OMG!! I'm on Medicare

As Boomers, we've all experienced catalyst numbers that we just couldn't wait for like sweet 16 when our parents finally let us date and 21 when we could legally drink. We didn't like 30 because then we became part of the establishment.

But 65! Well, that's the magic number for Medicare and whether you want to or not you have to sign up for it. You can enroll 90 days prior to your birthday and become eligible on the 1st day of your birthday month. For me, that was February 1st as I soon turn 65.

You know, there's just some things that make me feel old and using my Medicare card for the first time last Friday sure did. I kept my health insurance, but I still had to name Medicare as the primary.

Parts A, B, C, D............it's like alphabet soup and hard to understand so you need to do a lot of research to determine which parts to enroll in as that will determine your monthly payment.
For additional info on the enrollment process and Medicare, go to http://www.medicare.gov/

Also, AARP has some excellent options for additional health insurance coverage so check them out at www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/

At this stage in our lives, we definitely don't want to be underinsured!

An Invitation

Don't you just love getting invited to a party or being asked to join a group of like-minded friends in a new adventure?  

     Normally, I do but this is one invitation I wasn't quite ready to get......one dictated solely by my age.   And it made me feel so old, because since I've hit that magic number -- 64.5 years of age --
I've been invited by the Federal Government to begin the MEDICARE application process.  

And what a process!!    Let's face it -- the Government sends out your notice 6 months in advance, because it takes that long just to review the complicated maze of paperwork. 

Parts A, B, C or D --- what do I really need? 
It's like trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle with my eyes closed!   And I even have an advantage over other Boomers because as a retired Federal employee, I'm used to the terminology and their long-winded way of explaining a simple procedure.  Still I get a headache just reading through the Government brochures and the numerous private supplemental policy offerings I've been receiving daily in the mail.
One thing I know for sure - though it's expensive, I'm keeping my Anthem-Blue Cross Federal Plan as my supplemental coverage as many of the nationally offerred plans just don't cover enough.

And please be wary of those "FREE" supplemental plans.   That's right - FREE -  no monthly charge, but just how good could that be?     NOT MUCH!!
        I found this out the hard way recently when my 87-year old mother was hospitalized.   She'd been bragging for years about the free supplemental plan she had.   Well, I never could get her to change plans and her recent hospital stay cost her over $2,000 when it probably would have cost her ZERO had she been paying for a better supplemental plan.

If you're on MEDICARE and have any tips to effortlessly get through the process, please share them.

Some helpful websites: 
Medicare:   http://www.medicare.gov/
AARP:  http://www.aarphealthcare.com/understanding-health-products/medicare-supplement.html