I wanted to personally thank American Idol and Biggest Loser for helping me to maintain my sanity. I can't believe I am saying that. But it's true. Yesterday I found out I may not be eligible for COBRA assistance under President Obama recovery plan because I could be eligible for Medicare.
This makes no sense. On the day it was announced that Medicare is in financial trouble, and with my layoff being eligible for full health coverage under COBRA for 18 months, why would they force me to go to Medicare. In fact, I am truly eligible for Medicare NEXT YEAR. By choosing to go on it now, I have to pay double the premiums for Medicare A and B, a whopping $182 monthly for a 20-80 coverage (I pay 20%) AND no prescription coverage unless I pick up part D for close to $50 per month. If I want to add a supplemental coverage to cover those things not covered by Medicare, I have to choose a Medicare Advantage Plan for close to $150 per month or a supplemental for close to $200 per month. If I got the Recovery Act Cobra, my FULL health coverage would only be $150 per month for EVERYTHING!!! Without it the assistance, my COBRA is $538 per month vs. $482 for Medicare.
Most people think Medicare is free: it is NOT free nor does it cover health needs for the average person. In fact it penalizes aged people by not covering most preventive tests. So here is what you get when you get older: coverage that lets you get sick, or die and you pay for it. Nice huh? For those of you not yet of Medicare age, get ready. This is your great so called entitlement program. I was so angry I decide to plant all those who created this wonderful option that I never asked for (got laid off), I decided to put these programs and people in my schmuck's forest: a forest filled with trees I plant (in my mind) by giving names for them. Then I let them go and move on. This doesn't mean I won't fight for what is right! Feel free to join me.
Not winding up in my forest are American Idol and Biggest Loser. Thank goodness for this distraction, though will have to wait till next season for more Biggest Loser. And only one more week for Idol. Where is Project Runway when you need them????????????? The copy cat show on Bravo called Fashion Show is TERRIBLE. Watched it once and no more. Hmmmmm, maybe they belong in my forest.
So on to the gym to work out the stress. Still looking for a job...........or a great new reality show, which ever comes first!
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I am afraid I can't tell you the names I would give to your rogue's gallery of idiots. I would turn the page and air blue.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary....I seem to keep adding to the list. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteMedicare is full of lots of little "surprises," isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI found the presentations for the Prescription Drug Coverage particularly chilling. At the end of each year, you can change plans if you want to, and the big health care corporations sell seniors VERY hard. I'm never convinced they'll put half that energy into settling your claims, however.
One good surprise about both Medicare and Social Security is that the people that work there are really nice, very knowledgeable, and quite accurate.
My husband signed up for Medicare first and Social Security the following year. During that first Medicare year, we wrote checks for the Part B health coverage, and I resigned myself to overpaying the first three months of the second year, when the premiums began to be deducted from Social Security. The people are nice, OK, but we all know what a hassle it is to straighten out something like this with a big bureaucracy.
So wrong! Medicare/SS caught the overpayment and refunded it by return mail without even one phone call to a voice mail tree from hell (which is what I was imagining).
Sorry about the COBRA rule, because Medicare undeniably has big, huge holes...that's a tough break.
Thanks Paula...yes lots of surprises..the bad and the good. And you are correct, the people at Social Security are wonderful!
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