@NeverPayRetail : Good luck with that! My parents had it and it was great. They also bought the united healthcare supplement. They never had to pay anything.

Oh to be 65 again...

@NeverPayRetail : Good luck with all of that. Just make sure you do all of your research. It can be very confusing from what I have heard.

@Sweetie : That is awesome! They never had to pay anything.

@NeverPayRetail: Yes, you're doing the right thing, registering for Medicare three months in advance. Use that three months to do your research and decide whether you want:
a) Regular Medicare Part A only (covers hospitalization, but not doctor visits) There is no fee for Part A
b) Regular Medicare Part A and Part B. Part B is $170/mo for 2022 and if you are getting Social Security, will be deducted from your monthly SS payment.
c) Regular Medicare Parts A and B plus a separate Medicare Part D drug plan.
d) Medicare Advantage plan (called Medicare Part C) You still have to pay your Medicare Part B premium, which will go directly to your Advantage provider. Some Advantage plans charge an additional premium above the Part B amount.Most people who opt for regular Medicare also sign up for a Part B Supplement (to cover the 20% of doctor costs not covered by Medicare) and a Part D drug plan. People who opt for Advantage get all their Part B and D benefits from the same provider. The downside to Advantage is that you're restricted to seeing the doctors in their plan, need permission to see a specialist, and you may find that the Advantage drug benefits don't match your needs as well as a stand-alone Part D plan (which Advantage clients aren't eligible to purchase).Some folks feel that they're healthy now and don't need Parts B or D, and will sign up for those benefits later. That is possible, but there's a built-in $penalty for every month you delay Parts B and D. Once you begin those coverages, you'll pay the accrued penalty **every month** for the rest of your life.

@otto : Thank you for the info! This is great for the future. I got some ways to go still but it's good to know.

@otto : So I'm planning to get an Advantage plan, but I still need to separately enroll for A, B & D, correct? Even though I'll be getting Rx through my Advantage plan?

@NeverPayRetail : You should enroll in Parts A and B. Then, the month before you turn 65, go ahead and enroll in your selected Advantage (Part C) plan. If you're on Social Security, your Part B premium will get automatically paid to your Advantage plan. If not, you'll have to send a check monthly to Medicare, and they will forward it to your Advantage provider. Do not enroll in Part D. Your Advantage plan will cover Part D benefits.

@otto : Good explanations!I too am still a ways away, but every time I read about enrollment, it's striking how much room for improvement there is in helping people understand what to select. The penalty for picking wrong, or missing the proper window, is so big and long-lasting; doesn't seem fair.

I was chatting yesterday with a couple on my Tuesday M-o-W route. They're both in their 80s, neither is in good health. He suffered a major stroke a couple of years ago, and she has cancer. Both need a walker to get around. In addition to Part B, they've had a Part D plan which covered most of her $97K Rx charges. After many years on conventional Medicare, an insurance company rep convinced them to switch to an Advantage program. They went with Advantage for the additional vision and dental benefits. But they have buyer's remorse, because they'll both have to get new doctors. They could keep seeing their doctors if they went with the company's more expensive PPO plan, but the additional cost puts that out of reach. They're anxious as to how things are going to work out. Getting old is definitely not for the faint of heart.

@otto : I saw a MoW van drive by. I wondered if that was you 😝

@garfieldgurl : Nope. That was probably George. He's an M-o-W employee. He drives over daily from Conroe to deliver meals to the Senior Center at Bull Sallas Park, and he also brings the meals that volunteers deliver to at-home seniors. One of the "benefits" of being a volunteer is that we get to provide our own vehicle, gas, insurance, etc. Of course we can claim charitable mileage on our income taxes (provided we have sufficient deductions to allow us to itemize). We can reduce our taxable income at the princely rate of $0.14/mile -- a rate fixed by Congress. It hasn't been increased since the '80s. And folks can't understand why it's so difficult to get volunteers here in East County (or anywhere for that matter).

@NeverPayRetail : I help you completely! A phone call would be better. Is there a good time to reach out?
I'm an insurance agent, you can always reach me at (832) 606-5099!