Gioing on Medicare

[newone]

Oh dear, where has the time gone.... I soon turn 65 (October) and need to enroll in Medicare. It's so confusing to me. I need good coverage for those expensive drugs we take. I don't know where to start. Any suggestions? My mailbox is flooded from all those insurance companies.
Can I enroll as of January 1, 2016? Seems like a good idea if I can since I reached my maximum out-of-pocket for 2015 back In February 2015.

[agate]

Hi newone, and welcome back! Looking over some of your other posts, I think you should look at the Medicare page where there are a number of links to guide you through the maze:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

I hope that this will be of some help. I'm sure you're eager to be ease up on your very high medical expenses, and I hope you can find some way to get through the Medicare enrollment process smoothly.

[Gary]

It is a maze! You should have received a book from Medicare that has plans available in your area. I found this to be the most helpful of all the garbage that I get in the mail every fall.

[Virginia]

I also found the Medicare book to be helpful, but still had many questions.

My brother turns 65 next March and when he went to his Doctor last week the Doctor told him not to go on an Advantage Plan. I know there are a lot of people on here who are probably on Advantage plans and would argue that point. However, you have to choose a Doctor from their list (I want to choose my own). Also, if I had chosen an advantage plan I would not be getting help with my MS medication Rebif. Which means that there is no way I could have afforded it. At least that it is what they said.

I chose to take out a supplement through AARP. It is with United Health Care. I got the best supplement plan they offered and then I took out Medicare Part D. That I have changed several times, since you are allowed to do this once a year. I always read and see which plan is going to cover any portion of my Rebif and then if they will, I then look at all the other medications I am on to see what the overall cost will be.

It can get complicated. You just have to get use to it and try to deal with it.

Good Luck! If I can help in any way let me know.

[newone]

Wow, what quick responses I received! Much appreciated! It is a maze and with my cognitive impairments, making a decision makes it even more complicated, and stressful!

I haven't received anything from Medicare as of yet. (Just all those insurance companies asking me to fill out their postcards!) It's my understanding that to keep within the pre-existing parameters, I need to enroll between now and the end of March 2016 since my birthday is in October. Correct?

Thanks!

[Virginia]

Newone, the new Medicare books come out in October if I remember correctly. However, I would think they would have sent you last year's a long about now, so you could be reading up on everything. You could always call and ask for the latest one, and then get any update when they come out with this year's later on. I think you may have until March, but I would not push anything. It has been quite awhile since I turned 65. This is another question I would ask. They might tell you to go on it by the end of the year - just not sure.

Are you going to their website for information? Sometime even some of that is confusing, especially if you have not dealt with it before.

[agate]

Maybe this will be the information you're looking for, newone:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

If you're receiving Social Security benefits, Medicare coverage should go into effect automatically. You'll need to make some choices when it comes to Medicare Part D, the prescription drug part of Medicare.

If you're not receiving Social Security, you can apply for Medicare on the Medicare.gov Website.

[Parsi]

Correct me if I'm wrong: Isn't the window from 3 months before 65 to 3 months after?

[newone]

Parsi, yes I think you're correct - it's three months before and three months after. So the latest I can enroll is January 2016 or February(birthday is on October)?

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((newone)))))) ~

My husband and I have recent (within the past 2 1/2 years) experience in signing up for Medicare. It was a bit daunting at first, but we were helped by reading extensively on the internet, at Medicare.gov, as well as at AARP, along with other sites.

There are 3 parts to Medicare:

Medicare A & B ~ you pay the government for this coverage every 3 months.

Medicare Supplement Part B ~ you pay a premium to a private insurer, which is intended to pick up costs, which are not covered by Medicare A & B.

Medicare Supplement Part D ~ you pay a premium to a private insurer to cover drug costs.

Your first step is to apply to Medicare (the government) for coverage. You can do that on line at Medicare’s website. We chose “Original” Medicare.

Once that is in place, you can shop around for Parts B & D supplemental plans.

Like Virginia, we chose AARP and United Health Care for both B & D supplemental plans. United Health Care has a variety of plans, offering different levels of coverage/deductibles at different monthly rates. I think most supplement plan providers do have different plans.

The reason we chose United Health Care is because it has “community rated pricing” as opposed to all of the other available plans in our area, which have “attained age pricing.” Here is an explanation of these two pricing options:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

I strongly recommend that you sign up before your birthday, so that if you encounter any glitches, you have plenty of time (3 months after your birthday) to iron them out. For my husband, we waited until after his birthday, and we ran into some obstacles. I signed up before my birthday, and everything went smoothly.

It is a maze, and I think it’s horrible that seniors have to have such complicated insurance. We should have one provider, which covers everything. Instead, every month, we write a check to two insurers (in our case, both are with United Health Care, but they are different plans (B and D), so they bill separately), and every three months, we write a check to Medicare (the government).

My husband recently had a complete blood work up, and Medicare and our B supplement didn’t cover some very basic tests, like hemoglobin, glucose, and other common issues for seniors. We paid privately for those tests to the tune of $150.

We try not to complain, because neither one of us had any health insurance for 25 years. We just give thanks that we didn’t have any major health problems or a catastrophic illness during those years, and that we now have coverage, in case we do. The likelihood of that occurring increases with our age, obviously.

Deep breath. You’ll figure it all out. Take your time reading and learning. Call Medicare with questions. You may be on hold for awhile, so have a beverage and snack handy.

Welcome to the World of Medicare ~

Love & Light,

Rose

[newone]

Thanks you Earth Mother and all that have replied. Can you "sign up" but make the effective date later? I've met my out-of -pocket max for 2015. Do you pay deductibles when you're on Medicare?

[Parsi]

I'm actually thinking of not getting Medicare. But we are in a fairly unique situation. Our income is out of country. In the US my income is roughly $235 a month and nothing for my husband. I'm 10 credits/units/quarters short of Soc Sec. We're only in the US a few months out of the year. Medicare doesn't pay anything out of the country except MAYBE emergency. We have insurance in Iran, but it doesn't cover anything out of Iran. We get our meds in Iran and see the doctors there.

However, a couple of years ago while in the US I did break my wrist and ended up with almost $30,000 in bills which I'm still trying to pay. That worries me if something of that sort happens again. I do know Medicare costs more later if not taken at the correct time, but I can't see paying for something that I can't use. I need to find some kind of insurance for "vacation" times.

[Cat Dancer]

Rose, I've not heard of anyone *paying* for Medicare, parts A, B, and D! How did you end up paying for it? Both my husband and I have A, B, and D and don't send off checks to Medicare for any of it. We also have private health insurance for which we DO pay a hefty premium, $850 or so a month (for two). The private insurance is from my husband's work, and we picked up the premiums after he retired early (at age 56) And of course he didn't get medicare until he was 65. I have been on SSDI for a long time, and it simply turned in to regular social security when I turned 65. Anyway...your post perplexes me! :)

[Parsi]

Cat, If I understand correctly the premiums come directly out of social security. [It's been awhile since I read that] Part A is "free" if you qualify for social security (as you and Tom do). The others have a fee.
Perhaps that's why you aren't sending off checks. Rose (like me) perhaps didn't qualify for social security. If that's not the case, I'd also like to hear the explanation.

[Virginia]

What I was told is that Medicare Part A is for the times when you might have to go to the hospital...this is paid for by the government. Medicare Part B is for Doctor visits and test done on an outpatient basis....each month $104.90 is deducted directly from my social security for that part. I am looking at my social security statement as I type this. Then I pay $57.30 for my Medicare part D to cover drugs.

After the above, as far as outpatient doctor visits and tests are concerned, I pay AARP for my supplement. That is $203.75 each month and is to cover the deductible part of Medicare Part B. I do not pay co-payments like Rose was talking about because the supplement plan I have automatically covers all that.

The only thing I have to worry about is that Medicare Part D does not pick up anywhere near the cost of my MS Drug, so I then have to seek assistance for that.

I have had numerous MRIs and blood work is done every six months due to being on Rebif, and many other test have been done through the years. I have never paid anything at all for any of this because the AARP supplement plan picks up all that Medicare does not.

Sounds complicated, but is not as complicated as it sounds once you get use to it. At first it may be a little daunting.