Medicare, not for the faint of heart

[dacheedah]

You will qualify but it might be like tier 8, ( all that really means is that you will pay more money like a co pay but it is far more reasonable than my health insurance. You have enough active duty credits. You can manage care a couple ways:

 

Current physician managed but VA doc reviews and issues scripts if they agree on recommendations

co manage with your current physician

manage all of your care

 

No matter what you choose, you will still get free flu shots... and the VA preventative medicine program is very good. My insurance does not cover hearing aids but the VA did for about 10%. I would go in with your dd214, answer all your questions and fill everything out and go from there.

[Hummingbird]

With regard to VA care -

 

Hopefully it has changed from 6 or 7 years ago because we have a LOT of vets that need help but when I needed help it was inept, insufficient and in my case useless and ineffective with emphasis on what appeared to be an overburdened system.

 

I made an executive decision and immediately sought out the surgeons group that had done the last 3 surgeries and got the problem resolved under regular medical coverage with minimal co-pays.

 

When I became eligible for medicare, I enrolled in a local plan with a $500 prescription deductible, $20 co-pay for Dr. and $35 co-pay for a specialist.

 

I have a total of $95 co-pays this year and so far this calendar year I have spent $14.99 out of pocket for prescriptions.

 

Wish I could remember - got it, Aultcare is my medicare provider.

[BOO]

With regard to VA care -

 

Hopefully it has changed from 6 or 7 years ago because we have a LOT of vets that need help but when I needed help it was inept, insufficient and in my case useless and ineffective with emphasis on what appeared to be an overburdened system.

 

I made an executive decision and immediately sought out the surgeons group that had done the last 3 surgeries and got the problem resolved under regular medical coverage with minimal co-pays.

 

When I became eligible for medicare, I enrolled in a local plan with a $500 prescription deductible, $20 co-pay for Dr. and $35 co-pay for a specialist.

 

I have a total of $95 co-pays this year and so far this calendar year I have spent $14.99 out of pocket for prescriptions.

 

Wish I could remember - got it, Aultcare is my medicare provider.

 

I bet your out of pocket costs are more like $3,000.00 a year. Medicare + Supplement + Part D does not equal $0.

I do hear stories about some VA's being pretty bad in different places but the one I go to is at least as good or maybe even better than the local Dr's and hospitals.

It all boils down to one thing, you need to go where you are comfortable and confident with the treatment.

BOO

[saddlebum]

Sorry, we pay just a bit more than you ($300) for full bike insurance, fire, theft, medical coverage, etc., etc., etc. and it's a million dollars, not 250,000 or 500,000. The only people who pay that much are those with bad driving records. Don't believe everything you're told, eh?

 

There's no way in heck anyone in Canada will ever lose their home, go bankrupt, lose all their retirement funds, etc., etc., etc. because they get ill. That's what makes Canada so wonderful.

This is true but our wonderful government is slowly eating away at it with cutbacks and less things being covered all the time, putting more burden on our pocket books.

[Hummingbird]

I bet your out of pocket costs are more like $3,000.00 a year. Medicare + Supplement + Part D does not equal $0.

 

I don't have any idea what the costs are before I see a Dr. Don't really care because I don't have too much control over that part. When I said out of pocket expenses, that's just what it is - less than $100 a year.

 

I found that when I was taking Tramodol for my knee, the VA charged me $8 for one prescription. I got the same thing at Drug Mart for $3.99 - didn't make a whole lot of sense to drive 20 miles for a prescription I could get 3 miles away for half the money.

[Yammer Dan]

I pay $9 for Hydrocodone $27 for Simvastatin from VA. Guess I need to look somewhere else.

[Sailor]

The Canadian medical system is great but sometimes there is a considerable wait, particularly for elective surgery. Some (wealthier) Canadians decide to "Jump the line" by going to the US where they pay their money and get it done right away. So many Americans, and others, have come here as "tourists" to take advantage of our medical that the hospitals have now posted a schedule of fees for non-residents. At one time England had universal dental care. They were flooded with "Tourists" from Canada and the U.S. flying over there to get dental work done. It would pay for the trip.

[GAWildKat]

When I was having trouble with my gallbladder in 2005, initially, it was considered elective surgery. It wasn't known that I was actually septic when the surgery was scheduled. I was warned there was a chance the surgery might cost me through I'm on medicare and medicaid. Luckily for me the during the surgery there were life-threatening complications that changed it from elective to lifesaving surgery. I had an online friend in the UK who was also having trouble with her gall bladder and her surgeries were getting postponed because it's considered elective surgery there as well. She was finally told she could only have the surgery once she became septic. She almost died waiting to have the surgery (Over two years). While I would like to have a healthcare system closer to what Canada and Europe have in the US I would like to see the tables for what is considered elective and needed care modified so people don't fall through the cracks as often. No system is perfect and any system that aids the people need constant modifications to fix the judgement errors of the ones that write the system of codes that define the parameters of it.

 

I feel it is shameful my husband is not only denied affordable healthcare through his employer, but is also denied medicaid through the state though his income qualifies him for state assistance. He has a cyst or tumor in his head that was discovered while he was on worker's comp, but because the comp people didn't see it as directly related to his accident he was refused exploratory care. Can't get him on medicaid because there is no diagnosis for it. Can't afford the out of pocket costs to see a specialist, so he's screwed for lack of a better word. All we were told was one day it will kill him if left untreated, great.....now you know my gripes with American healthcare.

[BOO]

I pay $9 for Hydrocodone $27 for Simvastatin from VA. Guess I need to look somewhere else.

 

Dan,

Walmart sells Generic drugs for $4 a month or $10 for three months.

The drugs you take is not on their list though. I too take Simvastatin and I have to buy it from the VA. Same price as you. Walmart has several Statin drugs on their list so maybe there would be one there to switch you to. The Hydrocodone is actually Tylenol but probably in higher does for your pain.

There are several stores that have a Genetic program going on and most have the drugs listed on line for availability and cost.

I have a bottle of Hydrocodone/ Acetaminophen 5MG/325MG that I don't take anymore.

Looks around and Good Luck,

BOO

[Hummingbird]

When I had my knee replaced 3 years ago I took oxycodone for 3 days, then switched to Tramadol mostly because it's non-narcotic and I didn't need the heavy drugs.

[Condor]

Where do you come up with $925 a month for healthcare? That's more than our mortgage payment!! If we had to pay that for healthcare, we'd have to live in the slums, sell our house, etc., etc., etc. $925 a MONTH for two of you??? Holy crap!!!!!! How can you afford it??????

 

 

Now that you're retired it's only about $300? Nice drop. You must be enjoying that!

 

Yep... read it and weep. $925, and that was 5 years ago. I have friends that were paying even more. 20 years ago it started out at $160/ mo., but the older we got the more it got. That's why I filed for early retirement at 62... just to pay the premiums until I hit 65, and medicare kicked in. Even at $925 we still got our moneys worth, compared to what it would have cost us for uninsured out of pocket treatments. Think of it this way. Someone's going have to pay the freight. Unlike Canada, down here you can elect to not be insured. Freedom of choice.

[Freebird]

Sometimes I HATE my no politics rule. When I read crap here that is just completely untrue from people who have no idea what they are talking about in regards to the healthcare system in the USA. Could it be better? Of course it could. All I will say though...is....

 

I'm sure glad that I live in the USA.

 

This thread is close to being deleted.

[flb_78]

Sometimes I HATE my no politics rule. When I read crap here that is just completely untrue from people who have no idea what they are talking about in regards to the healthcare system in the USA. Could it be better? Of course it could. All I will say though...is....

 

I'm sure glad that I live in the USA.

 

This thread is close to being deleted.

 

I could friend you on FaceBook and we could talk about it there!!

[Freebird]

LOL.......like THAT wouldn't get heated too.

[dingy]

I have a bottle of Hydrocodone/ Acetaminophen 5MG/325MG that I don't take anymore.

This drug is a Schedule III narcotic. It should not be given away, this would be a felony.

 

Not trying to be a wet blanket, but offering this to the wrong person, especially on the internet could cause some significant drug charges.

 

Gary

[naturbar]

This drug is a Schedule III narcotic. It should not be given away, this would be a felony.

 

Not trying to be a wet blanket, but offering this to the wrong person, especially on the internet could cause some significant drug charges.

 

Gary

i guess it's all in the way you interpret what was said.... i saw the statement as a fact or comment - i didn't see any offer. but i totally agree with what you stated concerning sharing drugs........

[BOO]

This drug is a Schedule III narcotic. It should not be given away, this would be a felony.

 

Not trying to be a wet blanket, but offering this to the wrong person, especially on the internet could cause some significant drug charges.

 

Gary

 

Ha, at least I wouldn't being talking about Health Care anymore, I would be getting it for free for a while.

BOO

[Yammer Dan]

Ha, at least I wouldn't being talking about Health Care anymore, I would be getting it for free for a while.

 

BOO

 

 

:rotfl::rotfl: I saw enough of that Jerry !!! State takes good care of them!!

 

I get the 7.5 Hydros. 2 of them and I don't hurt much. Just don't tell my neighbors!!! I don't even take the statins as I should. Have gone from a whole hand full of pills to none some days. Just don't tell the Doc either.

[CaptainJoe]

Gawildcat... back in 2000 i had a tumor betweeen my coclear and brain stem. Was told if it grew to 5 centimeters that would be it....It was 1.5 at the time.

 

The good folks at House Ear institute in Los Angles Califorinia took it out.. although I had blue cross blue shield at the time. was way over $100,000

 

Might not hurt to ask about possible treatments there...

 

i sincerely hope everything works out for you and your husband...

[CaptainJoe]

freebird "Sometimes I HATE my no politics rule. When I read crap here that is just completely untrue from people who have no idea what they are talking about in regards to the healthcare system in the USA. Could it be better? Of course it could. All I will say though...is....

 

I'm sure glad that I live in the USA.

 

This thread is close to being deleted"

 

I have read and reread everything on this post and nothings struck me as an outlanidish lie.

 

If you were refering to what i said please pm me and i willl make the appropiate arrangements. Health care in the US only exists for the people in upwardly mobile jobs of which i use to be part of. When i retired 3 years ago i was dropped. Now i get to pay $530 a month, which increases yearly, with $5000 deductable.(it was $330 3 years ago.)

My wife, lucklily had a 10% heairng loss disability while in the army so she is fully covered.

 

I was in the Air force but don't qualify for the VA.

 

I to " am DAM glad that I live in the USA. "

 

but... the livng part is getting pretty hard to do,...

 

Sorry for being so adament about this subject but it hits too close to home. I use to remark about how wasteful WV PEIA was when it came to purchasing health care for its +60,000 employees. It spent +9000 a year on me. I knew I could do better and in fact did the first year that I retired at 49 years of age. What the insurance companies don't tell you is it goes up every year, double digit inflation(for you age group). Soon I will either be forced to drop it entierly or go back to work, just for the Health insurance coverage. At this point I can truthfully say I have never paid $530 a month for anything, not even a house payment. I believe mine was $450 ish.

Edited November 6, 2011 by CaptainJoe