Re: Re: Part D and $4 WalMart- & Joyce

[Guest guest]

I looked at the Living Trust, and at first blush it appears that my/our

assets are still ours, they are just controlled by a third party. I don't

see the help in that. My daughter is talking about all our assets being

removed from our control so we can say we really are destitute and qualify

for benefits. Right now, that one day in the hospital for Betty is around

the $10,000 mark and we're expected to pay it in full as soon as possible

and we can't do that! So, what now?

Dennis in Eastexas

" It's not Rocket Surgery "

Re: [ ] Re: Part D and $4 WalMart

> Dennis, do you mean a Living Trust? A Living Will is a document where

> a person doesn't want to be kept alive by artificial means. A Living

> Trust

> is where you sign a paper where your benificiary or benificiaries get

> whatever

> you choose them to get when you die. I signed a Living Trust over to my

> son. He is my only living child. Now you can change your Living Trust

> anytime you chose that is if you want too. And by the way, you won't have

> to go to a lawyer to do this. You just have to have it notarized.

>

> Joyce from Texas

[Guest guest]

On October 25 Dennis wrote:

> " So, what now? "

Dennis.

I think you already know the answer to that. Unfortunately like thousands of

others who have been beset by ill health the system requires that you pay

the costs until you are in truth destitute. Then you will qualify for

assistance. It used to be referred to as " Being on the dole. " If you

fraudently transfer assets or try to hide them in some way you would be

breaking the rules. It is not nice to try and fool Uncle Sam. They get real

snotty if you get caught. If the taxpayers are required to subsidize an

individual it would only seem right that he was truly in need. Nothing says

anything about how hard he worked to get it.

You could negotiate a settlement of charges with the hospital or doctors.

Tell them you can only pay a percentage of the charges. Ideally this is best

done before the charges are incurred but it is worth a try. If insurance was

paying the bill they would only get a fraction of the charges so why should

an individual get soaked for full payment? The next time you are faced with

a medical charge tell them that you will pay cash but you would like the

charge reduced before accepting the services. They can say no and you can go

to another provider. It is aggravating and time consuming but they are a

business and you are a customer. It can be done. I know of a person who

saved thousands of dollars on his cancer surgery and hospital bill. He was

fortunate he still had some money to negotiate with.

Oh yeah, one other thing. Be sure and vote for representatives who are

sympathetic to universal health care.

I hope things get better for you and Betty.

" il faut d'abord durer " Hemingway

Re: [ ] Re: Part D and $4 WalMart

>

>

>> Dennis, do you mean a Living Trust? A Living Will is a document where

>> a person doesn't want to be kept alive by artificial means. A Living

>> Trust

>> is where you sign a paper where your benificiary or benificiaries get

>> whatever

>> you choose them to get when you die. I signed a Living Trust over to my

>> son. He is my only living child. Now you can change your Living Trust

>> anytime you chose that is if you want too. And by the way, you won't

>> have

>> to go to a lawyer to do this. You just have to have it notarized.

>>

>> Joyce from Texas

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Now you have me curious Dennis. When you sign your assets over

to a family member, do you have to wait two or three years before

applying for aid from the government? I really feel for you and Betty.

When I was in the hospital those five days this past June with Pancreatitis,

my bill was around $35,000. I have Medicare and a supplemental insurance

that took care of it thank goodness. I don't know of any hospital that

doesn't over charge you when you're in the hospital. Many years ago when

my husband was alive, he had to have a total hip replacement due to

RA. When we got the statement from the hospital, I noticed the first

antibiotic

they gave him cost $8.75. Then all the other vials of antibiotic which was

same kind cost more than $300.00 each. I wasn't very happy because my

husband wouldn't go to the hospital and argue about the cost. We paid

something over $5,000 out of our own pocket.

Joyce from Texas

Re: [ ] Re: Part D and $4 WalMart

> Dennis, do you mean a Living Trust? A Living Will is a document where

> a person doesn't want to be kept alive by artificial means. A Living

> Trust

> is where you sign a paper where your benificiary or benificiaries get

> whatever

> you choose them to get when you die. I signed a Living Trust over to my

> son. He is my only living child. Now you can change your Living Trust

> anytime you chose that is if you want too. And by the way, you won't have

> to go to a lawyer to do this. You just have to have it notarized.

>

> Joyce from Texas