Medicare: Ever Closer ...

During my meeting with Leah, Wonder Woman Social Worker, yesterday, she suggested that either WSHIP (my present health insurance) or Basic Health (a state program for low-income people) would have a supplemental policy that might work for me once I go on Medicare.

She also said that the private companies that sell supplemental policies to people aged 65 and older on Medicare would probably not sell me a policy--they refuse to insure disabled people who are on Medicare. (That's a loophole the federal government should close, but that's another post for another day.)

So I went to the WSHIP Web site, and sure enough, WSHIP has not one but TWO plans for people who are on Medicare.

Duh. I never even thought to check.

WSHIP has a Basic Plan

And a Basic Plus Plan

It looks like the Basic Plus Plan is the one I want. The monthly premium will be $312.60.

So do the math: $98/month for Medicare Part B, $312.60 for WSHIP Basic Plus, and an unknown amount for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug coverage. But say it's $50/month. That's about $460/month, which is less than the $777/month I'm paying now for my WSHIP coverage.

So I'll save about $300 a month, which is great.

Now I have to figure out which Part D plan is right for me. A search on the government Web site turned up 50 or so plans that I can choose from. I started checking formularies, to see which plans would cover the drugs that I take regularly, but gave up after about 15 minutes. It's too complicated.

I'll come back to it another day. Another option is to check with a pharmacy and see if they can tell me. A friend told me that Walgreen's pharmacy has a computer program that allows them to check for the best Part D coverage depending on the drugs you take regularly.

I don't usually go to Walgreen's, but maybe I'll stop by and see.

I also need to call WSHIP and see if I can change plans over the phone or if there is paperwork involved. I'm betting on a paper application. I also need to find out how long it takes them to switch me.

I haven't received my Medicare cards yet, but should within the next few weeks. And my WSHIP premium for January has already been taken out of my checking account. It'd be nice to start the new plan in February, but I'm (mentally) prepared for it to take longer.

This is the government I'm dealing with, after all.

Read more:

Medicare: Getting Closer to the Answers

Medicare Questions

Medicare Help

Tykerb and Medicare

Support this blog:

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

Comments

[Carver]

Hi Jeanne,

I've been following your posts about medicare and I'm glad you are closing in on something that may work for you. It is a shame that it's so hard when you need coverage the most that the options are so limited. I hope against hope that something will be done about health care in this country. I think it's good that you are laying out the process you are going through in such a methodical way. I imagine it will help others. I think a lot about what I'll do if I ever reach the point you are at. Cobra is so expensive although I guess I'd have to do that in the short term if I lost my job or couldn't work. Wishing you all the best, Carver

[jeanne]

Carver--Thanks! The only way I could stand to write about this is to do it as I go along. If I collected all this info to write about later, I would never do it.

For example, I've been meaning to write about going on SS Disability, because I think that would help other people, but I did the disability application before I had my blog, and whenever I think about going back and writing about it, I stall.

Do want to say though that Disability was much easier than I expected, and the people I dealt with were much nicer and more helpful than I had been led to expect. So it was a positive experience.

About COBRA--if and when you get to that point, you will probably find that COBRA is your best option in terms of coverage for the money, even though it will be expensive. I did COBRA for 18 months, and that was my experience.

The only thing that would make that not true is if you have no assets and no income, then you might do better with Medicaid, although my source for info on that says it's awful.

[Mark Glen-Walker]

It's too bad the health system in our country is so complicated. I really hope to see change with the next administration. I know your blog is helping others.

[jeanne]

Thanks, Mark. So many things we take for granted, like how complicated Medicare is, or that people who have a major illness will, more likely than not, go bankrupt ... While in Canada, everyone has access to government health insurance, and also auto insurance ... I don't understant why we don't wake up.

The Baby Boomers are going to be hit hard, maybe that will make it happen.

[Renee Fox]

Jeanne,

I was looking over the WSHIP Basic Plus Medicare Plan. On page 13 it tells about the co payments for Part D RX. If I'm reading it correctly it looks like they would pick up your co payments and deductibles even through the gap. It also seems they might help on meds not covered by Medicare.

Again I'm not familiar with WSHIP except for the research I've done since reading your blog. I would ask the Social Workers or one of the State certified insurance agents if my interpretation is correct. I think I sent you the list of agents in WA who were listed on the website. These agents are trained and paid by the state to provide assistance.

Hope this has been helpful. Feel free to contact me anytime.

Enjoy your day.

[jeanne]

That's what I thought too. I'm going to call WSHIP directly to check this once I get my entire list of questions written up.

[MaryM]

I was reading another blogger who noted that Congress seems to have the spine to deal with health care about once every 10 years. Since they enacted Medicare Part D just a few years ago I would not hold my breath for any change anytime soon!