Wandering Daisy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:51 pm
Our health care system (insurance does NOT equal health care) stinks! I took the risk of no insurance a few years prior to getting on Medicare, quit my job, and was lucky never going to a doctor. Even now, after several years of Medicare, I have been to the doctor twice. Unfortunately, if you need regular care, this does not work.
Heads up to all you youngins getting close to medicare age. Before you get there, like no later than 62 find a good young family doctor or internist that is not likely to retire before you die. Generally if they accept you as full pay or as insured when you turn 65 they will not dump you. Make sure that is the case. If you do that Medicare works pretty good when combined with supplemental plan g or plan f. That way you know, except for drugs what your healthcare costs will be.
It becomes really difficult to get a good doc if you move to a new town after becomming medicare covered.
Plan Ahead!
For kathy and I plan D Medicare Drug Plans are a ripoff. We could easily save a $268 a year by using GoodRx coupons for our drugs and not paying the 348 we will be paying for our Plan D basic coverage. One of my drugs costs $1 for 3 months supply, the other 2 $6 each for 3 months for a total of $52+348 or a total of $400 a year, while I can purchase 3 month supply of each for about $11 each for 3 months or a total of $132. But if you don't get plan d and you end up needing really spendy drugs (like chemo) then you pay a huge penalty for enrolling in plan D late.
Plan ahead! Note that medicare is pretty clear about what they cover and your doctor and any specialist they refer you to should be able to lay out options for your care so you will know exactly what is covered ahead of time. Private insurance always seemed like they were looking to not cover stuff that seemed obvious.
Anyhow, once again, plan ahead! Your medical care will never be cheap once you leave an employer sponsored health plan. But medicare plus supplemental will be less expensive than private insurance and if you plan ahead can be pretty good with first rate doctors. My Doc saved my life by noticing a small change in my EKG and listening to me. My insurance costs that year was about $3000 (next year up to $4000 but I'm way older and looking at the possibility of another $50000 procedure or giving up and getting a walker then a wheelchair) for plan b plus supplemental plan F. The basic charge for hospitaliztion and doct
ors, and 30 days of rehab was $50,000 and I had no out of pocket costs. I have first rate Cardiologist and Urologist. My doc has offered to give me a referral to a first rate neural surgeon if it turns out I need one. (it is really interesting that all of his negative reviews deal with his bedside manner but his outcome rating is way better than average) **** I don't need a personable surgeon--I need a great one!
One more time!
Plan ahead!
My plan is to do what has to be done and stay active as long as I can--Fish alaska and Mexico, fish from my boat, hike the sierra and wherever, play with my wife, travel with my grandkids (whoops perhaps a freudian slip) and do some volunteer work when in town (maybe in Mexico,too).