I just turned 64. Next year is the big 65! My husband is only a few months older than me. Just wondering how heavily we should be insured. Your thoughts? Humana or something similar?
I put this under a general category of senior health. Nothing else seemed to apply.
Check with his HR department right away. Follow what they tell you to do. You can get hit with lifelong financial penalties if you mess this up.
Medicare is individual, so there is no more " being on his policy" for either Part A or B. I made this mistake last year.
His company probably requires him to get Part A at age 65 as his primary insurance. You need to find out if you are automatically covered until YOU are 65.
If he doesn't required Part B because he can show comparable coverage, there is a form that will need to be filled out by HR proving that he had that coverage. Same for you when you turn 65.
Get the book "Medicare for Dummies" and read it. It will help you understand what I mean.
My husband is a UAW retiree. We both get Medicare and the UAW supplies our supplimental, me paying a small sum a month to cover me.
Some employees can continue with full coverage if still working but I would contact Medicare to see how that needs to be handled. Medicare charges more monthly if a person didn't take it at 65. I think there is an allowance made if the person continues to work.
When u get this info together, call your Office of Aging and ask if they help people "sort" all this out.
SHIPs are free, state counseling services that help seniors understand their Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap (Medicare Supplemental Insurance) and Medicaid benefits. Anyone with Medicare related questions is free to call a SHIP's counselor even if they are not currently enrolled in Medicare.
https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/longtermcare/resources/state_health_insurance_programs.html
The advantage plans SOUND so wonderful...why do you think they are running all those commercials...promising you the world...but you will be limited in your choices and they will dictate all the conditions of who what when where and why...IF your providers are listed, lucky you...but that's today...what if they drop out tomorrow? Or maybe to you, it doesn't matter...so it could be a good thing.
My folks have Medicare and then United Health Care thru AARP of which they are members...it seems to be a good way to go and I have found their staff to be responsive, helpful, and speak clearly:-)
We can't be without the health coverage, but I will say I just dropped my workplace offered dental/vision combo. We had switched plans and so we had one where if you saw someone out of network (all of my providers are) of course it paid less and of what THEY determined was allowable at 80%, after a deductible...so when I sat down and did some math I found my premiums and my out of pocket for just one visit totaled about $850. The out of pocket was $514. It's a scam. The vision part: they had one on-line provider. More discount because they were IN network. Check it out with another place I'd used before...and even with the discounts at the in network, with a discount from the out of network I'm still saving about $50.
Caution is the word:-)
Good to know. Geeeez. There is a lot to prepare for. Thanks. Not used to thinking about myself! Took care of mom for so long.
But I am not getting any younger! We have more years behind us than ahead. We are approaching this Medicare stage very soon!