Guest guest Posted September 5, 2004 Report Share Posted September 5, 2004 I'm totally confused. I began getting SSD in October of last year. I know that I will be eligible for medicare once I've been on SSD for two years. I was under the impression that you have an option of going with medicare part A or medicare part B and that one of them doesn't cover as much, but you don't have to pay anything for it. Somebody explain how medicare works with SSD, PLEASE. thanks, W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 (and anyone else), here is a very good website on Medicare: http://www.medicare.gov/ and another one: http://www.medicarerights.org Hope you find them of some use, I know I have. Kimber -- Kimber Vallejo, CA hominid2@... Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed physician or health care professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 Kimber, thanks for the links. I had already found www.medicare.gov, but had not found the second site you listed www.medicarerights.org. I bookmarked the site and I'm sure it will come in handy for me and others. W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 , glad to be of some help. Funny thing is that I used to work for Kaiser Permanente in a department that made sure that they complied with Medicare rules and regulations. I don't know what those are as I was only an administrative assistant for most of the time, though I had moved up to a clinical data analyst before I had to go on disability. I had found these two websites while I worked there and kept them bookmarked as I knew I would eventually have to go on Medicare and new they'd have been of great help. Kimber -- Kimber Vallejo, CA hominid2@... Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed physician or health care professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 Kimber, I haven't yet decided if I will take Medicare Part B when I am eligible for Medicare next September or if I'll wait and take it when I turn 65. I'm 43 now. I am very blessed with my health insurance. Since I am a retired federal government employee (on a disability retirement) I get to keep my same health insurance for life (as long as I have my disability retirement anyway). If I die before my husband, he gets to keep it, also. We have a maximum out of pocket limit each year and once we've paid that in co-pays and deductibles, we don't have to pay anything for the rest of the year. So, I am going to have to do some analysis and determine if part b will be worth what it costs me. Since I've gotten sick, we have met the catastrophic out of pocket limit around the middle of each year. So, the first half of the year it's kind of tough with deductibles and co-pays, but then by about June or July, we've paid the $4000 annual out of pocket limit (for the family) and we have no co-pays for anything. A lot of the $4000 is for the co-pays on my many medicines so medicare part b won't help a bit with that. The only thing that part b would do for me is keep me from having to pay deductibles and co-pays for hospital, doctors, test, etc. It may end up that we'd still spend the $4000 out of pocket even if I have medicare part b because of my medicines and then of course, we'd still have to pay the co-pays for my husband's medical stuff. Although, thank goodness he is very healthy and his medical bills are minimal. I'm basically talking to myself as I am telling all this about my decision over whether part b would be a sound financial decision for me! Good thing I have a year to think about it and decide! W. ------------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by PCLNET, and is believed to be clean. Visit www.pclnet.net and get a 3Mbps cable modem! ------------------------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 I am also going to have to decide the same thing, but in January. I have a disability insurance as well as my SSDI and the disability insurance is paying my current health premium until May 2005. Then I have another 18 months of cobra with a possibility of another year or so due to disability (I'm sure of that so I will have to research the cobra laws, etc.). Once that is done I'll only have Medicare and Part B, so I'll probably get it. I'll probably also look for other supplemental insurance. That's good that you have yours for life though. Wish I had that, but I'm grateful for what I do have right now or I'd be paying a lot of money for all my prescriptions. Good luck in your decision. Kimber -- Kimber Vallejo, CA hominid2@... Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed physician or health care professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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