Medicare

Beth Gallagher said:
I see the Medicare Part B premium for 2026 is increasing from $185 to $206.50. 🤬 Also the annual deductible is increasing from $257 to $288. Good thing we got that whopping 2.8% "raise" in social security.
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And as usual, there's more to it than just that. When we rented this apartment 2 and a half years ago, in July of 2023, our rent was $1,139 a month. In 2024, we got a 3.2% COLA increase. And of course, our landlord raised our rent for 2025 in September, 2024 to $1,279, effective November 1st. An increase of $140. I reminded them that 2025 didn't start until January. Their response was "Sorry, it's not up to us", as I expected. That's their go to excuse for everything, no matter what it is, blame it on the owners. With just my son and I was able to save a little every month. We were doing ok until the rent increase, after which money got tighter. But we got by. We could still afford to drive 7 miles for Coffee or a Mocha, we were ok. Then on November 1st, 2025 it went up again, another $80 to $1,359.

Add to that since we moved here our car insurance went up twice, and when they told it $123 a month this last time, I about had a bovine experience. (For those you not in California, that is also known as "having a cow.") So I reviewed the policy and dropped some basically outdated stuff we didn't need anymore and that lowered the price to $96. Food prices have gone up, gas got almost to $6 a gallon but that only lasted a week or two, and I was glad I didn't need any gas at that time. Surprisingly enough, the last 4 times we bought gas, the price has gone down each time.

Then my car got towed by our new manager, because I parked on a space that supposedly used to be a no parking zone, but they changed it to a regular space and scraped most of the yellow paint off the ground. She could still make out "No Parking" on it, so it cost me $525. We needed a new battery, and I believed the insurance agent when she said I would get a better deal from roadside assistance. After I paid $330, I found an almost identical battery at Costco for $160. And no refund on the one I bought. Ouch. $280 for registration last year, $190 this year, two new tires, $420... And the spending spree goes on. Even though my retirement and my son's disability check aren't that great, their not that bad either. But it's not enough for all that. So my savings which was about $20k when I spend some for Christmas in 2022, is down to $9k now.

But I guess we could stop spending $300 a month (plus gas, etc.) on Coffee and Mochas. Naaaa... 👮‍♀️ :coffee: 👮‍♂️

Edit: Sorry... I forgot the year. Without it appeared that greedy landlords raised the rent in September, then again in November for a total of $220. That was NOT the case, and I apologize for the omission.
 
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My SS pension went up a whole $17 a month, and they will take at least that much out of our EBT allowance, which is what happens every year, so even though the whole cost of living goes up, they take it back out of our food budget allowance, which is about $140 monthly for two people. Now, it will be even less.

Our Medicare advantage plan has a spending account card, and it is good for food, but also for OTC items, and this year, mine also said it can be used for things like toilet paper and even dog food, which is a lot more than it covered before .
We switched back from Devoted Health to Humana this next year, so that probably accounts for some of the changes.

The doctor we really liked when we had Humana before did not take Devoted, so we had to find a different doctor, and ended up with a Hindee doctor, who’d really doe not do much or even seem to care. When Bobby talked with him about the Sciatica pain, he just shrugged and told Bobby to find a cushion to sit on.
We are defnintely going back to our old doctor that we liked before.
After seeing what all of the Indian and other Eastern truck driver are doing out on the highway, we are defnintely even more skeptical about this doctor we have now, than we already were.

Here is what the Humana extra benefits card covers.

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I am satisfied with the advantage care plan for medicare. I have found that if I bathe less often it saves money on personal hygiene products substantially, as well as not using as much hot water, that reduces the utility costs. With the medicare plan I get over the counter credits and that covers the cost of some things such as wet wipes, dandruff shampoo and sun block lotion. I switched from toilet paper to using flannel wipes years ago. I only have to buy TP for guests and almost nobody visits so one roll can last a year.
 
We changed our Medicare from Devoted Health to Humana because Devoted lowered their eyeglass benefit , and the Humana one is better. However, Bobby got a letter from Humana that he doesn’t qualify for the new program we are on (we are not sure why?) and so we are changing back to Devoted by next month. Bobby is going to see the optometrist this month before we change back, so that he can get new glasses before we go back to Devoted.

I have been reading that people on SNAP have to re-qualify, since they are taking off the illegals and other people who are not eligible; but I just got a new card in the mail yesterday, so apparently, they just automatically qualified mine.
We only get about $130 a month for groceries, so not like the people who are talking about getting thousands of dollars in food and cash benefits every month; but every little bit helps.
Plus, it qualifies me for other benefits like cheaper Wi-Fi, Walmart+ Access, and Amazon Prime discounts.
 
I just switched to Humana and haven't figured it out quite yet. But I know the supplement brands I prefer are not on their list. I had been on a supplemental insurance which got waaaayyyy too expensive. Turns out ,if you switch to a new one every so often you get a better rate because the new people in the group you join are generally first timers and younger. But you have to show you are not a risk. It should be easy since I have little health history to show I am a risk. But the advantage programs are zero premiums. The supplementals pay the 20% that medicare doesn't if a big problem should arise. hmmmm....
 
Just got an email from Medicare that open enrollment is still on from Jan 1 to March 31. If you are not happy with your plans.
I think hubby is getting to the point of needing more oversight. Went to an agent at the end of November. I got off supplemental to an advantage plan. I don't do doctors nor drugs. Watch. I'll probably get hit by an ambulance.
Hubby wanted dental having just been billed for $2000 last year (he never goes) His plan only paid $500 so he wanted more. Well he signed up for total dental but they took off his part D for it. I thought the dental was in addition to.
We had to go to Wisconsin Senior Care which will fulfill the Part D requirement but has a $40000 draw down for our level. And then an $800 deductable. What was he thinking?!!!!
He said, He didn't know he would get sick. :eek: He's 84 years old! Of course he will get sick!
So I will change him back to previous plan.
He asked if I thought it would be retroactive.
UHhhhmmmm No, I don't think so.:rolleyes:
 
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Yvonne Smith said:
We changed our Medicare from Devoted Health to Humana because Devoted lowered their eyeglass benefit , and the Humana one is better. However, Bobby got a letter from Humana that he doesn’t qualify for the new program we are on (we are not sure why?) and so we are changing back to Devoted by next month. Bobby is going to see the optometrist this month before we change back, so that he can get new glasses before we go back to Devoted.

I have been reading that people on SNAP have to re-qualify, since they are taking off the illegals and other people who are not eligible; but I just got a new card in the mail yesterday, so apparently, they just automatically qualified mine.
We only get about $130 a month for groceries, so not like the people who are talking about getting thousands of dollars in food and cash benefits every month; but every little bit helps.
Plus, it qualifies me for other benefits like cheaper Wi-Fi, Walmart+ Access, and Amazon Prime discounts.
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If @Bobby Cole has cataracts or any other disease of the eye, or diabetes the VA will cover eye exams and glasses. Medicare B covers the eye exam for disease or glaucoma but does not cover eye exams for vision correction or the glasses themselves.
 
Don Alaska said:
If @Bobby Cole has cataracts or any other disease of the eye, or diabetes the VA will cover eye exams and glasses. Medicare B covers the eye exam for disease or glaucoma but does not cover eye exams for vision correction or the glasses themselves.
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Unfortunately, whilst the VA will perform eye exams cost free, the prescription, whether it is the removal of cataracts or just glasses has to be filled by a civilian entity.
I have to be retired, active or on military related disability in order to qualify for operations or any hardware.
It’s the same with hearing. I can get my hearing tested (again) but if I needed hearing aids I have to go outside the VA.

On the lighter side, the VA is really good at wanting to put a camera up my rear end whilst removing polyps cost free.
They didn’t tell us that the reason the drill sergeants told us to pull our heads out of our asses was so they could replace it with a camera (several times) later on.
 
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Bobby Cole said:
Unfortunately, whilst the VA will perform eye exams cost free, the prescription, whether it is the removal of cataracts or just glasses has to be filled by a civilian entity.
I have to be retired, active or on military related disability in order to qualify for operations or any hardware.
It’s the same with hearing. I can get my hearing tested (again) but if I needed hearing aids I have to go outside the VA.

On the lighter side, the VA is really good at wanting to put a camera up my rear end whilst removing polyps cost free.
They didn’t tell us that the reason the drill sergeants told us to pull our heads out of our asses was so they could replace it with a camera (several times) later on.
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That is sad @Bobby Cole as I get eye care free due to cataracts and the glasses are free too up to $600 or something. The VA here will also do cataract surgery. As you said, it does all fall under community care and is performed by non-VA facilities, but the VA picks up the tab for all of it. Pre-approval has to be done though. I don't understand why they would do it all for us up here but not in Alabama. You are first in the alphabetical list. We are only number 2.
 
Don Alaska said:
That is sad @Bobby Cole as I get eye care free due to cataracts and the glasses are free too up to $600 or something. The VA here will also do cataract surgery. As you said, it does all fall under community care and is performed by non-VA facilities, but the VA picks up the tab for all of it. Pre-approval has to be done though. I don't understand why they would do it all for us up here but not in Alabama. You are first in the alphabetical list. We are only number 2.
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Come to think of it, things might have changed since the start of Trump’s first term. I know he had a couple of battles with the VA so I guess I really should check on it just to see if anything applies to me.
 
Marie Miller said:
VA in Dallas, TX was chaos 101. Here in Oklahoma City it is run like a real facility. Awesome providers and the schedulers know what they are doing.
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My brother experienced much the same in PA. Some facilities are great; others not so much. We have the highest number of vets per capita of any state it is said. We have no hospital, but we have a good clinic in Anchorage and several CBOCs (Community-Based Outpatient Centers). Some even have chiropractors. So far I have been treated well. There was a time when we were referred to the local Native clinic as they had excess capacity and the CBOC was maxxed out. That has since changed with the expansion of the local CBOC. They are even doing some eye screening now, but not optometry or glasses, which are still farmed out.
 
Don Alaska said:
My brother experienced much the same in PA. Some facilities are great; others not so much. We have the highest number of vets per capita of any state it is said. We have no hospital, but we have a good clinic in Anchorage and several CBOCs (Community-Based Outpatient Centers). Some even have chiropractors. So far I have been treated well. There was a time when we were referred to the local Native clinic as they had excess capacity and the CBOC was maxxed out. That has since changed with the expansion of the local CBOC. They are even doing some eye screening now, but not optometry or glasses, which are still farmed out.
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VA in Oklahoma City and Wichita sources out a lot of specialty treatments.
 
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