[aljetmet]

Originally Posted by John_W

We were in a similar situation. I'm 61 and previously in Maryland I had insurance with Carefirst but it kept going up every year and I kept raising my deductible. Since the rates were up to $250 a month and I had served 3 years in the Army I applied to the VA last December in Maryland. Within 3 days I was notified I was accepted. I didn't have a disability or was retired but was accepted under low income. My wife is a little older and had Medicare plus Medigap with Carefirst.

We closed on our villa in TV on July 5th and I went down the following week to the new VA Clinic in TV and requested my care be transferred here. I had orientation two weeks ago and my first doctor visit was last Monday and my doctor has already scheduled me for a stress EKG next month since I had a stent in 2007. So if you haven't moved yet, apply to the VA where you live.

My wife switched to United Health, which is the plan offered by AARP, we went to Villages Insurance and she applied there. The medical agent is located at the Lake Sumter branch, so apply there and not at Spanish Springs. Here coverage is the same as she had in Maryland with Carefirst but minus the dental. She pays $171 a month for her Medigap and it comes right out of checking.

My wife is on Medicare and she is on AARP with United Healthcare and pays $0 per month. She's on Medicare because of disability. Check available plans at AARPMEDICARECOMPLETE.COM Where we live in TN it's slightly a better deal than in TV. However, two plans are offered for TV residents one with part D the other without. But both plans have $0 cost.

I also have pre-existing so my plan is to work to 63.5 then cobra to 65 then Medicare. As long I apply to medicare before I'm 65 I should be in..

Sixteen months and 14 days and counting!

[Posh 08]

Originally Posted by aljetmet

My wife is on Medicare and she is on AARP with United Healthcare and pays $0 per month. She's on Medicare because of disability. Check available plans at AARPMEDICARECOMPLETE.COM Where we live in TN it's slightly a better deal than in TV. However, two plans are offered for TV residents one with part D the other without. But both plans have $0 cost.

I also have pre-existing so my plan is to work to 63.5 then cobra to 65 then Medicare. As long I apply to medicare before I'm 65 I should be in..

Sixteen months and 14 days and counting!

Have things changed on cobra? I thought cobra was very expensive. your plan has my attention.

[momesu]

Since COBRA has come up here may I ask a question? You all are so knowledgeable. I am in the process of going through a divorce and understand from my soon to be ex that I am eligible to have health insurance under COBRA for 3 years. Does this mean I stay in his companies health plan and just pick up the employer paid portion on my policy. That it will be the same policy I currently have as his spouse or does it just mean I get the same rate and need to go out and find a new policy. Currently I am covered by United Healthcare. Also since we have dental, vision and healthcare do you know if COBRA covers carrying all three or just basic healthcare? I am not getting these answers from spouse. I know I should probably call UHC but at the moment with frantic packing I don't have time to spend several days in a phone cue......
Suzanne

[aljetmet]

Originally Posted by Posh 08

Have things changed on cobra? I thought cobra was very expensive. your plan has my attention.

Cobra is definitely expensive. For me it will run probably $7,500 per year plus co pays and deductible for hospital stays. But, I get two cat scans a year and it pays 100% Small cost to retire 18 months early!!

I am a cancer survivor and who knows if and when it comes back.

[aljetmet]

Originally Posted by momesu

Since COBRA has come up here may I ask a question? You all are so knowledgeable. I am in the process of going through a divorce and understand from my soon to be ex that I am eligible to have health insurance under COBRA for 3 years. Does this mean I stay in his companies health plan and just pick up the employer paid portion on my policy. That it will be the same policy I currently have as his spouse or does it just mean I get the same rate and need to go out and find a new policy. Currently I am covered by United Healthcare. Also since we have dental, vision and healthcare do you know if COBRA covers carrying all three or just basic healthcare? I am not getting these answers from spouse. I know I should probably call UHC but at the moment with frantic packing I don't have time to spend several days in a phone cue......
Suzanne

I would simply call human resources of the company he works for. If that does not work, get your attorney involved. You should not have to have questions about healthcare!

Cobra you pay 100% of what the company pays for the insurance. So it could be quite expensive. If I could go on for 36 months, I might be in TV now!! Now my health plan includes vision but we have a separate plan for dental. I'll have to ask what happens with dental coverage when I go on cobra. I'll find out. I know how hectic it could be but health care and its cost is a very high priority for us. Good luck Suzanne!

[Posh 08]

Originally Posted by aljetmet

Cobra is definitely expensive. For me it will run probably $7,500 per year plus co pays and deductible for hospital stays. But, I get two cat scans a year and it pays 100% Small cost to retire 18 months early!!

I am a cancer survivor and who knows if and when it comes back.

Rutro, sorry about your medical situation. Cobra won't work for me. My brother retired to Florida last Fall and picked up a policy with BCBS. I'm looking in that direction.

[Ohiogirl]

talk to more than 1 HR person if you can, and ask for something in writing. When my company closed its offices and those of us who chose not to transfer talked to HR people (and some of that was outsourced in my co), we got conflicting and different info.

I was lucky in that I got to choose my Cobra coverage because my co. was changing all of their healthcare policies for the next year, and we were going out at the end of the year. I chose the least expensive, high deductible policy.

In Cobra, you pay 100% of the cost of the coverage, plus an administrative fee (3% I think). No more employer subsidy. If you have dental/vision, you still have it under Cobra (and you pay for it accordingly). Many companies nowadays have several choices/levels of coverage and most have annual enrollment periods coming up. If you think you'll be on Cobra sometime next year, now is the time to choose carefully if your annual enrollment period is approaching. 18 mos of coverage when terminating employment or 3 years if divorcing and you are going to end up on your spouse's healthcare thru Cobra. But have a plan.

You might be better off if you qualify for a not-too expensive private policy rather than go on Cobra. My fear was that I would develop something while on Cobra that would keep me from getting a reasonably priced policy in 18 mos, but I was also among the group that qualified for the 15 month federal subsidy which swayed me to go on the Cobra policy. It was a risk I decided to take and it worked out for me, but it mightn't have.

Retiree coverage from many companies nowadays is often more expensive than a private policy, but admittedly usually better coverage or at least with a lower annual deductible or policy caps. If you have a ways to go before Medicare please start researching this stuff. Talk to a good agent, ask for copies of any policies you're considering, make notes and ask questions. There is no stupid question - you will really educate yourself. Confirm what you think you understand it to be and if the agent doesn't seem knowledgeable, switch agents.