Anyone here on Medicare that doesn't like it?

[people]

I don't know anyone who dislikes being on Medicare. Do you?

[Journeyman]

1. Well, other than being 65, I've got no regrets to speak about . . .

[safeinOhio]

2. Much better than my Cadillac private ins.

BC/BS use to deny me all of time. MC has never.

[MuseRider]

3. Doing fine with it.

My husbands hospitalization for 4 days in a step down ICU ended up costing us about $400.00. I think I will keep it but I sure wish we had it when he had his heart surgery and his battle with a seizure disorder. Those were expensive even with good (also) expensive insurance (before the ACA).

[redstatebluegirl]

7. Do you have a supplemental policy or the advantage plan?

[MuseRider]

8. Yes and that is very helpful. n/t

[True Blue American]

31. Medicare Advantage

Does not cost anything. The HMO plans today are nothing like the Hmo’s of the 70’s.

If anyone has Anthem they just sent out cards with a credit of$70 every three months for OTC health products. You need to creat an APP, register and order from that App, all kind of products through Walmart or CVS. I I ordered $40 worth on Saturday, delivered to my front door. Monday.
$240 a year. Things I use every day, some brand products.

[katmondoo]

17. saved my life many times over when I could not pay hospital and doctors co pay in full

[CurtEastPoint]

4. On Aetna Advantage for 3 years now and so far, so good.

[samnsara]

5. i like it but i also have an employer insurance policy that picks up most my health care first...

..if it was my only source of health care I would still have to buy a supplement that includes dental..most likely AARP.

[Mz Pip]

9. I have supplemental insurance also.

If Medicare covered everything we wouldn’t need supplemental insurance.

And Medicare is not free. It costs over $100 a month. It comes out of my Social Security check.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

28. And Medicare is not free.

Yes, that's a thing most people advocating Medicare for all don't seem to understand.

[True Blue American]

33. But well worth the price.

[redstatebluegirl]

6. We will see, I am wading through everything right now I turn 65 in May.

The one thing I see is it will cost more than my work coverage, especially drugs I am on three and one is pretty pricey under plan D. My medicare A&B plus the supplemental coverage and plan D drugs I need will cost me $400 a month. My current coverage with my employer that I cannot keep after I turn 65 is $300 a month.

It does look like what I will be getting with medicare and supplemental covers much more and will have less out of pocket than what I have at the moment but wading through all this crap is pretty time consuming.

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Is this on top of the $130+- (the $300-$400 you mentioned)? You probably will have less out ...

of pocket afterwards, from my experience (and I have retiree benefits from work and Medicare too)...one point, and you already know this, all it takes is one time and one could be facing a dire financial situation, so it's better to perhaps get more than enough and then resize later? Good luck and congrats on your upcoming Bday!!

[matt819]

21. Thank you for that observation

My wife just signed up and I will in a few months. Wading about sums it up. Part a, part b, drugs, supplemental. No guidance, except for the tons of mail assuring me that their plans are the best.

With my credits, aca coverage is cheaper in terms of premiums, so I’ll have higher costs there. But I guess that’s offset by lower out of pocket for the care itself.

It seems to me that Medicare was created to provide another profit stream for insurance companies, re part d and supplemental

Oh, and let’s not overlook the joys of deciding when to start collecting social security.

And while I’m bitching, I’ll add my pique over the demands required for real id.

[Delmette2.0]

38. Check your yellow pages for insurance groups

Who can help you sort through all your options. These insurance groups are not allowed to talk about any other kind of insurance.

The group in my town held classes first to introduce terminology and the difference between supplemental and .advantage plans. At your individual appointment they had spreadsheets that compared rates, co-pays and deductables side by side including plans for Part D.

There was no charge for their services.

Perhaps your local library can help you find a Medicare Insurance group.

[marble falls]

10. Not as good as VA.

[True Blue American]

35. My ex Military friends

Had to go on Medicare but could keep the Government supplemental.

We have many Military families moved here because of Wright Pat . We also have a VA Hospital.

[marble falls]

60. We have a good one here in Temple, Texas. I love it.

[dugog55]

12. This is my first year on it.

In September, while at my daughters house in Baltimore, I broke four ribs (8, 9, 10, 11) in a freak fall against the rear fender of a garden tractor. I had x-rays taken two days later, mostly to get stronger pain pills as I was having trouble sleeping. There was no doubt the ribs were broken as I heard them snap. Turns out they were mildly displaced, but no signs of any internal trouble.

Eight nights later my chest felt a bit strange late in the evening. I went to bed in some minor discomfort thinking if it was worse in the morning I would go to the clinic. Well, three hours later I woke up and could barely breathe or stand. My wife drove me to the hospital, only 15 minutes away and quicker than calling for an ambulance or EMTs. My pulse was racing and I was getting light headed on the way there. I went straight to Triage and almost passed out. My HR was 105 and my BP was 88/50. I was pretty much circling the drain.

My initial X-Rays showed no pleural effusion which is a breach in the chest cavity allowing it to fill with blood and fluids. However, I must have had a slow leaker and it took eight days for my to notice breathing difficulties. They pumped some saline into me to stabilize my heart numbers and called out a team to install a drain tube in my chest.

I spent four days in the hospital with a vacuum pump draining my chest. The early blood the leaked in had congealed and needed blood thinners added to it to thin it so it could be sucked out.

My left lung was almost completely squashed (collapsed) and took three weeks of sucking on an incentive spirometer to get it complete re-inflated. I seem to be completely healed now.

My Medicare bills have just now started to trickle in. I had to pay some small amounts for the first x-rays taken at the clinic in Baltimore, less than $75. Medicare just sent me what they are covering for my hospital stay here in Western PA. After at least two dozen w-rays over the four days, and doctor visits, the chest tube, etc... Medicare paid for all but $100 or so. I do have a supplemental insurance that cost $95/mo that should pick up those charges.

Short story, I think Medicare is pretty damn good. $134/mo for Medicare and $95/mo for supplemental with almost 100% coverage. I think those that rage against government programs do not realize just how valuable they can be for Seniors. BTW, Social Security is pretty sweet too. Well worth the monthly expense that so many complain about. Who in their 20's - 40's even has any extra money to set aside for retirement that looks a lifetime away?

[dmr]

64. I agree, it's pretty damn good.

In 2014 I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. I only had Medicare at the time, and the bills came pouring in.

I now have supplemental insurance at about $81 per month. Last year I had a total hip replacement and was hospitalized for about 5 days. Everything was covered. I expected to see some bills in my mailbox, but EVERYTHING was covered. What a wonderful relief that was.

I have other health issues, like metastatic breast cancer, if it weren't for Medicare and the supplemental insurance, well, I'd be dead by now for lack of funds. So, yup, it's pretty damn good.

So sorry to hear of your misfortunes from that freak fall. Good to hear you are mending well, though it sure wasn't easy. Besides being painful, I bet it was a scary time. No more freaky falls for you!

[gratuitous]

13. My wife just went through the application process

One zero premium supplement, another supplement for diddly-squat (less than $50 a month). Met with a guide person who walked her through the available options, pointed out the features of each and whether they applied to her situation or not. The result is better coverage than her employer-paid plan offers at a lower price. Her employer told her that if she got a better deal through Medicare, he'd pick up the first $200 of any monthly out-of-pocket premiums.

We'll see next month how well it works, but for now she's very happy to have better coverage, lower co-pays, and nothing out of pocket for it all. As she was detailing how well it all works together with the programs and the guide and so forth, I told her this is what that money coming out of her paycheck for the last 40 years was paying for.

So obviously, a cheap, efficient government program that delivers satisfactory service at a lower price than the free market must be killed.

[Doreen]

14. A little more than 3 years ago

my Medicare went from a basic Medicare to a wider coverage Medicare ( UnitedHealthCare ) without having to get supplemental insurance. I have visual and dental now. I can see a dermatologist to and a few other things without having to go to a family practitioner first. On basic Medicare I had to be very sick in order to see a specialist or just a regular dentist. The fact that I can actually see an eye doctor and actually get glasses is wonderful.

When I was married I got visual and dental free through my husband's place of employment but when we were getting divorced I went in and got glasses pretty much knowing that they would be my last.

A year later I moved into a senior/disabled complex and 6 months later this guy came in to talk to the residents about health insurance and we found that I qualified for UHC.

[Corgigal]

15. We didn't care for it.

Hubby had both A and B, for Medicare. We pay extra for the bump to private insurance. With that, his pain pump is refilled for free. He can now get hearing aids. He had straight Medicare for ten years.

Not to mention we know how much medical procedures cost. I have the VA, and it’s even better the Medicare or private.

[davsand]

16. Medicare determined my mom's pharmacy was not covered.

She's 90 years old, has used the same pharmacy for 50+ years, and now suddenly she can't use them any more because they are now viewed as not covered. I have zero clue why. That forced change upset her so much that I'm still hearing her bitch about it a few months later. Her drugs are now delivered to her house, and you'd think that would be a plus. But she's still pissed that she can't go visit her buddy at the pharmacy...

Meanwhile, I have employer provided insurance (Blue Cross) and I was told a couple years ago my hypertension med was not covered. 3 appeals from the Doctor later, I was buying it out of pocket to the tune of $300 per month for that one scrip. I was forced into changing a med just because I couldn't afford it any more. I survived that change, but it was absolutely a case of policy wonks making prescribing decisions for doctors.


Sigh. ANY drug coverage is a savior IMO.


Laura

[skip fox]

18. I've only been on less than two years, but

I love it.

(It's backed with a Blue Cross policy thru my retirement.)

[matt819]

19. Signing up now

Any recommendations for supplemental?

[KY_EnviroGuy]

22. Can get quite confusing and depends on your needs. I have Plan "N".

I just got AARP/UnitedHealthcare Plan "N" last December after my wife passed away and I lost her employer retirement policy. It was sort of rushed and very stressful as I got trapped at the end of open enrollment. I also had to sign up for Part "D" at the same time and did so through United.

I suggest printing out a sheet on each one so you can lay them side by side for comparison. That's the only way I could stop my head spinning when going from page to page on my computer. That allowed me to use a highlighter and mark the "good" and "bad" of each one.

I have not used it yet, but others I know that use AARP/United are pleased.

KY.....

[redstatebluegirl]

25. United Healthcare through AARP is what I am going to get I think.

I am going for plan G, my husband and I looked at it and decided it looked best for us. I think I am going to get plan D coverage from them as well.

So sorry for the loss of your wife. That is my ultimate fear is losing my love.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

61. For Part D, Medicare has a tool to help pick the insurance company

I think it's

https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/#/?lang=en

I get my Part B supplemental insurance and my Part D insurance from two different companies.

In some cases, a particular drug may be cheaper using GoodRx.com than using your insurance plan. Compare when you buy.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

63. Thank you, that's very kind.

It was quite a shock at a bad time when I found out Humana had dropped me off the insurance only two weeks after her passing, so I was forced to study-up and get on a supplemental plan quickly.

Please be advised some of the process can be confusing due to some of their questions and statements in the on-line application, so don't hesitate to call them and ask. You can pause the process with no problem if necessary. It's also a bit unnerving until you get final confirmation by mail because some of the on-line and email notifications can be confusing. Just be patient.

KY.........

[True Blue American]

40. Check the back of your Medicare book first.

Different plans in different areas. It also helps to check with the ACA experts they advertise all the time.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

20. I'm very grateful to have Medicare. n/t

KY...........

[SCantiGOP]

23. Ever since I went on Medicare

I can never find where I put my glasses.
Thanks, Obama.

[True Blue American]

41. That was once explained to me.

When you go through a door it switches off your memory. You need to go back to where you had the original thought. If, you can remember where you were!

Now tell us what you had for lunch. That is a hard one.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

59. You left your glasses in the refrigerator, when you opened the door to get ...

... wait, why did you open the refrigerator door?

And, I agree with you. My memory was better before Obama became president. Dang him.

[csziggy]

24. I love it

When I turned 65 I'd been trying for almost six months to get a test my cardiologist had requested to find out what was wrong with my heart. By mid June, BC/BS had not approved the test. Knowing I was going on Medicare July 1 I called and scheduled it for July 7. Two days after the test, I got a letter from BC/BS approving the test - even though they knew damn well I would be on Medicare by then.

It turned out that my heart problem was a bad aortic valve which had to be replaced. A CT scan to get ready showed a mass on one kidney so I had my valve replaced and a month later the kidney removed. With Medicare and my supplemental I did not have to pay a penny out of pocket. I suspect that BC/BS would hav delayed until the kidney cancer killed me, then charged my husband 20% for the hassle.

[redstatebluegirl]

27. I have BC/BS now with my employer, they are a total pain, anything would be an improvement.

[csziggy]

54. I had it through the ACA and it sucked - but no insurance would have sucked more

Medicare with a good supplemental is great - and I got top tier for my supplemental. I needed it with my medical history and picked a really good supplemental plan that takes care of everything.

[HopeAgain]

26. AS someone who is paying a huge portion of my earnings

for a crappy exchange plan, I really don't want to hear about Medicare complainers...

[virgogal]

29. Love it,been on it for 20 years and only had 1 MD refuse to tke Medicare patients.

[stopbush]

30. Love my Medicare.

Just had a surgery that cost $10,000. My copay was $200.

[marlakay]

32. Only problem we have is finding a doctor that

Will take it. We are sort of new 2 1/2 yrs so when my hubby’s doctor he found moved he called all the doctors on list given to him and all had no openings. Finally he just got put on list for when they hire new ones hopefully in a few months.

We have a good supplemental so its worked great no bills, no problems but he has no major health issues right now, he is 70 and had cancer 20 yrs ago but never came back.

I am 63 and will be able to keep my doctor because rule at my place is if you start with Blue Cross they will change over to medicare. But hubby was on it when we came.

[True Blue American]

43. Call Carefinders.

When my Doctor retired it was near the end of the year. Insurance companies were in a battle,I was having no luck.

15 minutes after calling Carefinders I had a great young Doctor. He is in with 3 others.

[marlakay]

45. Thanks we tried this young guy

But he was already full. I live in the town in Oregon people come to retire to so lots of senior care but not enough medicare doctors.

[True Blue American]

47. If you have what we have

With many things in one building, tests, Doctors, Specialists I asked the Receptionist. She gave me the Carefinders card.

Good luck with your search. Our old, obsolete Hospital was torn down. They are now adding beds to the Satellite. It is now our Hospital. Much more convenient.

[Glimmer of Hope]

34. I am a cancer patient and like it.

I have supplemental insurance and pay practically nothing out of pocket. It is covering my choice of second opinions and clinical trials.

[Hoyt]

36. Like it, but there is an increasing number of physicians who do not accept Medicare patients or

attempt to get around charge limits imposed by Medicare.

It's not cheap when you consider what you pay out-of-pocket to the government for Part B and what you pay to supplemental insurers. And taxpayers are paying a whole lot more on top of that.

[people]

37. Medicare for All gradually expanded to cover everyone

The Medicare for All plan of BS in the first year would extend Medicare to people 55 and over. The second year brings Medicare coverage to people 45 and over. The third year to those you are 35 and over. And the 4th year covers everybody. The plan would include dental, drugs and hearing aides.

Do you know that when Medicare was proposed by President Johnson it was attacked as "socialist", "radical," etc?

[Frasier Balzov]

57. Ronald Reagan recorded an impassioned plea in 1961.

Last edited Wed Feb 19, 2020, 06:25 PM - Edit history (1)

There had been several proposals by that time to add a government-subsidized healthcare insurance benefit for social security recipients.

With a Democratic Congress and JFK in the White House, the concept began to look ominously achievable to Ronnie and his fellow conservatives. So he went on a speaking tour to warn the nation of the dangers of such a plan, which within only a few years would be enacted as Medicare.

Reagan's message was recorded on a vinyl LP to be distributed far and wide and hopefully listened to in American homes on the record players of the day. Now available on YouTube if you care to listen to it, just for historical perspective and a chilling chuckle. But I won't link to it!

[Liberal In Texas]

39. It's great. But it doesn't cover 100%. So it could be better.

This means one still has to be dependent on for-profit insurance companies to cover the rest.

Maybe covering just 80% made some kind of sense when the program was established when medical bill were way more affordable than they are now, but almost everything these days is terribly expensive and horrible if you don't have some kind of coverage.

[mike_c]

42. I go on Medicare in two months and I can't wait.

I'm from a small, rural community in northern California where medical diagnostic and treatment options are quite limited, but I'm constrained from seeking better care elsewhere by my insurance company's network requirements. There is only ONE medical network where I live, so not much choice. I'm lucky to have a decent GP but my wife is not.

We both go on Medicare in two months, with supplemental insurance provided by my retirement pension (CalPERS). I can't wait!

[napi21]

44. I have meedicare & a supplemental. No problems. I checked oiut the Advantage plans available

& decided no because none of my docs nor my Hosp was in the plans. My supplemental doesn't cover glasses or hearing aids bit it was not cost effective to buy a separate policy for those.

[mathematic]

46. Is this just a thinly veiled excuse to promote "Medicare for All"?

Because "Medicare" for everybody is not the same thing as "Medicare for All".

[True Blue American]

48. I do know those 45 to 65

Are really paying. This needs to be fixed.

[Autumn]

49. I love mine. They can pry it from my cold dead hands.

[sinkingfeeling]

50. I've been on a Medicare Advantage plan for almost 5 years. Very pleased.

They handled everything, including PT, when I broke my wrist and arm. See my PCP for $5 a visit and pay $0 additional premium.

[True Blue American]

65. Same here.

MA has increased benefits every year. They said it took 3 years to adjust, then began to offer extras. hearing Aids. Have Vision through Union plan.

[Rorey]

51. I've got it, but haven't really used it

Knock on wood.

Fortunately I seem to be doing pretty well, health wise.

A perk from my advantage plan is that I get free stuff every quarter. I didn't realize that it was available to me the first quarter because apparently I don't read all of my mail, but this quarter I got an Oral B electric toothbrush which retailed for just under $40.

I also need to start taking advantage of Silver Sneakers.

[LakeArenal]

52. If you leave the country it's useless as are

The supplemental policies.

If you try to drop out for significant amount of time, SS reduces your benefit by 10% per year you are gone. So if you live out of the country for five years, they only pay like 40% of your Bill.

Penalized for not using it. Bad karma there.

[Lunabell]

53. My wife is on Medicare and we love it for her.

We need it for all!!!

[Vinca]

55. No. We have it and we love it.

[onethatcares]

56. definetely not me, and

my wife just had her hip replaced, with our co insurance we put a whopping $255.67 out of pocket excluding meds which were fairly reasonable too.

I think it's a great thing.

[Tracer]

58. I'll tell you how much I like it!

At 64, I got cancer. At that time I had NO health insurance, being unable to afford it (was either pay my property tax or pay for health insurance --- not both). I racked up a $10,000 bill for 6 months of treatment which --- looking back --- was a bargain.

Then I turned 65 and joined Medicare, which has paid for 4 operations, 2 different sets of chemo and 6 hospitalizations. My contribution? $0.

I have standard Blue Cross/Blue Shield as a supplement for which I pay $100/mo plus $35 for Part D.

Thanks to my wonderful doctors and Medicare I'm as healthy as I can be (for my age)

Edited: Once I got hit with a $1200 bill from Medicare because I was hospitalized twice in the same year (and not within 90 days of each hospitalization. You might not know of that charge)

[True Blue American]

66. Good to hear your story

[VOX]

62. It's good, but without supplemental insurance, there are significant gaps.

Many people signing up for Medicare don't realize that some big-ticket needs, like dental care and hearing aids, are generally not covered. Neither is care received overseas, long-term care and routine vision care and exams, among others.

I’m completely deaf in one ear. The hearing aids that best address that issue cost $5,500. Medicare doesn’t pay a penny of that, but my employer supplemental insurance pays most of it. And that insurance costs $470/month for me and my wife.

Medicare is good, but for my needs, a supplemental health insurance policy is a necessity.