Medicare...maybe we should have stayed home
well, we're at Lake Pleasant heading in the next week to Quartzsite or maybe Glamis, not sure. hubby is already enrolled in Medicare, turning 65 in December. We got the material before we left. So...
Forum Discussion
Any SS office can access your husband's application and answer questions about Medicare. They won't be able to help much in answering questions about Part C (Medicare Advantage) or Part D (Drug coverage) as these will be insurance policies from private insurers.
If your husband has retiree benefits from his employer, like retiree medical coverage, they should have provided him with a phone number of someone to call who can help go thru the supplemental options and requirements of his retiree plan. If he has no retiree medical coverage then your best option is to talk to your insurance agent.
Be very careful with the low cost Medicare Advantage plans as typically the low cost ones come with very high deductibles. If you're healthy and don't see the doctor frequently the low cost plans can save you money, but be careful.
You can do a Google search for "Washington Medicare plans" and it should bring up a number of web sites that can give you information about what supplemental plans are available in your home county, along with cost, deductibles, coverage, etc.
Finally, if your husband does have retiree medical benefits from his employer you may find you don't need any supplemental plan at all, or only a Part D plan to cover drugs.
I agree it's all very confusing when you first get involved with Medicare. You'll get Medicare cards in the mail when you sign up. If you don't sign up for SS and sign up later you'll get a second card when you do sign up for SS. When you sign up for SS they'll automatically deduct the Medicare premiums and you're protected from premium increases if there are no SS cost of living increases as is the case for 2016.
If your husband has retiree benefits from his employer, like retiree medical coverage, they should have provided him with a phone number of someone to call who can help go thru the supplemental options and requirements of his retiree plan. If he has no retiree medical coverage then your best option is to talk to your insurance agent.
Be very careful with the low cost Medicare Advantage plans as typically the low cost ones come with very high deductibles. If you're healthy and don't see the doctor frequently the low cost plans can save you money, but be careful.
You can do a Google search for "Washington Medicare plans" and it should bring up a number of web sites that can give you information about what supplemental plans are available in your home county, along with cost, deductibles, coverage, etc.
Finally, if your husband does have retiree medical benefits from his employer you may find you don't need any supplemental plan at all, or only a Part D plan to cover drugs.
I agree it's all very confusing when you first get involved with Medicare. You'll get Medicare cards in the mail when you sign up. If you don't sign up for SS and sign up later you'll get a second card when you do sign up for SS. When you sign up for SS they'll automatically deduct the Medicare premiums and you're protected from premium increases if there are no SS cost of living increases as is the case for 2016.
