Competent health care provided by doctors and hospitals covered under your insurance company is a primary consideration in retirement. Before you seriously consider relocating to another state, you should confirm that you can transfer your insurance coverage to that state and determine if there will be an increase in your rates. It's even more critical to check this out beforehand if you are covered by an HMO. I found out from some of my neighbors that coverage by their previous HMO was not available in Colorado. So they had to immediately find another HMO and for some, the cost increased as much as $150 per month. With so many people entering retirement without the benefit of health coverage, you might even want to consider relocating to a state with low health care costs. You can check out www.bestplaces.net/COL which will give you a total overall health cost comparison between your current city and the one you plan to move to. In my search for a retirement community, I seriously considered moving to active adult communities in Florida, South Carolina and Texas. One of the first things I did when visiting a community was to find out from the salesman how close were the nearest hospitals. Then I would call the hospital to find out if they had specialists in the health care area that I needed. For example, if you had heart problems, you'd want to live in close proximity to a hospital with a well-established cardiology department. Then I spoke with some of the people living there and asked about their doctors - were they satisfied with them; did they meet or exceed the care of their previous doctor; and most importantly, would you recommend them? Some of the active adult communities are so pro-active in health care that they have a small medical clinic in their community as well as their own EMTs and ambulance service. That's essential if a hospital is not nearby. If you're really concerned about the health care facilities in your area or where you're planning to move, you can get a hosptial report card http://www.healthgrades.com/ for less than $20.
Showing posts with label active adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label active adult. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Relocation - Health Care
Competent health care provided by doctors and hospitals covered under your insurance company is a primary consideration in retirement. Before you seriously consider relocating to another state, you should confirm that you can transfer your insurance coverage to that state and determine if there will be an increase in your rates. It's even more critical to check this out beforehand if you are covered by an HMO. I found out from some of my neighbors that coverage by their previous HMO was not available in Colorado. So they had to immediately find another HMO and for some, the cost increased as much as $150 per month. With so many people entering retirement without the benefit of health coverage, you might even want to consider relocating to a state with low health care costs. You can check out www.bestplaces.net/COL which will give you a total overall health cost comparison between your current city and the one you plan to move to. In my search for a retirement community, I seriously considered moving to active adult communities in Florida, South Carolina and Texas. One of the first things I did when visiting a community was to find out from the salesman how close were the nearest hospitals. Then I would call the hospital to find out if they had specialists in the health care area that I needed. For example, if you had heart problems, you'd want to live in close proximity to a hospital with a well-established cardiology department. Then I spoke with some of the people living there and asked about their doctors - were they satisfied with them; did they meet or exceed the care of their previous doctor; and most importantly, would you recommend them? Some of the active adult communities are so pro-active in health care that they have a small medical clinic in their community as well as their own EMTs and ambulance service. That's essential if a hospital is not nearby. If you're really concerned about the health care facilities in your area or where you're planning to move, you can get a hosptial report card http://www.healthgrades.com/ for less than $20.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Book Clubs
I love to read and was excited to discover that like most Active Adult Communities, mine has a book club. The club consists of 12 members who meet once a month with the hosting member selecting the book. Tonight the meeting was held at my home and since I enjoy knitting, I picked "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs. At right, is a picture of my table decorations and the baby blanket I just finished knitting for my niece Cindy. Just like a character right out of the book, one of our members showed up with her knitting and worked on her scarf during our discussion. I always find it interesting to hear what the other members have to say about the book and learn more about them as they reveal personal stories similar to events in the book. We had a lively discussion including what each of us felt was the main lesson of the book. To me, the book emphasized the value of having good woman friends and how at times, those friends are the only glue holding the threads of your life together. The theme of 'follow your dreams' was also central to the book as we see the strong female characters chasing their dream whether it's opening the knitting store, designing purses or making a film.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Texas Holdem
I live in an Active Adult Community near Denver. It's great because there are many opportunities here to play cards. We have several bridge and men's poker groups that meet weekly. Playing cards is a good activity for retirees as it helps to keep your mind sharp and enhances your social life. I've been playing poker and other card games for years. A group of us ladies recently began meeting once a month to play poker. It's a fun, relaxed group and we play several different types of poker games, like Texas Holdem, High Chicago and Omaha. Our community also holds monthly poker tournaments. Last month, 16 players spent a lively evening playing in a Texas Holdem Tournament. I was excited to make the final table and even more thrilled that my poker playing skills held out and I won the Tournament.
If you can't find a local card game, then try a free online game at http://www.pokerstars.com/ where you can sign up and use free play chips to participate in free online games. Another great website for games, crossword puzzles and tons of info on retirement issues is http://www.eons.com/.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
