At Last! Retiring for GOOD!

Obamacare has a wider impact than the people who are forced to comply with its many provisions. It will have an effect on Medicare, as well. Despite the constant political rhetoric that Medicare payment reductions affect only providers and not beneficiaries, funding cuts for Medicare services will directly affect those who depend on those services. If Obamacare’s major reductions are implemented by Congress over the coming decade, seniors’ ability to access Medicare services will surely diminish. Obamacare can be considered a success, judging from the OMB's reports. Unfortunately, those reports can only work from data/constraints they are given. Such limits mean that, depending on the questions/framework/data comprising their analysis, ACA looks like a raging success. Which, it isn't. In too many Americans' minds, debt of a government should just be paid by all those high-earners who greedily grab all the available money in an economy. Funnily enough, a substanti...

I previously posted on the UN-helpfulness of the AARP brand , which purports to work for seniors, but seems more inclined to exploit them. Today's Forbes has an article that explains more about this. One facet of their conflict of interest with seniors: The AARP is also one of the largest private health insurers in America. In 2011, the AARP generated $458 million in royalty fees from so-called “Medigap” plans, nearly twice the $266 million the lobby receives in membership dues. There's more, and it's worse: AARP Medigap plans are exempted from most of Obamacare’s best-known insurance mandates. AARP Medigap plans are exempted from the ban that requires insurers to take all comers, regardless of pre-existing conditions.    

I've never belonged to AARP. My husband joined, just for the discounts (probably MOST peoples' motivation). I've heard about the immense profit AARP makes selling companies access to seniors (you do know that they are a large driver of all that junk mail you receive, don't you?). This gives more evidence for the charge that they are not so much a lobbying group, as a predator. ...most of AARP’s revenues do not come from the “members” it purports to represent. The group’s primary source of income is from royalties it receives from its AARP branded health insurance plans, which enjoy exemptions from some of Obamacare’s more onerous taxes and fees.

It was a long time coming. I had to make a second trip to Social Security offices to make sure that I received it. I really don't know how it happened that the application slipped through the cracks. I do credit the time and attention that the employee of that office dedicated to un-earthing the problem, and correcting it. The Moral of the Story? Follow-up on EVERYTHING. Don't assume that the paperwork will go through. It also took considerable time for my SC retirement purchase of time to get moving forward. Full Disclosure: a good portion of that was MY fault. The process is so time-consuming, and filled with paper going back and forth, that I threw up my hands several times, and resolved to deal with it at a later time. That delay cost me money. I'm going to be MUCH more diligent in the future on follow-up. Part of my time this summer, and into the fall, will be to automate paperwork, organize our stuff and get rid of clutter, and take care of business that h...

It's a slow process - a VERY slow process. The NC check came yesterday - MONTHS after I sent in the paperwork. However, it did come, and is currently in the hands of the SC Retirement people. I made a physical trip down there this morning, to make sure that the money would be in their hands today. It looks I've started getting the SC retirement money - my bank is showing the first check (e-deposit) is pending. Don't know how the NC money will affect that. It may mean I have to refund the June money, and take the first month as of July. We'll see. I'm getting the piddling SS money ($8/month). However, I won't be taking my SS as a worker until at least January of 2018. Maybe longer, it depends on how long Den is working, and if I can scrounge extra money up - either teaching a college class, or writing for magazines, or something. I'm still waiting on the new Medicare card. The old one only shows Part A. However, on the web, it does show that Part B is th...

I really don't know what happened, or why my personal visit to the offices to get my Part B signup did not work. All I knew is that my Part B coverage wasn't showing up on the website. I tried calling - not a good idea - I spent HOURS on the phone, without success. So, this week, I got into the car, drove about 2 miles down the road, checked in and waited for almost 45 minutes (I didn't have an appointment), and saw a representative. Who was immediately helpful. I now have Part B coverage. Now, I will need to set up the arrangements for paying for it, but - I'm in, without a penalty. Penalty? Yeah. It turns out that if you don't sign up at 65, for BOTH Parts A and B, you will have to pay a penalty for the rest of your life in the form of higher premiums. The exception - which I qualified for - is for those over 65 who are still working (which, until 6/1/17, I was). I just needed to show them the form CMS-L564, signed by my former employer, which ve...

Part A - Check Part G - Check Part D - Check Ironically, the one that Medicare administers is the one that I've had the hardest time getting verified. I've spent several hours online and on the phone, but can't get an employee to check the system, and tell me whether my coverage is in process. In contrast, the private sector, responsible for Parts G and D, have been quick - responding to me within hours, carefully making sure that my questions are answered, and generally performing quite well.

The government does make it RELATIVELY painless to sign up (well, other than that paying for it thing). You can go to the site by Googling: Medicare part d signup Or, just go to this site to find plan comparisons. Once there, your access to plans is partly determined by your location, so the first step is to enter your zip code. You will be asked a few questions (I Don't Know is an acceptable answer). This takes you to a page where you can enter your on-going medications (if this isn't something you need, you can skip it, but if you take regular meds, it will make a difference to the cost of the plans). You will want to enter your standard medications on the list (easy-peasy), then select one of the 3 options (the first one is for buying Part D separately from your Part B, which your person signing you up should have told you if you needed this). Check the first box and compare plans. NOTE: pay attention not just to the monthly cost, but to the overall yearly cost...

I've been hip-deep in the morass that is our Government-Issued/Overseen Health Care for Seniors for the last few months. I did NOT put enough time into it to be sure that I am making good choices, but I plan to monitor the situation, and re-assess as I approach the Open Enrollment period, so I can decide whether to keep that assortment of plans, or change them. I'm in uncharted waters here. I've only had access to work-connected health insurance, and my choices were limited to a few plans. At most companies, the Benefits department does a reasonably good job of explaining the pros and cons of different plans, making decision much easier. Two parts of Medicaid were easy - Parts A and B. I signed up for A last year when I turned 65, but didn't add B until I retired. No sweat, there was no real choice to make for these. Same for everyone. I spent some time wrestling with which of the alphabeted plans to select, and decided on Plan G - it has coverage for illnesses/ac...

By this time on May 30, I will be preparing for my last day teaching. Oh, it's possible that I might work as an adjunct, a substitute (particularly in a long-term job - 1-3 months, typically), or a tutor. But, full-time employment may be permanently over. Or, not. Sometimes, plans change. Usually, there is a financial incentive. Some crisis hits, and the budget takes a hit. One or the other (or both) of the retirees needs to return to paid work, for a time. Sometimes, there are other factors - boredom sometimes sets in, and paid employment is used to fill empty hours. I don't fault those who do so - I can imagine a time where, in an effort to re-connect after a spouse's death, one of us might choose a part-time job. It certainly beats withering away from loneliness. I can't guarantee the future. But, as of now, this is the plan. I'll post more over the next few months, as I adjust to the change in my routines - how I structure my days, ways I change my...