medicare - on topic!
 

I have several years before i become eligible, but now that it's open enrollment, i've been seeing a lot of commercials about it. i've also gone to 2 info sessions at work on what to expect. the major take away i got, the message they kept drilling into my head, was when you become eligible, sign up, otherwise you will be monetarily penalized! why? because SOMEONE has to pay that premium.

i also learned that all of the independent medicare representatives have different plans! i always assumed medicare was medicare. not so.

my question is, once you are enrolled, do some of the plans have any fitness benefits (discounts on joining a club or points for staying active, or incentives for keeping up with various health check-ups)?

I believe it is United Healthcare Medicare that offers Silver Sneakers.

But, I have a doctor with a sign by the receptionist that says "United Healthcare Medicare patients not accepted."

Roll eyes! Once we get there we also have to navigate which doctors will take us undesirables. :(

I know that United Health care allows a 1yr Peleton app subscription and it's not for Medicare only...my DD is using it.

I don't think it's that we're undesirables as much as it is that some doctors don't want to accept assignment.

"Medicare not accepted" - does that mean if you only have medicare (and nothing else), they are less likely to accept you as a patient?

because i'll have coordinated coverage once i sign up for medicare, meaning i'll have retiree coverage from my employer, and my employer's premium price tags have a special lower cost premium for medicare patients.

About accepting assignment: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/wha...re-assignment/

Aetna also offers Silver Sneakers. My appointment is next week. I plan to make some changes. This is a perk, you can shop around during open enrollment.

You are right, Medicare is Medicare. It’s the supplements that offer some other features.

There are different categories of insurance once you qualify for Medicare:
1. Medicare A - from the government, it's free
2. Medicare B - from the government, there is a standardized monthly fee that everyone pays.

I'm not sure if it's both Medicare A and Medicare B you have to sign up for once you turn 65; you may not have to sign up for one of them if you have insurance elsewhere.

(I'm very very new to Medicare; this is a quick answer.)

3. Likely you will want a Supplemental Insurance plan, to cover stuff that Medicare does not cover. You get those through insurance companies, such as United Healthcare, or Aetna, or Blue Cross/Blue Shield - for example. It's typically through your Supplemental Insurance plan that you'll get fitness perks. AARP has "recommended" plans, such as the one from United Healthcare.
4. Similarly, you will want to get a Prescription plan (Part D) - to cover prescription costs.
5. Some people (like me) also get get Vision insurance. (Others just pay vision costs out-of-pocket.) You purchase that from a private insurance company, such as VSP Vision.
6. Some people (like me) also get Dental insurance. (Others pay dental costs out-of-pocket.) You purchase that insurance from private companies such as Delta Dental.

So in the few months of applying for Medicare (the three months prior to the month of your 65th birthday; the month of your birthday; and the three months after your birthday), you'll want to decide on any of the above insurance categories (Supplemental, Prescription, Vision, Dental); then research and decide on which insurance company you want to go with; then ... each insurance company offers different plans. It's a lot of research, decision-making, and account making. To simplify my life, I went with some basic plans recommended by my family & will take this year to more carefully review and compare plans and make any changes during next year's open enrollment period.

Applying for Medicare is super-easy. You do it online and takes less than 5 minutes. You'll get your Medicare number and card in the mail in a few weeks.

-Anita

Another option that may be offered to you is called "Medicare Advantage". That is more like an in-network plan. A Medicare Advantage plan may bundle together some of the above categories - but you are limited to their providers. They are a lot cheaper though. They are usually only offered to residents in a certain location. For example, I live in Maryland. Johns Hopkins, one of the best hospital systems in the world, has a highly-recommended Medicare Advantage plan. But they don't offer it in the County in which I live.

I have no answer to your questions but I too have noticed so many medicare commercials. I will be 63 soon so have a couple years yet but the thought of dealing with it and all the "parts" stresses me out. It seems so complicated. I want peace in my life not this crap.

I had insurance under my employer; if you are 65 you have to sign up for Medicare. My employer pays 80% of it, I pay 20.

If you do not sign up for a prescription plan right away you will be penalized. I do not know why but I do know you will be if you don’t.

Be careful of Medicare Advantage. If you are traveling and the provider does not accept it, your cost is all out of pocket. Biden is apparently trying to get that changed. It hasn’t passed yet.

You do want to get the supplemental insurance.