Re: Medicare and you book came today...

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

@Gooday wrote:
If it makes any of you Medicare folks feel any better, DH and I have BCBS PPO from The City of Chicago Retirees and we just got notice that our premiums are going up from 970. to 1230.00 January 1, 2016. DH is Medicare and I just turned 62. When he retired we paid $500.00 for us both. Our illistrious mayor, Rahm Emmanuel stated that by 2017 no city employee currently working or retired will have no coverage other than the Affordable Health Care Act!

The police and fire unions have hired lawyers to file a class action law suit because the Illinois constitution states the City is responsible to provide health benefits.

Stay tuned folks!
P.S. My mammogram was denied payment for the 3rd year in a row. Neither was my pneumonia shot. I called Benefits Management and they told me to take it up with the Police Union. HA!

This is some information about a Cadillac tax on insurance coming in 2017. http://www.cigna.com/aboutcigna/informed-on-reform/cadillac-tax

Gooday · ‎03-23-2010

@Nuttmeg wrote:
@Gooday wrote:
If it makes any of you Medicare folks feel any better, DH and I have BCBS PPO from The City of Chicago Retirees and we just got notice that our premiums are going up from 970. to 1230.00 January 1, 2016. DH is Medicare and I just turned 62. When he retired we paid $500.00 for us both. Our illistrious mayor, Rahm Emmanuel stated that by 2017 no city employee currently working or retired will have no coverage other than the Affordable Health Care Act!

The police and fire unions have hired lawyers to file a class action law suit because the Illinois constitution states the City is responsible to provide health benefits.

Stay tuned folks!
P.S. My mammogram was denied payment for the 3rd year in a row. Neither was my pneumonia shot. I called Benefits Management and they told me to take it up with the Police Union. HA!
This is some information about a Cadillac tax on insurance coming in 2017. http://www.cigna.com/aboutcigna/informed-on-reform/cadillac-tax

Thanks so much for this article. This confirms exactly what DH and I are faced with. It's in the hands of the Illinois Supreme Court at this time. In the meantime, our pension check will be decreased by $300.00 come 1/1/16 for the third year in a row. Yet, the cost of food, taxes, etc. are skyrocketing.

I am very grateful that DH have a few bucks stashed away. The flip side is the interest rates have been zilch for years.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@Nuttmeg wrote:
@Gooday wrote:
If it makes any of you Medicare folks feel any better, DH and I have BCBS PPO from The City of Chicago Retirees and we just got notice that our premiums are going up from 970. to 1230.00 January 1, 2016. DH is Medicare and I just turned 62. When he retired we paid $500.00 for us both. Our illistrious mayor, Rahm Emmanuel stated that by 2017 no city employee currently working or retired will have no coverage other than the Affordable Health Care Act!

The police and fire unions have hired lawyers to file a class action law suit because the Illinois constitution states the City is responsible to provide health benefits.

Stay tuned folks!
P.S. My mammogram was denied payment for the 3rd year in a row. Neither was my pneumonia shot. I called Benefits Management and they told me to take it up with the Police Union. HA!
This is some information about a Cadillac tax on insurance coming in 2017. http://www.cigna.com/aboutcigna/informed-on-reform/cadillac-tax

This is a tax only on insurances that offers very high end coverage. It would seem if someone can afford cadillac insurance they could afford this tax. Can't afford the tax - buy less expensive - non cadillac - insurance.

tends2dogs · ‎05-08-2010

@Perkup wrote:
Did anyone really think that given the new federal guidelines for health care there would be no increase in fees? Someone - actually everyone - will have to pay the difference involved in the new programs that are offered to everyone, including those who do not pay. It's going to cost us all. Might as well get used to it. There is no "free lunch" anymore.

@Perkup I totally agree. Actually the problem is there are too MANY free lunches! The people who pay, don't get them.

Fear not Brothers and Sisters! I have read THE BOOK..........we win!!!

Tissyanne · ‎12-07-2012

I am not on Medicare, but would like to know what the advantage plans are for? Is Medicare and a supplement cheaper ?

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@Tissyanne wrote:
I am not on Medicare, but would like to know what the advantage plans are for? Is Medicare and a supplement cheaper ?

medicare advantage plans are an alternative to regular medicare and a supplement. They are less expensive but you have to pay co pays and sometimes deductibles.They are usually an HMO or a PPO so if you don't want to deal with that they aren't for you.Anyone trying to save some money should look into them. They are required to offer everything regular medicare offers, and are a better price , however, they are a private insurance so they are in every way the PIA that all private insurances are. basically, you opt out of medicare to go with this private insurance in order to save money.

Where I live the least expensive medicare + supplement + drug plan I could find was $250/month plus my $104 to medicare. My advantage plan is only the $104 and nothing else but I do have copays and now this deductible on my drug portion to meet. However, that is still only equivalent to $20/month.So way cheaper than $250/month. And my advantage plan pays my gym dues under the silver sneakers which would be $60/month. I don't think many supplements are in silver sneakers.

Perkup · ‎03-09-2010

@tends2dogs wrote:
@Perkup wrote:
Did anyone really think that given the new federal guidelines for health care there would be no increase in fees? Someone - actually everyone - will have to pay the difference involved in the new programs that are offered to everyone, including those who do not pay. It's going to cost us all. Might as well get used to it. There is no "free lunch" anymore.
@Perkup I totally agree. Actually the problem is there are too MANY free lunches! The people who pay, don't get them.

Thank you. I was beginning to think nobody understood. Fact is, there's only so much "other people's money" to go around. When it's gone, what will some people do? Continuing to print money isn't the answer - it's a fast track to disaster.