# Medicare *#~â¬Â¥+*



## Bentley (Jul 10, 2008)

DW turns 65 in a few months, and we are trying to sort out the Medicare puzzle. What a nightmare. Maybe I just don't understand stuff as easily as I used to, or maybe I'm just dumb as a rock, but dang. Ya reckon they could have made it more difficult if they had tried? And don't even try to compare notes with a buddy in another state....or even in another county. Geeeez


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I've been on Medicare for three years. What kind of issues are you having? All I had to do was to fill out the on-line form a few months before my 65th birthday and fax the supporting documents.


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## Jokarva (Jan 17, 2010)

There are 'navigating Medicare' classes all over in our county, most put on by the senior center. Maybe something like that would help?

I'll need one when we hit that age, I hate dealing with stuff like that.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Ya medicare it self is a breeze to sign up for. But the challenge is choosing the right supplemental Insurance I bet is the hang up.
Should you get a all in on policy which are called Medicare Advantage Programs
or a stand along policy with Drug coverage.
Or a stand along drug coverage with a Stand Alone Supplemental coverage.

Choices choices for sure. Which is the best only YOU can decide. I would recommend going to a private insurance person that can sell all sorts of policies and sit down and go through the many options out there and the best way to go for your situation 

Myself I love my Advantage Program I have had now for the last 4 years by Humana.
But that is why every year there is a Open Enrollment so you can pick and choose and go to a different option if you so desire.
In the past 10 years I have switched 3 times to different polices since I went on Medicare.


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## pixiedoodle (Sep 24, 2014)

As for supplemental insurance- get it! And for the best advice i ever got was to get an" f "plan that pays for everything so you have zero out of pocket expenses except for the premium. Also get a "d" plan if you are on meds. Altho the f plan is not cheap it picks up everything that you woud otherwise have to pay for out of pocket....it is worth every dime! We went with" sterling" ins. No complaints filed against them & mid priced. We love it & cannot do without it. We can afford the premium but could never afford all the out of pocket things it pays for, so it makes it affordable for us.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Call your local Area Agency on Aging. They have a specialist (not an insurance agent) who can assist you with your Medicare questions. Free. If you don't want to use them, go to an medicare insurance BROKER - they are paid by medicare so will not push you into a specific plan.

If you go to your own state on-line, it will show you what plans are in your state only and should have a side by side comparison chart. 

Don't forget to sign up for Part D - if you don't have a prescription plan, you will be penalized forever for not doing so when you first apply 
Some plans, like some Advantage plans, have part D incorporated with it. 

I'm pretty healthy so have an Advantage plan, take only one medication, and believe that a supplemental would be a waste of money for me at this point in my life. (No supplemental allowed, part D included). It's save me a lot of money. There will be a day that I'll need another type plan that includes a supplemental so will change when I think my health will need more medical support.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

It's pretty self-explanatory. The choices are simplistic. Medicare.gov takes you through it pretty well.

* Do you have any attractive Medicare Advantage plans in your area? Search at Medicare.gov for that. If so, select the best one for you. If not, go with straight Medicare.
* If you select straight Medicare then you'll need a Medicare Part D prescription plan. Also, some Medicare Advantage plans don't include prescription, so you will need a Part D prescription plan. Search for Part D prescription plans for your area at Medicare.gov.

That's about it for Medicare choices.

The only other thing you'll need to do is call your healthcare exchange to cancel your current insurance. You aren't eligible for ACA insurance if you qualify for Medicare. They won't do it automatically, and if you get a subsidy the IRS will collect that subsidy from you for the months that you are over 65. That can hit your tax liability for thousands.

Maybe if you elaborated on what's confusing you it would be easier to help.


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## modineg44 (Jun 25, 2002)

Signing up for Medicare is quite easy. Picking a supplement may be more difficult. You should have been reading about the various plans since you turned 60. If you are a veteran & live fairly close to a VA clinic you may not need a supplement. 

Nancy


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## duggie (Sep 6, 2009)

plan g much better than f a lo0t cheaper


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