmother and uncle who was more like a brother. Fortunately they had planned ahead and finances weren't a problem, if not for that you are right about the bankruptcy.

 

[JakeBrake]

Just a comment from one fighting in the trenches. Back when I turned 65 I signed up for A&B. Did not take out any supplementary as I have a very good policy throught the AF (served 21 years). I wish now that I had taken out a policy for nursing home care. My wife is fadig away in to alzheimers and will be needing that care. My retirement which was _very_ comfortable finance wise will turn into bankruptcy.

Something to consider.

Harry K

Sorry to heat abour your wife, but the fact is Medicare (or supplemental) has nothing to do with Long Term Care Expenses (LTC). If she is qualified, Medicaid MAY pick up the tab.

Medicare MAY pay for about 30 days in a nursing home after she is released from a hospital.