Finally Retired

[TC Chris]

Time and PT are getting me back toward normal. For the last week Ive been walking standing up. I rode the bike to work the last 3 days of last week. Every day gets better. I'll have an MRI next week and maybe see what caused the problem.

On the bike, it's still painful to mount in the usual fashion: stand on one pedal, throw the other leg over. Instead, I lay the bike on its side, step over the frame, and pick it up. Totally undignified but it works. Now the problem is pain in the portions of the anatomy that contact the bike seat. They have lost their fitness.

It's nice to be ambulating more normally. I had always taken it for granted but suddenly found myself looking at people walking down the street with considerable jealousy. Today I spent most of it working on the boat--up and down the ladder, around the boat, stepping over the mast, in and out of the boat barn--then headed to a vast Kroger for coffee pods and navigated the store like a real person.

Chris Cmpbell

[19&41]

My back trouble gradually diminished after the nerve injections. The copays for them among the other medical copays with the medicare coverage I had were extortionate. My sister couldn't believe them. I had to cancel my next round of nerve injections. I also had to cancel a heart stress test because I couldn't afford the copay. I was just able to sign with another medicare insurance provider before the close of my enrollment period. This has been a difficult time.

[danrclem]

My back trouble gradually diminished after the nerve injections. The copays for them among the other medical copays with the medicare coverage I had were extortionate. My sister couldn't believe them. I had to cancel my next round of nerve injections. I also had to cancel a heart stress test because I couldn't afford the copay. I was just able to sign with another medicare insurance provider before the close of my enrollment period. This has been a difficult time.

I doubt if you'll be able change insurance now but next year check and see if your state has Essence on their list. Even if they do it may not be the same in your state but mine has a $1,600 flex account for medical, vision, hearing and dental. I'm pretty sure that I have a separate vision, hearing and dental allowance. They won't let you use it for prescriptions though.

[William]

I have the old fashion Medicare, Medicap plan for my supplement. The premium can be costly but I pay nothing when I go in for whatever. I had 5 days in the hospital back in February with a bill of over 60K and I paid nothing, other than the premium of course.

Bill

[19&41]

The coverage I had was a medicare advantage chronic care plan. The benefits were so sparse, it made me wonder why have it for any other reason than to say "I have insurance". My sister and I called that provider to see if I could change my coverage to a plan I could actually see benefit from. All they did was to say it was a good plan, and if I didn't think so, we should call medicare and ask them if there were something better. We did and they gave us the info to contact 3 providers who might better serve me. The first one didn't have a good fit, but the second had an advantage plan that was reasonably priced. When we started the application, my sister asked me if we should apply when I next visited her, The agent heard on the phone and told us it was the last day I could change my plan, another tidbit my soon to be former provider neglected to tell us. I'm now with my new provider and pleased to see the old one in the rearview mirror.

[TC Chris]

Those insurance woes are one reason I'm still working at 78. Didn't want to get into the Medicare-supplement mess. I'm on the employer-provided insurance, a Blue Cross plan. The we can opt into a set-aside for co-pays and out of pocket that's pre-tax dollars.

My problems are resolving without the need for injections (and better still, without surgery). It has been 7 weeks now.

Chris Campbell

[William]

The health care/Medicare-supplement mess is really not that bad to deal with. Finding a good agent is the best way to do it as each state is slightly different on the plans they offer. In Michigan you can change Advantage Plans every year if you want. If you have a Medigap plan like I do you are pretty much stuck, not to say you can't leave it but if you do then you will fall under an underwriters decision if they or another company will accept you. It all depends on your health. With an Advantage Plan the government states they have to take you no matter what your health conditions are. At least that is the way it is in Michigan. For now, I will stick with my Medigap plan but down the road we shall see.

Bill