health insurance

We use GEHA under FEHB, has eye exams and minimal dental.

We use Zenni Optical for our Glasses. Progressive Bifocals about $38 including shipping. Transition Progressive Bifocals about $109 including shipping.

Have purchased about 6 pairs over the last year. They are so reasonable, order backup, prescription sunglasses, etc. We have been 100% satisfied. Just got tired of paying $300++ for each pair of glasses.

Dental, we go to Acuna by Del Rio, Geha even reimbursed covered costs for our Mexican Dentist. She is great! and reasonable.

carried FEHB, BCBS for years, but coverage, deductibles etc., continued to erode. We liked BC, but GEHA has been a satisfactory replacement at less cost overall for us.

It may become a moot issue in the future, who knows!

Good Luck

We just need to get rich enough to go the private pay route. At 62 it is hard to greatly change retirement funds balance however in our case.

I think the unknowns grow each day.

Best of luck find the right options for your household.

Wish you didn't bring up getting old and side affects in the same paragraph.

Reminded me about getting old and side affects.

It's like a pressure headache, after awhile, you don't know you have it. Well, almost true, I'm reminded every morning when trying to get out of bed.

First thing I check is to make sure my name isn't in the Obituary Column. Then, the side affects don't seem as permanent as the alternative.

Safe Travels Old Guy from Oler Guy!

My retiree insurance was cancelled when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. I shopped around, did the math and found that it would be cheaper to self pay for dental and optical than to purchase insurance. I only get dental cleanings and no major work thank goodness and only need glasses every 2 years. I just save the money for those things. Many times if you self pay and ask, the provider will offer a discount. I would be careful about changing insurance companies right now. Have you tried getting a quote from the Affordable Health Care exchange for your state? Might help you make the decision.

sdianel wrote:
My retiree insurance was cancelled when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. I shopped around, did the math and found that it would be cheaper to self pay for dental and optical than to purchase insurance. I only get dental cleanings and no major work thank goodness and only need glasses every 2 years. I just save the money for those things. Many times if you self pay and ask, the provider will offer a discount. I would be careful about changing insurance companies right now. Have you tried getting a quote from the Affordable Health Care exchange for your state? Might help you make the decision.

Thanks for sharing your personal experience. Some are seeing loss of retiree insurance like you. Private pay is the only kind of patients some doctor may see in the future. It will all shake out in a few years hopefully.

Just had a bad thought. The Affordable Care Act requires you sign with a medical group, in California you sign with a California certified group. What will happen when a person starts traveling out of State? Previously most plans allowed for out of area care, for urgent care, when approved, and only sufficient to have your return to base. What now?

kalynzoo I expect that will be addressed but since even when the required roll out will happen is the debate today I expect there is no one in the world who can definitively answer your question which is a good one. The big money people got ACA delayed to next year and now others are wanting the President to offer the same option to small money people. Not to stop it for those who want it today but just delay the tax we have to pay currently if we opt out.

ACA stated objective I have read is to get us ASAP to a single payer plan. It by default should be federal in nature so as to get the states out of insurance decisions as states rights decline at the wishes of 535 plus a few. All we know about ACA today could be very different 60 days from now based on the USA having or not having the ability to borrow at the current and then accelerating rate needed to just pay the interest on the interest. :(

Old Guy, I appreciate your situation. My wife and I retired early when she was diagnosed with COPD and Parkinson's disease. She also has dementia now which is common for PD patients. We decided to self insure for eye care and dental when the youngest kid turned 18. We are well ahead by self insuring early.

Laying aside the insurance issue for others, continue to go RVing as long as your wife is able. I know first hand that you cannot reclaim lost time.

kalynzoo wrote:
Just had a bad thought. The Affordable Care Act requires you sign with a medical group, in California you sign with a California certified group. What will happen when a person starts traveling out of State? Previously most plans allowed for out of area care, for urgent care, when approved, and only sufficient to have your return to base. What now?

I would think it is just like Medicare, you have to check the plan to see if it will cover out of the area. I know not all Medicare plans will offer that coverage, but some do.

I also have Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield - mine is standard option. I also have Federal Dental Blue for self and one (standard coverage) and in Oklahoma the premium currently is $48.90 per month - varies by region. Limit of liability per year is $1500. When I looked at the BCBS premium pages for 2014, I also saw that BCBS offers vision insurance - didn't check the premiums for that. You might want to look at what they offer. Good luck - finding the best deal in any insurance is a pain.

Paulette