TMc: Getting Old is Expensive 01 | Eastern NC Now

    Summary: Start talking to Seniors about Medicare before you retire. Trial and error experience is easier to absorb than reading information provided by government. My stories will lack emotion and boring details and be as accurate as memories can provide. They are mine and those of friends.

    My wife, 69 years old, was employed in spring 2015 and had company insurance as primary and Medicare part A (Hospital) secondary insurance. She had a kidney removed and was out of the hospital in 22 hours. Medicare part A covers hospital costs after 24 hours and was not used.

    The surgeon was out of network so charged a $5000 fee not covered by insurance. The hospital was out of network and charged a $2000 fee also not covered. The operation cost $60,000 so $7000 out of pocket was not so bad.

    She retired July 2015 and Medicare A became primary and we added Medicare Part B (doctor visits) and a secondary insurance policy for the two of us. Our insurance costs about $700 month. We decided to insure everything during the first years of retirement.

    I notified my doctors of the insurance changes and provided proof of insurance during visits but soon hit will due unpaid bills. I needed to also inform the Medicare office of the insurance change over and the bills were soon paid.

    Confusing letters are arriving from the secondary folks as they change their minds about which drugs they will cover. They prefer generics.

    I plan to interview friends and learn their financial experience.

    Getting old is expensive.