Scantlings

Oh...and Benno, too! What are you Benno, like 59 or something?

Happy Birthday Tim and Eric!!

Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Yes! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

Just a spring chicken.

I'll tell you Medicare plus TFL is better than Tricare and a supplemental. Only challenge is the Medicare premium is income adjusted so it has worked out to more than $1000/qtr per covered individual. Since L is a child bride, we are still paying Tricare copays and deductibles on her for another 5 years (or until M4All shows up).

LarryHoward wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

Just a spring chicken.

I'll tell you Medicare plus TFL is better than Tricare and a supplemental. Only challenge is the Medicare premium is income adjusted so it has worked out to more than $1000/qtr per covered individual. Since L is a child bride, we are still paying Tricare copays and deductibles on her for another 5 years (or until M4All shows up).

Wow, that’s expensive! I still think we are out of Tricare and into TFL as soon as the we become eligible.

Benno von Humpback wrote:

LarryHoward wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

Just a spring chicken.

I'll tell you Medicare plus TFL is better than Tricare and a supplemental. Only challenge is the Medicare premium is income adjusted so it has worked out to more than $1000/qtr per covered individual. Since L is a child bride, we are still paying Tricare copays and deductibles on her for another 5 years (or until M4All shows up).

Wow, that’s expensive! I still think we are out of Tricare and into TFL as soon as the we become eligible.

Well, expensive when compared to the Platinum plan that Tricare plus a supplemental costs. Given my experience, about $462/month or about $5K annually is a decent bargain Given the general high cost of health care. but the ramp up for the Part B come from your previous year’s tax filing and will automatically come out of any SS benefit. Hard part is adding a spouse costs the same again if you filed jointly. $10K annually starts to be a real bill. There is of course a different schedule for filing separately to make sure you don’t get away with anything but we’ll do the math when the time comes.

It is worth noting that Medicare, with part B premiums, drug costs and copays is nowhere free even without income surcharges. Unless changed dramatically, M4All will bring some significant copays for anything beyond basic care.

^^^This is like health care costs from another planet, in that, I don't follow any of it. Is this because you guys are on some sort of Federal system?

I plunk down a measly 250 a month for me and the little woman for Part B and that's all I got. (dental, drugs, vision and the 20% the FEDS don't grab). Of course, our dear dear ex-Gov Moron O'Malley tried to fuck over everyone in the MD state retirement system by pushing legislation that would annihilate the State Prescription Drug Plan, SEVEN years after the bill passed. (the date of elimination was to be 7 years after the bill went through and signed)

Luckily, enough angry geezers who vote got an injunction on that piece of crap. But it's still up for grabs on a yearly basis. I'd be fine with elimination the subsidy and letting us pay it, just to be insured for a Rx that costs 20K USD a month.

Fucking democrats....you can't trust 'em

As the song goes, "I get down on my knees and pray, we don't get fooled again!"

LarryHoward wrote:..............Only challenge is the Medicare premium is income adjusted so it has worked out to more than $1000/qtr per covered individual.........

I would very happily trade premiums with you Captain!!

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

That is a very respectable ride Benno, well done.

kimbottles wrote:

LarryHoward wrote:..............Only challenge is the Medicare premium is income adjusted so it has worked out to more than $1000/qtr per covered individual.........

I would very happily trade premiums with you Captain!!

That’s why I note that it’s a good bit more than I used to pay but not obscene compared to other non employer plans.

LarryHoward wrote:

kimbottles wrote:

LarryHoward wrote:..............Only challenge is the Medicare premium is income adjusted so it has worked out to more than $1000/qtr per covered individual.........

I would very happily trade premiums with you Captain!!

That’s why I note that it’s a good bit more than I used to pay but not obscene compared to other non employer plans.

Medicare’s coverage has been great, I have a very high return on my investment this year!!

kimbottles wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

That is a very respectable ride Benno, well done.

Thanks. That’s a high compliment coming from you!

Benno von Humpback wrote:

kimbottles wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

That is a very respectable ride Benno, well done.

Thanks. That’s a high compliment coming from you!

Averaging 200 watts is generally considered the break point for “serious cycling”. You are there. Very nice.

kimbottles wrote:Medicare’s coverage has been great, I have a very high return on my investment this year!!

Me,too.

I suppose that the Warren campaign had a document somewhere saying exactly what she meant by Medicare for All. I took it to mean a national plan with small premiums, mostly paid for by taxes somewhere else. I suspect it would turn out more like Medicaid for all than anything like Medicare.

And really, what's so good about Medicare except that you get it without high premiums. If it's so good, why does everyone who can afford it have a med supp plan?

SemiSalt wrote:

kimbottles wrote:Medicare’s coverage has been great, I have a very high return on my investment this year!!

Me,too.

I suppose that the Warren campaign had a document somewhere saying exactly what she meant by Medicare for All. I took it to mean a national plan with small premiums, mostly paid for by taxes somewhere else. I suspect it would turn out more like Medicaid for all than anything like Medicare.

And really, what's so good about Medicare except that you get it without high premiums. If it's so good, why does everyone who can afford it have a med supp plan?

Medicare has some relatively high copays and part D Coverage (drugs) is pretty expensive if you have to use it. In my case (and Benno when he gets old) the uniformed service Tricare turns into “Tricare for life” at age 65 and you are required to enroll for Medicare as soon as eligible. At that time, Tricare becomes a very good supplemental and out of pocket for covered services goes to zero. For meds, you stay on “Express Scripts” with reasonable copays. For My $462/month Medicare premium, I have no medical copays and limited drug copays. Once I retire, the Medicare income adjusted premium should drop as my income does. Part of retirement planning for us is targeting how much we want to take annually to limit income adjusted costs.

National affordability aside, it’s pretty good coverage and my costs are pretty reasonable given the care I have received.

Interestingly, I had an ER visit about a month ago and just got the Medicare EOB. Billed amount > $1600. Medicare adjusted to $153 or so and my share $30.00 (paid by Tricare). Brings the question of “what did it really cost?”

kimbottles wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:

kimbottles wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

That is a very respectable ride Benno, well done.

Thanks. That’s a high compliment coming from you!

Averaging 200 watts is generally considered the break point for “serious cycling”. You are there. Very nice.

Well, it works okay when you don’t weigh much. I’d still like to be faster.

Benno von Humpback wrote:

kimbottles wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:

kimbottles wrote:

Benno von Humpback wrote:Happy birthday to you to!!!

Medicare minus 1.

Yesterday's informal club TT results (although I got beat by a bunch of somewhat older people)

Screen Shot 2020-08-21 at 12.49.40.png

That is a very respectable ride Benno, well done.

Thanks. That’s a high compliment coming from you!

Averaging 200 watts is generally considered the break point for “serious cycling”. You are there. Very nice.

Well, it works okay when you don’t weigh much. I’d still like to be faster.

So would we all! Sooooo would we all!!!

LarryHoward wrote:

SemiSalt wrote:

kimbottles wrote:Medicare’s coverage has been great, I have a very high return on my investment this year!!

Me,too.

I suppose that the Warren campaign had a document somewhere saying exactly what she meant by Medicare for All. I took it to mean a national plan with small premiums, mostly paid for by taxes somewhere else. I suspect it would turn out more like Medicaid for all than anything like Medicare.

And really, what's so good about Medicare except that you get it without high premiums. If it's so good, why does everyone who can afford it have a med supp plan?

Medicare has some relatively high copays and part D Coverage (drugs) is pretty expensive if you have to use it. In my case (and Benno when he gets old) the uniformed service Tricare turns into “Tricare for life” at age 65 and you are required to enroll for Medicare as soon as eligible. At that time, Tricare becomes a very good supplemental and out of pocket for covered services goes to zero. For meds, you stay on “Express Scripts” with reasonable copays. For My $462/month Medicare premium, I have no medical copays and limited drug copays. Once I retire, the Medicare income adjusted premium should drop as my income does. Part of retirement planning for us is targeting how much we want to take annually to limit income adjusted costs.

National affordability aside, it’s pretty good coverage and my costs are pretty reasonable given the care I have received.

Interestingly, I had an ER visit about a month ago and just got the Medicare EOB. Billed amount > $1600. Medicare adjusted to $153 or so and my share $30.00 (paid by Tricare). Brings the question of “what did it really cost?”

Larry covered this well. My experience so far, started using it at 65 and I'm 68 now, has been just fine. I'm using the same medical providers, except dental and vision, same doctors. Paying about 1/3 of what I was paying when I was buying my own health insurance. We'll move The Admiral to it next year when she hits 65.

The crazy thing for us is that my "income" jumps all over the place. As a result, my premium jumps around. It makes planning hard, but: "Hey, if this is the cost of making money, then it's better than the alternative from private insurance." As I do fewer and fewer "special situation jobs", my income will fall and so will the premium. Right now it's $1,500 per quarter, next year it should about 2/3 of that.

Now, the thing that really sucks is that you have to seriously research the supplemental insurance offerings. There are some serious bait-n-switch deals out there. I went for a supplemental which has all services provided by an outfit I would NEVER go to. My bad, I didn't dig deep enough doing research. I've known this firm for years and they have always been terrible, they changed their name and fooled me. (I'm getting old)

Overall, I think the blended system of a baseline safety net provide by Medicare with supplemental for those who wish to pay works pretty well.

SemiSalt wrote:

kimbottles wrote:Medicare’s coverage has been great, I have a very high return on my investment this year!!

Me,too.

I suppose that the Warren campaign had a document somewhere saying exactly what she meant by Medicare for All. I took it to mean a national plan with small premiums, mostly paid for by taxes somewhere else. I suspect it would turn out more like Medicaid for all than anything like Medicare.

And really, what's so good about Medicare except that you get it without high premiums. If it's so good, why does everyone who can afford it have a med supp plan?

Medicare premiums are income related. They are charged on ability to pay. They are “high” if you can afford it. Makes sense to me even though mine are pretty “high”.

“For My $462/month Medicare premium” I wish mine were costing this!! But The return has been great. (I easily hit the maximum out of pocket this year!)

Tim Ford wrote:^^^This is like health care costs from another planet, in that, I don't follow any of it. Is this because you guys are on some sort of Federal system?

I plunk down a measly 250 a month for me and the little woman for Part B and that's all I got. (dental, drugs, vision and the 20% the FEDS don't grab). Of course, our dear dear ex-Gov Moron O'Malley tried to fuck over everyone in the MD state retirement system by pushing legislation that would annihilate the State Prescription Drug Plan, SEVEN years after the bill passed. (the date of elimination was to be 7 years after the bill went through and signed)

Luckily, enough angry geezers who vote got an injunction on that piece of crap. But it's still up for grabs on a yearly basis. I'd be fine with elimination the subsidy and letting us pay it, just to be insured for a Rx that costs 20K USD a month.

Fucking democrats....you can't trust 'em

As the song goes, "I get down on my knees and pray, we don't get fooled again!"

Right about the time Laura turns 65 she will have the magical 20 years required with the municipality she works for that is quasi-state...that should hopefully get us MD State healthcare in retirement if it isn't messed with again.
Benno - Nice ride. I know some guys that ride that fast but not me. This spring I was riding by myself and getting into the high 15's on average...then I fell off the (bike) wagon.

H B wrote:

Tim Ford wrote:^^^This is like health care costs from another planet, in that, I don't follow any of it. Is this because you guys are on some sort of Federal system?

I plunk down a measly 250 a month for me and the little woman for Part B and that's all I got. (dental, drugs, vision and the 20% the FEDS don't grab). Of course, our dear dear ex-Gov Moron O'Malley tried to fuck over everyone in the MD state retirement system by pushing legislation that would annihilate the State Prescription Drug Plan, SEVEN years after the bill passed. (the date of elimination was to be 7 years after the bill went through and signed)

Luckily, enough angry geezers who vote got an injunction on that piece of crap. But it's still up for grabs on a yearly basis. I'd be fine with elimination the subsidy and letting us pay it, just to be insured for a Rx that costs 20K USD a month.

Fucking democrats....you can't trust 'em

As the song goes, "I get down on my knees and pray, we don't get fooled again!"

Thank you!
Right about the time Laura turns 65 she will have the magical 20 years required with the municipality she works for that is quasi-state...that should hopefully get us MD State healthcare in retirement if it isn't messed with again.
Benno - Nice ride. I know some guys that ride that fast but not me. This spring I was riding by myself and getting into the high 15's on average...then I fell off the (bike) wagon.

Thanks, Shawn. We hope to pass through your part of the world a couple of times next month.