We are geezers. Oftentimes, we're proud to be geezers--maybe even happy to be geezers. Heck, we have LOTS of experience...and usually that experience is in our favor. Then there is Medicare. I swear, Medicare is one of the most complicated things out there. I remember looking at Medicare plans when I retired decades years ago. I went to a seminar at my University, and found out some answers and chose a plan. I must have chosen wisely as I've been pleased with the coverage I have.
BUT, nowadays, it seems there are more "plans" out there and they are NOT CREATED EQUAL. Yes, you are reading that right. A friend of mine just retired--she thought she had read all that she needed to know. She chose a Medicare plan and thought she would start collecting Social Security and Medicare benefits the day she turned 65. She turned 65 and nothing happened. She went to her local Social Security office to find out why and received the not so royal runaround. Eight months after her 65th birthday Social Security and Medicare finally "kicked" in and she's now receiving benefits. She asked if there was going to be any compensation for the 8 month delay and the answer was no. She was happy something was finally happening but not clear on the details. That's when we discovered that her plan was vastly different from my plan.
She asked me why that was the case and frankly I did not know. I know that my sister has different Medicare benefits from me--and she has a co-pay. Do a search for Medicare plans and what seems like a million websites appear. You get answers to your questions and you get brain fog trying to understand the nuances. There are webinars on Medicare topics you did not even know existed. Books (real books, not online ones) that tell you how to not make Medicare mistakes. You can watch YouTube videos that show you the ins and outs of Medicare (and we all know how reliable You Tube is for answering Medicare questions?) You can access a myriad of "Medicare Cheat Sheets" to help you compare and contrast plans. You can find how much you'll pay for Medicare; what benefits you will receive; and by the end of the search you might be able to figure out the best Medicare package for you. It sounds so easy!
I'm writing this because another friend just came home from a 20 day hospital stay. After she came home we talked a long time and she said "make sure you know about your Medicare plan." I asked her why and she said "because I was refused some services because I did not have the right plan for the hospital I was in and I had to pay out of pocket for services that other folks with the "right plan" were getting for "free."
Just a friendly reminder. Know your Medicare plan. Every year when you get the"new" Medicare book, read it carefully to see what you are getting and what you are not getting. Figure out if your local medical community is still part of the plan. It's not easy, but it's important. Remember, we're all in this together.
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