When I got home, there was a letter from the Federal govt in my mailbox. I thought "Uh-oh, Trump has declared another war and I've been drafted." Fortunately I was wrong and it was from Medicare.
I got my Medicare card, which means I've reached the government's benchmark for being classified a senior citizen, effective October 1.
To be honest, I'm going to miss my ACA health insurance; not only are my premiums $45.00 cheaper a month than Medicare, I think I have better coverage too.
Now I have to figure out if I want a Medicare Advantage plan. It looks like I don't really have a choice. Medigap coverage (keeping traditional Medicare and getting a supplement to cover the 20% Medicare doesn't pay) is outrageously expensive.
Are you on Medicare Advantage? Do you like your plan?
At least I have insurance. I've been getting pre-insurance "DO NOT PAY" medical bills for my 2 recent surgeries and 8 day hospital stay and home rehab visits, we are talking tens of thousands of dollars. The gall bladder surgery alone was $22,700 and my ambulance was $1662.00 before insurance kicked in. My final bill for that ride is $85.93. Whew!
On another positive note, I went 4 days in a row with reduced long covid symptoms.
I hope I'm not jinxing things by speaking up too soon, but 4 consecutive mornings of relative calm? I can't help but feel hopeful.
Still debating whether I should attempt this "nicotine patch" therapy. I think I'll wait a couple more days and see.
Finally, this isn't important in the slightest but it's still a milestone. This is my 800th post.
Back in 2006 when my friend Ross suggested I start a blog (we belonged to an online message forum and I enjoyed sharing stories about coworkers, weekend cooking, etc) I said I'd give it a try but probably wouldn't write more than a dozen posts total. Who'd want to read about my humdrum life anyway?
Well, to the few out there that do it's been a great motivator. Thanks everybody. 😏
Doug, four days with reduced LTC?? That’s wonderful! You are looking much better. I think Chuck pays a $600.00 a year premium for our health care. We are just so accustomed to walking into a hospital/doctor’s office and flashing our health card knowing mostly everything is covered. When Chuck had a cortisone shot in his shoulder a couple months ago we had to pay for that but it was under $100.00. Congratulations on 800 posts! Wishing you more good days Doug!❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteThanks Robin! I am still feeling hopeful, this is just a small setback. As for the Medicare and health insurance stuff... $600 for 2 people for an entire year is just incredible. That's because Canada cares about it's citizens. Our own system... well, you know. But anyway, thank you my friend! ❤️
DeletePS. Robin I should've added Happy Canada Day. 🙂🇨🇦
DeleteEight hundred posts is an amazing milestone Doug and you should be proud! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteCamille, you're very kind--thank you!! :^)
Delete800 posts? Damn! I've got a lot of posts to catch up on.... glad you're feeling better and lookin' good. Kris in Ohio
ReplyDeleteThanks Kris, you always say nice things :^)
DeleteI hope you are on the road to recovery, great start.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, as a fellow Pittsburgher I finally concluded that UPMC Med Advantage is the only way to go. First, all of the doctors I have. been seeing for years, prior to UPMC owning everything, are in that plan. You should check your doctors before deciding. I did go rogue for a year, using Highmark's plan by choosing a PPO, allowing me to go out of Highmark for care, just ended up being a hassle. As I said, ALL of my doctors are now affiliated with UPMC. And they own most of the hospitals, too. So while I consider them the devil (because I preferred it before one entity pretending to be a nonprofit owns literally everything), I feel like it is the only reasonable option. And they do provide good care and easy to use insurance. I am rarely out of pocket for much of anything. I think I paid $50 for my cataract surgery.
Nina
Nina, thank you thank you thank you. This is exactly what I was hoping to hear from someone, very much appreciated!! I currently have UPMC insurance but was debating going with Highmark or Allegheny Health Network. But the less hassle the better. :^)
DeleteThe US health system is so different to the UKs -
ReplyDeleteso I can’t gone any suggestions BUT ( please excuse my ignorance) if you are happy with your current coverage and it’s cheaper can’t you just keep it ?
You made me laugh about your draft notice ( I know in reality not funny )
I am so pleased to have found your blog - your are a great communicator and when I read your blog it’s like we are having a conversation and catching up
When done on the walk .
Boo hiss to Long Covid
Siobhan 🤗
Thank you Siobhan, you just made me smile for the first time today. And I very much wish I COULD keep what I currently have, but once you hit 65, if you don't have a job providing health insurance you must switch to Medicare. At least my income won't be scrutinized to the degree it was with the ACA. And I'm glad you liked my draft remark, but didn't Hitler send Germany's elderly into battle near the end? And thank you, boo hiss to LC! Enough!
DeleteWhat good news about a LC hiatus (at least....)! And good news about the non-draft notice; I'm old enough to have sat with friends waiting to see where they fell in the draft lottery in the early '70s, crappy times indeed! I guess none of them had bone spurs....
ReplyDeleteCeci
Haha thanks Ceci... and I'm old enough to remember those televised draft lotteries too. Well, I suppose that's one good thing about getting old!
DeleteI'm delighted that you have had better days--that's so uplifting! I'm on traditional Medicare and a Medigap plan. I can mostly see any doctor or specialist I want and it works everywhere. Medicare Advantage isn't portable and is more restrictive--managed care within a system of providers. Make sure your providers and hospital will accept it. I went with Medicare/Medigap because going from Medicare Advantage to Medicare/Medigap can (in most states) require underwriting for the secondary plan--not Medicare itself. In WA, due to guaranteed issue, that wouldn't be a problem but in many states, people wouldn't pass the underwriting and would have to go to a high risk, high paying plan or just stay with traditional Medicare's 80% payout.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Margaret--and truth be told, I was curious (and not surprised) to read you have a Medigap plan. I envy you. Well, the one good thing (about where I live), UPMC is rated by the Feds as a 5 star Advantage plan. Plus they own 9 out of 10 hospitals in the area, so I'll probably wind up going with them in the end. I wonder if even a PPO is worth it...
DeleteNot much to add to the others' comments except congratulations. Disappearing LC, 800 posts (!) and arrival of your Medicare card. And best of all, your walk to the barber - after what you've been through that's huge.
ReplyDeleteMarty, you are very kind. 5hank you. 🙂
DeleteCongrats on 800 Posts! Very impressive. I'm thinking I may have read at least 200 of them since I found your blog and I've enjoyed all of them!
ReplyDeletePA seems to have good Advantage plans and they seem to work well for city dwellers. We live rural in a different state and pay around $700/mo for two Medigap policies but as Margaret said above, switching back triggers underwriting and is more restrictive, plus, we only have one actual hospital and medical system in our county so the only Advantage plans available in our area require driving long distances for care.
Thank you Bobi! Omigod, I'm sorry for my reaction but $700!! That's so not right. At least it's for 2, and real Medicare at that, no need for approvals or networks... I would love to have that. You are right though, I have more to choose from being in the city. Thanks again Bobi. 🙂
DeleteCongratulations on reaching your 800th post! It is a milestone to be celebrated.
ReplyDeleteOn a very different note, I am grateful to be a Canadian as I don't have to make the decision about medical insurance.. It's enough to decide on travel insurance. Thank goodness for the insurance you have as those medical bills are insane. I can understand how medical costs can cause bankruptcies in the States.
Finally, hurray for the days of no or limited LC symptoms. Hopefully this is a trend that will continue with longer periods without symptoms.
Well done on your walk to the barber too.
Thank you Maebeme, I've actually been thinking a lot about Canada the last couple weeks with all these medical bills, as I know how your country is operated in a much more civil fashion. I am lucky for my insurance, but it's a real shame how this is a for-profit business in the US. Thank you for the good wishes about the LC, I really appreciate people like yourself who have hung in there on here. 🙂
DeleteHi Dug! So glad you had some relief from the LC... too bad it didn't continue. But hopefully, it will happen again. As for deciding how to go with Medicare and Medigap or Medicare Advantage, I can only say that we have an insurance advisor who navigates the complexities of different insurances for us. He has always advised us against Medicare Advantage. If you're interested, I will email you his name and number and he can explain the whys. But it is your decision... and I know some who have Medicare Advantage and seem to be OK with it.
ReplyDeleteAnd forgive me for my recent post... it was kind of a downer. ; )
Hi Rian! Thanks so much for your good thoughts here, and I very much appreciate your Medicare input. I have read and heard negative things about Medicare Advantage plans, at the same time I do live in an area with a couple of five star plans. UPMC for example, which owns many of the hospitals in my area. They're pretty highly rated and I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with them, that's what my regular insurance is with now. I'm sorry I haven't seen your post today, it didn't show up as new in my feed! I always enjoy what you post I'm looking forward to checking it out. 🙂
DeleteI have barely walked half a mile in the last 20 days either. But in my case it’s laziness, that and it’s the middle of winter so it’s been raining a lot with strong winds as well. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
ReplyDeleteI’m still gob-smacked that America is the only advanced (or should that be “advanced”?) country without universal health care. I know it’s political (read “money”) that’s stopping you, but still.
Good news on the long covid – fingers crossed, at least those couple that I can still cross these days.
Well, you’ve beaten me by a few dozen columns, but you started a few years earlier. Well done.
Thank you Peter--well, I'd love to go walking again but right now it's summer and we're dealing with 100F (37C) temps all week--so I'm back to being stuck inside! As for your being gob-smacked, trust me most Americans are too. It's callous and embarrassing how healthcare is profit-driven here. Anyway, thanks for everything else and I sure hope you are well--for the most part. :^)
DeleteCongratulations on your 800th post, Doug! Imagine that! 20 years already and you're still blogging. And a big pat on your back on getting your Medicare card. Either way you go, I'm sure you'll make the right decision. Those medical expenses are staggering otherwise. BTW, the bus ride to Jamestown was booked by my friend who found a travel agency that specializes in 'short trips', that is day trips, weekend and even longer trips, within our province, Quebec and nearby American states. Perhaps there are such agencies in the Pittsburgh area that provide such a service. It's sort of like those bus outings from your senior center, except they go further afield, and they're not just for seniors either, although they are ideal for us old folks.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've had a couple of LC free days. Take care and stay safe.
Steve from Toronto
Thank you Steve, I was hoping I'd hear from you today--Happy Canada Day, my friend! Appreciate the pat on the back and I very much enjoyed reading about your bus tripping. My sister and her husband (who live an hour or so south of me) recently did one of these one day trips to Washington DC and were almost surprised how much they enjoyed it. I'm very anxious to beat the LC and really look into this, I appreciate the inspiration. And I'd like to hear more about your next one, if you want to share. :^)
DeleteIf you choose Original Medicare plus a supplement and drug plan you can switch to Medicare Advantage. It is not as easy to switch from Medicare Advantage to original Medicare plus a supplement, especially if you have a pre-existing condition.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anon, I am aware of that... at least I am allowed to switch from Medicare Advantage to Medicare supplement (with no questions) my first year. There's a lot to consider here, I'm going to meet with an MC specialist.
DeleteI just switched my Medicare advantage to devoted help. It is wonderful. I can see any Doctor Who takes Medicare and I have a set schedule. I do not pay anything for my primary care physician and specialist for $50. This plan also is a giveback plan. I got $120 off my Medicare payment so I pay $82 a month for .Medicare is true. I only have $250 in dental but I hope this is not most dogs are free and our mail to my house in just a few days because they ship locally by CVS so I have the best of both world, low-cost and fantastic benefits
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing what you have. I did look up Devoted Health, it sounds promising. I'm going to bring it up to my MC specialist and see what she thinks. 🙂
DeleteI am somewhat shocked by these comments paying hundreds of dollars a month out of their pocket plus $203 a month for Medicare supplement my God this is ridiculous. I live in Hawaii, which is a better state I guess in Pennsylvania all the doctors accept PPO. I do not know if they have the boarded health in your state, but it is the best plan anywhere.
ReplyDeleteOkay, thank you for this info. I will look into it.
DeleteQ There seems to be some confusion about the people on this blog at one time Medicare advantage plans were HMO meeting. HMO is, but now most of our PPO preferred provider option otherwise you can see any Doctor Who is on Medicare, who will accept Medicare so don’t take don’t be don’t spend a lot of money for nothing of course all my doctors take this. This confusion comes from these Medicare gap providers. Who say you can keep your original doctor on their plan well you can see it on our plans too. You say thousand dollars a year for I guess the same coverage so don’t be foolish.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Delete