60+ year old thread.

Morning folks. Another day another srep in life. All is good. Stay safe and be well all.

 

I actually took one.

 

Good morning, all!! Sure missing Duane.......

Stay safe out there! It looks like we are in for some somewhat normal May weather in the coming weeks here in northeast PA!

 

Duanes last post on TW was 5/2 which was after his banishment. I think all of us would like to see him back here. I get his anger but he’s part of the over 60 family here and I hope he rejoins the family

 

Morning ya'll. Question for the wiser folks from a youngin. My dad recently turned 65 and is in no way computer literate and asked for my help signing him up for Medicare. My question is what are the differences between parts.
To give some background: He's worked all is life (currently a WG-employee and almost 20yrs with a gov job), has no savings, makes enough to get by and has crap coverage through work (didn't know anything about the different plans and was steered into a VERY high deductible plan). His health isn't the greatest (arthritis, knee issues, weight issues, pre-diabetic to name a few) and I'm trying to help him get signed up as well as help us kids from having to foot a lot of medical expenses.

Can anyone break this stuff down dummy-style?

 

Here’s an article that explains Medicare pretty well. https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-01-2011/understanding_medicare_the_plans.html
4 parts to Medicare - part A covers hospitalization, you get this automatically, no cost for it. Part B covers out patient doctors visits, tests and most everything else. You pay for this but it doesn’t cost much. Part C are advantage plans, they are basically the same as individual plans and coverage people get through your employer. An advantage plan is basically part A, B and D combined through a private insurance company. Premiums are low. Part D is drug/prescription coverage.
If you take the basic Medicare (A and B) which supposedly pays 80% of the medical bills you should also get a supplemental plan which covers what Medicare doesn’t pay and also covers prescriptions.
It seems more complex than it actually is. I struggled with it when I first dealt with it but now it’s pretty simple.
Here’s a good definition of part C Advantage plans - Medicare Advantage Plans are a type of Medicare health planoffered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide all your Part A and Part B benefits. Most Medicare Advantage Plansalso offer prescription drug coverage.
I’d suggest getting in touch with one of the company’s that carry advantage plans , have an agent come over and you and your dad can sit down get educated. The representatives from these companies are very good at explaining all about the plans and how they work. A couple of the carriers out of hundreds include - Humana, Aetna, Kaiser, Blue cross, Blue shield, Anthem, etc. I’m not saying to get an advantage plan but their representatives can explain everything quite well.
I personally have Medicare A and B and a supplemental plan. My wife and I over the last few years have had hundreds of thousands of med bills but we had to pay a very tiny amount of that. Our prescriptions cost us $10 or less per prescription for a months supply. Keep in mind that every year you can change your plan to another carrier or you supplemental carrier or what ever.

 

his current work plan is through kaiser. unfortunately I'm in a different part of the country than him or I'd do this face to face

 

He can go with any company he wants if he goes with an advantage plan. If he likes Kaiser he can stay with them. He’d still have his same doctors and same facilities available to him. I hate to say it but being computer illiterate is going to be a problem for him to research Medicare. I think you or one of your siblings is going to have to research Medicare and become knowledgeable and then educate your dad.
If your dad is age 65 and currently working and has health insurance he may not yet have to sign up for Medicare. But there is a time limit to sign up for it without penalty. He should call Medicare and the can explain it all to him. Some of the people there are very knowledgeable and quite good at explaining things. Unfortunately some are worthless.

 

He has to sign up. He doesn’t have to leave what he has, but he has to sign up.

 

Just to clarify I said he may not have to sign up “yet”, went on to say that there is a time limit to sign up without penalty. I concur that he absolutely has to sign up. I realize I did not word it well.

 

I've read on their site you should start 3 months before your 65 regardless if your going on it or their are penalties?
Maybe not penalties.

 

He is probably being swamped with mail inquiries from across the country from various insurance companies . His particular state has an agency that will send out information concerning Medicare A & B . The scammers will be calling also .

 

Christmas came today guys. I got my first Soc Sec Admin check today. Damn I've been working since I was 15. I'm 66 now and lost my job as a Chef for the last month and a half. Everything is cool. My house is payed for, Paid cash [Money Order] for my new off the lot Taco TRD Sport, and my biggest bill is just the electric bill. I'm healthy as hell. Never been sick.

You want to here something funny. Went to the bank and the local essential liquor store and had to wear my ACU bandana.

 

Awesome!

I went to the liquor store yesterday, no idea...............senior Tuesday. 20% discount. Almost 62, my first senior discount EVER. Booze. Only fitting!

 

Congrats!! I'm getting ready to retire for good in July - just turned 65 and plan to take my SS right away. I have to live until age 85 before I start losing money and by then I won't remember..or need the extra anyway.

Most of our liquor stores are still closed. There's one local one that has curbside pick-up if you are one of the lucky 50 phone orders they accept each day. The State has an online store, too, that you have to have lottery-luck to get through there, too. But, I hit the jackpot on Monday online and my order was delivered yesterday. The hard part is trying to keep my 93 year old mother-in-law stocked with VO and vermouth for her nightly Manhattan.

After more than 3 months of ownership, I finally went over 1000 miles on the Odo for the new truck. I'm loving it.

 

Might have you beat.

1740 miles
13 months.. lol

 

Winner here! 12 months: 287 miles. Which is sad because we had to cancel our April trip down to the Blue Ridge Mountains where we meet up with other Z3/4 owners and drive the twisty mountain roads.

 

winner winner chicken dinner..

Very nice...

We have a z8 in the collection..

Nice riding cars

 

Welcome to the as the youguns say "old timers thread". Enjoy the posts and relax on the porch.

 

Morning folks. Been busy with the Grand dog since we have been keeping him at our house. Up early, take out for a pee break, in for breakfast and then pill time. Then off to the vets to have the surgery site checked and new bandages then home to more pills (anti-biotics), nap time for him then another pee break then dinner for us, then more pills, then it's crap dump time and last round of pills for the day. Finally bed time for me at 11:00. Between anti-biotics, vitamins, thyroid pills and pain killers, he takes more pills then I ever thought were available for dogs. Vet said he needs to stay off the ankle as much as possible and remain calm....yea right. He was always an active dog that loves to run so it's hard to keep him calm. Only a few more weeks and hopefully he can go home. And I thought raising kids was tough. Have a good day all and be safe.