Ow, My Aching Head….

@FourWalls (61328)
United States
March 10, 2022 11:05am CST
This is the magic year. I start getting so-so security. Not Medicare, though: I took early retirement (because the way things are going, I figure they’ll play Catch-22 with the retirement age and I’ll never reach it. Medicare is still three years away. But with it comes a huge decision: what do I do for insurance? My dream would be to keep what I have; however, I don’t know if I can. That’s because the government and the way they operate makes my head hurt. NOBODY can foul things up like the United States government. There’s an acronym that originated in the military: SNAFU. Situation Normal, All “Fudged” Up. (I remember Johnny Carson talking about that one night, quoting the G-rated “all fouled up” definition, and he said, “I was in the Navy and we never said fouled up!” No kidding!) To give you an example of what I found in my research yesterday: the Social Security Administration doesn’t consider VA care to be “compatible” coverage. So….if you have VA care and decide to sign up for Medicare after you’re first eligible you have to pay a penalty. Yeah, for those who don’t know, if you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B when you’re initially eligible (65), you pay a penalty for not doing so. It’s a penalty assessed on each year you didn’t sign up…and you pay it on your premium EVERY STINKING MONTH FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Only the government could get away with that Bruce Springsteen/Boz Scaggs/Buffalo Springfield/Bob Seger (you know….B.S.). So I have to make that decision when I turn 65, or I’m stuck with my decision. Ow, my aching head! A most appropriate song after reading a little bit of US government mumbo-jumbo:
RewardsTop suggestions for the temptations ball of confusion (that's what the world is today)Temptations Ball of ConfusionLiveBall of Confusion TemptationsLyricsTemptations SongsBall of ConfusionThe TemptationsLive TodayBall of ConfusionLive TemptionsSong
15 people like this
13 responses
@CarolDM (203478)
• Nashville, Tennessee
10 Mar 22
Leave it to the government to mess things up. I helped my Dad. He had VA and Medicare coverage.
3 people like this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
10 Mar 22
I’m thinking about an advantage plan, given that I don’t get much treatment outside of the VA right now. The one thing I do get outside the VA is dermatology. I had a nasty sunburn when I was stationed in Hawaii, and it’s important for me to be checked semi-annually. I love my dermatologist (my favorite doctor and fourth-favorite comedian ), but if he retires in the next couple of years I’ll have to get a new one anyway and that might make the decision for me.
2 people like this
@CarolDM (203478)
• Nashville, Tennessee
10 Mar 22
@FourWalls He also had Cigna Health Spring. Lots of benefits. The only time he went to the VA was for his hearing aid. Funny how Medicare would not cover it, the VA covered it 100%.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
11 Mar 22
@CarolDM — yep, I got hearing aids from the VA. Not covered at all under Medicare.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Mar 22
The government never misses a chance to a) confuse you and b) make money out of you.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Mar 22
@FourWalls I had to guess what Dum-Dum wrappers were although it wasn't hard. But thanks for the explanation.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (93556)
• Marion, Ohio
11 Mar 22
Good luck figuring it out. Medicare isnt all that good. After you can get it many supplementals make it a lot better. Might help to talk to one of them now. They can explain it to you better. Hubby has humana
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (72527)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
11 Mar 22
You know what I just got Medicare I only took Part A I cannot afford premiums and I live from month to month and I have to say what me worry? I am not troubling myself my signature song should probably me shout shout knock yourself out
2 people like this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
11 Mar 22
I will, and I’ll put another dime in the record machine!
1 person likes this
@Dena91 (15776)
• United States
11 Mar 22
Yes, the government does screw things up. Hope you find a part of Medicare you will be satisfied with that won't interfere with your VA care.
2 people like this
@Faster16 (2930)
• Indonesia
11 Mar 22
Insurance from the government here is getting better, but sometimes we still get bad service
2 people like this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
11 Mar 22
I don’t want the US government controlling health insurance here. They can’t do anything else right, so it would stand to reason they’d mess that up, too.
@BarBaraPrz (45226)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
10 Mar 22
And the band played on... A 1970 hit still relevant today.
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (84408)
• Wheat Ridge, Colorado
11 Mar 22
Such nonsense all of it..I read you loud and clear. Love this song.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (133789)
• Roseburg, Oregon
11 Mar 22
I hope you make the best decision for you.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (40715)
• Wapello, Iowa
10 Mar 22
Ow, my aching head! ======My advice is to take two aspirin and call me in the morning...And that doesn't benefit me at all. I don't get a kickback from Big Aspirin. As far as you know. ~~~Now for the Government mandated Bruce Springsteen: The AMA says that since I'm just a simple country Gynecologist, not a fancy big-city headache doctor, I have to say you should get a second opinion~~~
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
11 Mar 22
I know you don’t get a kickback from BIG aspirin, given that most doctors prescribe the SMALL aspirin for prevention of heart attacks. You’re Fred Astaire tap dancing around those things, y’know! (Only cuter, you look like a cat.) I would think gynecologists studied head aches…..
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (40715)
• Wapello, Iowa
12 Mar 22
@FourWalls You aren't supposed to know about Small Aspirin. I wish the New York Times would mind its' own business. In Gynecology School, there was a brief section on headaches. What it boiled down to was, "Tell them to take two aspirin and call you in the morning. And if that doesn't work, send them to a headache doctor."
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Mar 22
I certainly agree with Medicare and the whole SNAFU thing. I didn't know about the penalty thing way back when I started getting Medicare so now I'm paying that penalty every month for my prescription plan
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (153180)
• United States
11 Mar 22
Be very careful with your decisions about health insurance. I'm sure you will. When I retired early on disability I had to wait two years to get on Medicare. During that time I paid dearly for health insurance. I hope it works out for you.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
11 Mar 22
I’m okay now, because I have insurance through the postal service. I just saw this new bill that’ll force retirees to get Medicare, so there goes my dream of holding on to what I have. I have the VA to fall back on, but as unreliable as they are, I certainly don’t want them to be my primary insurance.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
12 Mar 22
@LindaOHio — I haven’t read the details. Maybe there’s a grandfather clause where people who are already retired don’t have to do that.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (153180)
• United States
12 Mar 22
@FourWalls I would imagine that your postal insurance is very good. I didn't hear about that bill. Seems unfair to me.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78726)
• United States
11 Mar 22
Still, I always recommend taking the social security benefits at the earliest possible time, even if one is still working. I have my reasons, none of which I will waste anyone's time explaining here. But that being said, health care is always the greatest and most expensive part of retirement (unless one is 65 of course), and I wish it were not this way. I would love it if there was a company out there that could come up with a collective pool type insurance that could work, and help keep the insurance affordable. Not sure how you do it, because you'd have to have a high number of young people in the pool in order to pay the premiums to offset the outlays of the older people on the plans who would require more "maintenance." Oh well. It is what it is. All we can do is find workarounds. Or keep working.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
11 Mar 22
My primary reason for taking social security now is that they might change the rules and I’d be ineligible to sign up for it in three years. You know how the government is…Catch 22.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78726)
• United States
11 Mar 22
@FourWalls They can't. It's sort of like a contract. They can only apply new rules to new recipients, but the old rules still apply to those already in the system. Either way, you were still smart to do it.
1 person likes this