So I’ve been researching on Medicare plans B and I’m not sure my husband will take it. We go to doctors about twice a year and I have good insurance for inexpensive plan. The only thing I give up is the 90 days home health care, may be when we get really old. But all these years of paying premiums not just for my husband but for me also. I have ltc which kicks in after 90 days. I think I can self insure.
Any good reasons to get Medicare plan B if one is not really sick. Plus I’ve heard one has to coordinate and submit insurance plan and Medicare plan. Who has energy to do that in our old age?
Once insurer and Medicare know what plans you have, they coordinate. It is now pretty seamless for us and the only time H has a copay is for Rx. Since he got Medicare Part B, its primary and private insurance is secondary and pays what is left after Medicare has paid. We get statements from our insurer reflecting these coordinated payments and showing we owe $0
We did have some hassles and confusion when H was still working and had Medicare A but not B yet. Once he had both parts and got insurer to understand when he started Medicare B, it all got straightened out.
My inlaws had cancer and dialysis and found it useful to have Medicare A, B and private insurance.
One thing to remember–it you don’t buy Medicare when you first qualify and later decide to enroll, you will likely pay a penalty every month added to your premium. The penalty is higher the longer you wait to enroll.
In Calif. , the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) trains volunteers as counselors for HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program). This program is very specifically geared to those already eligible for or those who need to start planning for Medicare coverage - all parts. These counselors are amazing and can help you find appropriate plans, help coordinate various coverage, sign you up for coverage, advise you when to sign up and help resolve any problems you are having with billing or benefits. Our agency works closely with this group and they are extremely well trained. Every state has some such program lumped under the federal SHIPs (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) program although some, like HICAP, may go by an alternate name. You can call your AAA to find the program for your state or look on-line. http://www.seniorsresourceguide.com/directories/National/SHIP/ . I highly recommend speaking with someone before you become eligible. As others have noted, signing up for Medicare at the wrong time can cost you money. For Part D-prescriptions- if you choose not to sign up when you become eligible, and then decide to sign up later, you can pay some hefty penalties.
HImom, that’s the only reason why I’m still debating, the penalty premium. But I have to pay 10 years of premium for part B and 10 years of private insurance before we can drop the private insurance. When I get Medicare is when I can drop it. But this year the premium will go up almost 20% from $104 to $120, more when I get SS because our income will kick into higher premium. Plus Medicare has funding issue, worse than SS.
i guess we’re going with belt & suspenders ;). Medical costs can get high, so we prefer to have the most and best coverage we can. We are paying for private insurance + H’s Medicare. When I get to be Medicare age in some years, we will have to pay my Medicare premiums as well. Considering how high medical bills can go, we are fine with paying premiums to avoid the super-high potential bills.