Eligible pretty soon and would like to do some research on costs of Part A and options for the other parts. Went to the fed page and tried to estimate premium costs and was told I couldn't till I'm eligible. Wonderful.
I'd like to get some pointers without getting them from somebody who wants to sell me something.
Any tips?

Part A is free, you paid for it already. Part B will cost you approx. $100/yr, covers prescription costs. Mostly covers about 80% of your bills, you need supplemental insurance to cover the rest if you don't want to eat them. You're going to have to research who you get this from, if you're happy with your current provider, start with them.

Most Medicare recipients will require some supplemental policy to cover what Medicare Part B will not pay. You need to shop around for that coverage, may cost up to $3K/year depending on the carrier and what is covered. Medicare Part B does not cover prescription drugs. Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs, but drug coverage is usually part of a supplemental policy, equivalent to that offered under Medicare Part D. AARP apparently has one of the better supplemental policies (Not what I have). This is something you must do your homework on. The Internet is full of information about the numerous options available. Such as: What does Medicare cover (Parts A, B, C, and D)? - Medicare Interactive

I just started on Social Security and Medicare. Medicare part B is abt 110.00 a month and comes out your SS check. For the supplemental, I went with Cigna, if I remember plan F which covers everything. It's abt 170.00 a month. The cheapest supplemental is with AARP and they are ANTI GUN. I refuse to go with them and will pay more like I am for my Ins. I retire on Jan 29th which is in 3 days. It takes a while till you understand all this. Can't wait, Larry

Part A and part B cost me $104 per month, deducted from my Social Security. Retired military will have Tricare for Life as the supplemental.

Everybody's situation is different. If you are in relatively good health, or carry private insurance into retirement, you may not need supplemental. I am not medicare age yet but my wife is. She has part A,B, and D and is covered under my Tricare coverage. She has no supplemental and we get along just fine.

$104.00 per month for part B. My supplemental runs around $210 .00 per month but it pays 100% of anything Part B approves but does not pay plus the deductible for part B. Then you have Part D for meds. For both myself and wife you are looking at $7000.00 per year. A few years down the road you will not be able to buy 100% supplemental coverage.

My wife and I had a meeting with the local SS office. The representative was very helpful in explaining everything to us and answering our questions. All in all the information and answers were very good!
But the meeting experience was a strange! We get to the building, read the warning signs on the door, lots of warnings! Upon entering the SS area we were stopped by a security guard, asked if we had weapons, including pocket knives! He took my swiss army knife and said it would be returned when I was exiting the building. We had to produce photo ID, and sign an entry log with time in and time out. Our ID was checked against a meeting log. We were then warned to keep voices normal! When we were called we were told what window to go to. There were 3 windows 6' on center. The window was security glass (rating unknown but up there) with voice openings and the representative was on the other side. We were there about 30-45 minutes.
Mind you in my career, I have built, jails, prisons, ATF offices and holding areas, psychiatric holding facilities, NSA facilities, been in FBI offices, federal and local courthouses, etc. but none of them were tighter on security than the local SS office.
SS must be a hot spot with people, or maybe Iowa must be high on the watch list?

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

$100 a year or $100 a month?

Part A is no charge, but Part B (which covers physician services, and out patient hospital services) is $104 per month. Part D is prescription drug coverage, and you must purchase it from an insurance company.

I recommend finding a local insurance agent that "specializes" in Senior insurance coverage. He can set you up with both a supplement and drug coverage. If you are within 3-4 months of 65 you NEED to do to your Social Security office and complete your eligibility for Medicare and they will be able to answer many of your questions. Don't attempt to sign up on line as you will miss out on many pieced of information and may screw yourself.

When it comes to supplements, all insurance companies offer the "exact" same plans, they are standardized by the government, only the premiums you pay may be different. A Specialist in Senior insurance knows who charges what. Supplements come in set plans, There are 10 different plans, but Plan "F" and plan "G" are normally the only plans to consider. The benefits under Plans F & G are identical "except" plan G does not pay the Part "B" deductible. The part B deductible is $147 per year, but the Plan G premium is usually about $300 or more less than the Plan F. Saves you a couple hundred per year. You really need to get your hands on all this information and I again recommend finding an Insurance agent that specializes in Senior insurance.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Something to be aware of that no one has yet mentioned is that the cost of the Part B can be somewhat more than $104/month (or whatever) if you have a high Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on your Form 1040, e.g., if you have a high-paying post-retirement job and/or significant income from investments, property rental, etc. The amount you must pay depends upon GROSS income, before any deductions, not taxable income, and that AGI includes Social Security and any non-taxable income such as from municipal bonds, etc.

I am not defending AARP's anti-gun position (again, my wife and I do not have AARP supplemental Medicare coverage), but my 106-YO mother-in-law has always used AARP for her supplemental coverage, and has for a great many years. She has undergone about every medical procedure you can imagine over the last 40 years, and has never had the slightest problem with the AARP supplemental coverage paying off everything.

AARP is the cheapest, but anti-gun and pushed hard for Obamacare. Stay away from Humana. I had them for a year and it was a disaster. I moved to Kaiser here in CO as most of the sunset gentlemen of Our gun Club belong and love it. If You go for a separate part D, be careful of a 'donuthole' which ups Your co-pays after a certain limit has been reached. In My case it was less than 6 MOS and co-pays sky rocketed.

Gettin me for slightly more than the $104 for Part B as I am eligible as of Feb.1. Gonna have Harvard Enhance which will cover all states. Should get a break on the supplemental as gotta pay for Part b.

Medicare Part B is $121.80 if you retire in 2016 as I will be. This is because there was no raise in SS benefits this year. If SS gets a raise next year then it is supposed to go back to $104.90.

I retired in 2002 62 years old was eligible for Medicare at 65 it costs me 106.00 monthly for part B I also carry supplemental coverage through Horizon BC because of my age 756.00 quarterly

There are also Medicare Advantage Plans - They work better for some circumstances and people than others, and is essentially a parallel Medicare system. However, it is somewhat more restrictive as to how services can be delivered, i.e., what doctors and hospitals can be used. Worth a look, but you have to understand what you might be getting into. If it works for you, it is possible to save some money using an Advantage plan. Some Part B supplemental plans may not include drug coverage, but there are numerous alternatives there also. Your local pharmacy can usually explain the various alternative individual drug coverage plans available and their coverage and costs if you must have them.

I also recommend that you take a look at Advantage Plans.
I like the one I'm in.
The concept of membership in an organization which has clinics, hospitals and numerous Medical folks appeals to me.
Once you have Medicare A and B, you need this relationship with somebody.
I signed over my Medicare to the Advantage Plan with no additional monthly fees.
https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-cha...age-plans.html

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

For anyone who is in the Federal system and retiring, a few words!! Maintain your medical coverage. Well worth it. Since I retired as a GS15, my retirement income throws my wife and I into the higher Part B brackets. I was FERS not CSRS before anyone asks. The effect is that aside from a few dollars for standard prescriptions for hypertension (bad choice of parents!) we only pay our Part B and the FEHB BCBS premiums. No other costs. Physicians like it when you come in with both. Dave_n

As a federal retiree I agree. never give up your Federal health benefits. It may seem expensive to keep but you'll probably have next to nothing extra to pay during the year. I switched during the last open season to Aetna Direct. I was hesitant at first but, so far, it has worked out well and is the least costly plan for the "self plus one" option. I pay nothing for mail order generic drugs and, while not a huge amount, it does save some money over the plan I had. The plan also has a "medical fund". You start the beginning of the year with $750 per person, in my case $1500 for me and my wife. Copays and deductibles would first be paid out of this account before any out of pocket costs would be incurred. Since you'd have no such charges (or very little) that fund can be used to pay towards your Medicare premiums. Best way to go in my opinion.

I'm glad I have Tricare for life!
What Medicare doesn't cover, they do.
Just got what they paid out for last doctors visit with a swollen knee and x-rays and cortisone shot.

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I also retained my coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefit program as my Medicare supplement after I retired. For about 7 years, I have used the National Association of Letter Carriers' (NALC) plan, even though I was never a postal employee. There are numerous other programs available to Federal Employees, but for me, NALC is the best as they have better drug coverage than the other available plans in the Federal system. My wife is on Blue Cross/Blue Shield as a supplement, and is provided as a part of her State of Texas retirement plan. I think many other state and municipal agencies allow their employees to carry over their plan into retirement. It's a no-brainer if you can do it. Medicare remains our primary payer, but the supplemental plans cover almost every other expense that Medicare doesn't, and no deductibles except for some drugs.

That happened this year because SS did not get a cost-of-living increase. If you are on SS, Medicare cannot increase more than the SS COLA. If SS gets the COLA next year - Medicare will go up the same amount until it catches up to the higher rate.

Anybody like you (new enrollee) of me (not drawing SS yet) have to pay the $121 rate. There are higher levels (I know someone who pays 3X the normal rate) starting at about $170K for married filing jointly.

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6/23/2022

As a federal retiree I have Medicare A&B, plus I just switched to GEHA self plus one, standard option. I had BC/BS high option for years, but I think I was just paying for protection I thought I needed--but didn't (all my meds are generic stuff, not high dollar ones). GEHA treated my Dad, who didn't have Medicare) very well. I got tired of BC/BS's BS customer service and decided to jump ship. I can always switch back to another FEHB supplemental carrier next January if it turns out I made a mistake. Meantime my FEHB premiums just went down about $260 starting in Feb.

I figure that somewhere out there there is a shoe getting ready to drop as it all depends on Peter paying Paul with money that isn't going to be there...

look into AMAC....believe the same type of coverage and not pro Obamacare......

Retired last year at 62. Refuse to use the socialist distribution system of berrycare. Fortunately, good health and use out of pocket for any illness until I reach 65. Use Walgreens prescription club and save over $600 /year on basic drugs.

So far so good.....

I decided to take a Medicare advantage plan. Last year it was about $190.00 or so and included part D. This year I have been advised the same plan with the same carrier (Aenta) is 0 monthly premium.

Last year I spent 2 months between 2 hospitals and 2 rehab centers. I think the total was about $250.000.00. I paid about $1,000.00 - 1,500.00. This was an in network plan. I was taken to the second hospital , which was out of network in a medical transport. My plan luckily paid for this also.

Good luck shopping.

LTC

That is typical of all SSA offices these days. There are signs on the front door of all SSA offices showing that knives and firearms are prohibited. Many other items such as tools, sharp pointed scissors, etc are also prohibited. Many county courthouses also prohibit pocket knives and require that you go through metal detectors.

About 5 years ago, a security officer working in the Danville, Virginia SSA was escorting an unruly client out of the office when the client pulled out a Buck folder and stabbed the officer in the stomach and slashed his face. The officer lived and is still on duty, but continues to have medical problems to this day. Other security officers working in PA and NC have also been assaulted. SSA employees have been assaulted and threatened as well.

ID is needed because you wouldn't want someone else to file on your Social Security benefits, change your direct deposit, etc, would you?

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I work in a rehab center, and would suggest u read the post, and buy the best u can afford! Min coverage gets u some attention, but it is really better that u have the best ins u can afford. All get some attention, but better coverage helps u get the meds u need/deserve. Unfortunately, Our system is all about $$$$. While most get the same service, it always helps to have supplemental ins. I treat all my folks equal, and strive to help everyone. BUT ins doesnt see individualls, only $$$. Check it out and get the best u can afford. Worth it in the long run

Put me down as a non-supplemental person.
I've been on Medicare for 7-8 years, had a shoulder surgery, hip replacement, colon scoped and various annual visits like cardiologist, general practitioner is my gate keeper for meds,eye doc and so on. I'm blessed with great helth other than joints from aging, athletics and osteo, so I go to doc far less than many. I pay the Medicare typical 4% for a doc visit-I actually can afford the $2-4 dollars better than another policy expense! The RX deductible is $150 annually but from there I pay very little for RX, I'd say we pay more together for frivolus **** than RX.
My surgeries they accept the medicare payments and I pay very little extra-each surgery was far less than the annual cost for a supplemental plan. My wife has been on it for 2-3 years too and similar results. We are both on KY teacher retirement which has it's own, no extra cost, Advantage plan, so our meds are done through Express scripts and we pay less than some others. We get some benefits others don't get on straight medicare, an e.g. is the Amazon $75 gift card we each got for doing a "Wellness Checkup". That was a no-brainer for sure cause we both used a regular visit to do it. My regular doc requires 6 month visits to keep my/our meds re-issued- $4, $4, $4, $4 each year.
My wife's aunt is mid 80's and a worry-wart deluxe so as you'd guess, she has an extra plan. What she pays each year far exceeds my total medical costs for the time I've been on medicare.
I'm certain I'll be called naive for this post and we'll here from the mega medical expense side of this thread.
I am very much aware of the fact medical costs can be a major reason for bankruptcies too. I was a student financial aid officer for 10 of my years as a tech school counselor-yes I've looked at the finances of thousands of people!
Per post#29 above- I get the best care money can buy IMO. The doc that did my hip replacement is the SAME!!! doc that did the University of KY basketball coaches hip. As we all know they are in the millionare's club-plus it was his 2nd hip replacement. My shoulder doc is also a busy ortho guy with people choosing his services everyday. In fact he owns the practice with another doc. My cardiologists is part of a large group that has what are considered the premier in their field.
The part where #29 above, caromrk says it's about money, that we agree on as being the main reason we all clock in each day-well, not me as I'm too old! I used to caddy for the rich, did it for a long time and many were docs who had some money. More than myself it seems.
I will go out on a limb and suggest that taking care to live a healthy lifestyle is by far the best investment you can make.

Do as you see fit on this one- and you will...
I seriously doubt that the people who buy extra Medicare plans will change their minds based on anything I've said!

Do not procrastinate! If you do not sign up for Part B when you become eligible your monthly premium will be higher as a penalty - unless you were covered by another plan. If you provide evidence that you were covered by another plan the penalty is waived.

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Dennis
SWCA #2409, SWHF #353

There is a surcharge on Medicare B if you make too much money. It kicks in around $84K/year. I paid around $43 per month extra two years ago (not bragging, just stating a fact). When you cash in IRAs, sell stock, etc., it all counts.

I compared Medicare Advantage to a supplemental policy. MA was vastly superior for me. YMMV.

Funny story: When I turned 65, I asked my former employer, from whom I was still getting health insurance, if I should get Medicare B. They said they didn't care. What the . . .?! They told me that they would cover what Medicare didn't. That I didn't get Medicare would have no effect on what they would cover. By law, private insurance becomes secondary to Medicare, i.e., Medicare is your primary insurance.

OP, when you turn 65, you will get Medicare A and B. It's automatic. You have to take action to refuse the Part B.

Thanks for all the tips. I am going to find a pro to help me. My situation is a bit different as my wife is a long way from retirement/SS/Medicare and I need to keep her and our 22YO son insured as well. Currently we're all covered under my half time contract with the school system but I am considering whether or not I'll go back next year. I am retired and on state pension in addition to social security and a half time salary. Due to the half time nature of my work, I have to pay for half my personal benefits plus the charge to cover the family. I'm basically working for health insurance, although I do love what I do.
Seriously hoping that MC is going to reduce some of my costs. We're all pretty healthy and it gauls me to have to shell out a house payments' worth of $$ every month.

It can be a tough decision as to whether you need a supplemental policy. The risk is that you can come down with some condition such as cancer, a heart attack, a serious incapacitating accident, etc., which requires lots of costly surgery and rehabilitation, not to say maybe lifetime continuing care. You will be on the hook for the 20% of the medical expense that Part B will not pay, and that can be a great amount, wiping you out financially for the rest of your life. Or maybe you are very healthy and will never need any expensive medical treatment, and can pay the difference out of pocket for minor procedures. Only you can make that risk calculation.

Breath of fresh air. Thank you. On the last "Medicare info" thread 2 years ago, someone correctly pointed out that this Forum was not the place to seek advice, despite all the well-meaning, knowledgeable individuals. Every case is different. My former health insurer walked me through what would be most beneficial for me; that insurer became my secondary coverage.

Perhaps a sitdown with your present insurer would be the way to go. Best wishes.

Kaasskop49
Shield #5103

May I ask which company's Plan D does not have the donut hole? I researched quite a few companies and found that there was hardly any appreciable difference between them.
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

You have 2 options, supplemental or advantage plan.

Supplementals are all the same regarding coverage and coast, just different companies selling the plans. Plans are all regulated by the fed.

Advantage plans are all over the board from cheap to expensive. Some have high deductibles and coverage changes year to year. It's all in their contract. If you miss something in the contract you could be on the hook for some expensive procedures. Some AP's won't let you get treatment out of your coverage area without approval. Having said that they can save you money if you never use them and are healthy.

My wife and I went with the "F" gap supplemental and a drug plan. We pay our vision and dental out of pocket. The nice thing about medicare is if you have a medical situation related to vision they pay some of that. We get our glasses and dental in Mexico. Saves about 40%.

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That's just somebody talkin.

"The nice thing about medicare is if you have a medical situation related to vision they pay some of that."

Medicare and supplemental coverage paid for cataract surgeries for both my wife and I, including new glasses afterwards.

I know each state varies. In KY I worked after retirement on what is called 100 day contracts, wherin you are paid your scale for educational rank and tenure by the day. The actual work schedule varies with your duties-mine was 3 days teaching per week. Districts save money and get highly experienced employee's too by not having to pay your health insurance as in KY during that period of retirement, prior to medicare age eligibility, you are covered through KY teacher retirement for health.
FWIW, given the fact that I had worked in the "real world" for many years prior to working in education, I do get SS. The lady in Bal;timore SS office that did my SS initial application over the 800# said I was the first person she'd done in her 20 years that could do so with government pension eiligibility. Things is, The Ronald Regan law that "saved SS", also made it nigh on impossible for folks who paid into SS for years but then switch to a government pension get their money! Get this> My wife worked far less years in the "real world" than did I. She worked at a state university in KY and paid into the same teacher retirement system, as I did. There was a short period, immediately after the "Regan Law" that employees in KY universities were allowed to choose, as a group, not as individuals, if they wanted to continue paying into SS and be eligible to get it. She now gets a full SS check, in addition to a full teacher retirement check. I get ~25% of a full SS check. The kicker for me is that my statewide technical school group wasn't allowed to choose!
When you consider that nearly all of us in the tech schools had much "real world work experience" because our jobs required it!!! it was a travesty that we couldn't vote same as the university folks many/most of which were in that PHD crowd that didn't have much real world work.
Yeh, I have a chip over it too! but gets you nothing to say so except a web rant...
Chapparito, I feel yer pain paying out for a son after retirement. Mine/our three sons were in college AFTER! I retired given my education career came last of the 5 careers I had.

One wonders why you get glasses but I don't get reading glasses? Same for hearing aids-health insurance mostly doesn't cover it. For my annual eye exam medicare has me paying the same 4% I pay to most medical visits, all around a $100 per trip. Many collect the $2-$4 at the visit and I always try to pay so I don't have to call or buy a stamp over a couple of bucks.
The two most valuable human senses have virtually zero health insurance coverage. I'm beginning to understand why I was caddying for all those insurance guys @ the country club now.

Here's my past year information for perusal of those contemplating a supplemental plan or consultation with an insurance "expert".
I just got my 2015 summary in the mail for Medicare:
Amt providers billed the plan=$65,590.30
Total Cost(Amt plan has approved)=$20,110.97
Plan's Share= $19,213.88
Your Share= $514.42
Also, i did my shoulder surgery 12 months checkout last week and had to fork over the grand total of $2.22,the 4% co-pay for Medicare.
I don't have a supplemental plan.Ky retired teachers, over 65, have an "Advantage plan" but it is a basic Medicare (4% co-paycfor doc visits, low yearly deductibles an so on) wherein the bills are paid through United Healthcare Insurance Co.(they pay faster than the feds and docs like them for it!) Rx is via KY teacher retirements contract with Express Scripts and slightly better than regular Medicare. Most of the above costs are a reflection of my hip replacement end of year, otherwise I don't go to the doc all that much.

Again thanks for all the tips.
I went to a 3 hour class at our local community college. Taught by a guy who knows his stuff, but isn't selling anything. An advantage plan looks nice and cheap in the short term but expensive when major health events happen down the road. In addition the choice of specialists available in my sparsely populated county is pretty slim. Looking to the future - somethin's gonna get me sometime- most of the cutting edge providers like Mayo, Cancer Centers of America etc. don't accept Advantage plans.
At this point in my research it's looking like Supplement plan F or G, most likely G and a 22 dollar/month drug plan through SilverScript.

I now need to start tackling insurance for the wife and kid as even if I take another school contract I won't be able to keep them insured that way if I drop myself off the plan. Not going to be easy. Sonny boy is graduating college in May in Forestry/Biology but plans to go on to get his Wildland Fire and Search and Rescue certifications. He NEEDS insurance as he's always out in the boondocks doing risky stuff and I expect it'll be a while before he's full time employed with benefits of his own. This has been an interesting process, but all things considered I'd rather eat lint.

A total hip replacement is considered a major surgery by the providers and it cost me very little out of pocket. I had a heart attack in 2005 and same story. Full rotator cuff tear and shoulder reconstruction was same- small out of pocket costs. Our KY teacher advantage plan is part of our retirement pkg.-we all have it, zero $ from the retirement check.

If you are in the VA use it for plan B ? Old Seabee

Paid my hospital bill on a total hip replacement today. Charges were $48,033.60 and adjustments from Medicare 45,793.33 -my balance was $200.00, amount pending=$0.00
The itemized bill is a wonderland of exaggeration.
My plan is do what I've been doing-I have never had a reason to use VA services based on fact they will charge me based on my retirement income and fact the other services are more at hand, including the docs, hospital and PT-all of it and at reasonable fees if any. Even my dental I do thru the dental school which sits beside the VA dental place and uses the same students and will charge me more.
My e.g. on my shoulder surgery is the one year doc release visit cost me $2.22 and his office is much closer than any VA facility. My hip PT visits(same place as the shoulder doc as he owns both) are around $3 ea., my share of Medicare. Hard to complain.