wsc

LOL! Given your apparent talent for estimating income, perhaps you should start working for SSA/Medicare. Although I have little to complain about regarding retirement income, half-a-mill is, and sadly so, out of my league. My annoyance in all this is with (a) the principal, and (b) the sloppiness. The principle was discussed earlier and is an objection to a means-based pricing in a mandated market. The sloppiness consists of misinformation in the most recent letter from Medicare, which reads "2018" when it means "2019," says the IRS reported XYZ as my AGI for the year in question but gives a number that never appears on any 1040. The exact number quoted -said by them to come from IRS- was the precise number I supplied to SSA as an estimate on the SSA-44 form when I requested a lower adjustment. This kind of inaccuracy and attention to detail is acceptable and effective -or so it's said- in horseshoes and nuclear war, but leaves something to be desired in financial accounting. And the inability of the SSA representative to explain the process, even to the point of admitting she knew nothing of how these determinations are made, underscores a lax prep and review process, supported by an inadequate and ill-qualified labor pool. To say they're doing their best may be true, is hardly encouraging, and simply adds to the tedium. But thanks for asking.

That was as close to Scared Straight as I care to get.

Multiple personality disorder? If a new add uses the name Sybil, I'd stay away.

And we're off! A problem I thought had been solved has come back, thanks to the wonderful civil servants who run SSA and Medicare. As posted previously, my Parts B and D premiums in the year of my retirement and enrollment in those plans were increased in accordance with IRMAA policies, and were substantially higher than I had anticipated. My 2018 income put me in the highest IRMAA bracket, but knowing my income would decline significantly for 2019, and even more in 2020, I filed a Form SSA-44 to request a decrease in the IRMAA amount for 2019 (to a lower tier) and its elimination for 2020. The people at my local SSA office agreed and my requests were approved and implemented. Problem solved. Oh, really? I have now learned that the IRMAA amount for any given year (2021) is based on the 1040 AGI from two years before (2019). Accordingly, I recently received a notice of (a) a same-for-everyone 1.3% increase in benefits, and (b) the re-imposition of IRMAA amounts for both Parts B and D, based on 2019 income, the aggregate effect of which being a reduction in monthly cash in hand, apparently because SSA/Medicare seem to be believe income increases in retirement, even after it's already gone down. I've checked; it doesn't. Well, not that much. I called SSA (a 40-minute wait, followed by a 20-minute conversation) and was told I could appeal, if I wanted. I was also told that if SSA later determines that too much money was taken in the IRMAA increase for a given year, the excess will be refunded. When I asked if that didn't automatically impose a two-year delay, I was told, "Gee, I guess it does!" Nothing like working with the best and the brightest. And this was nothing like working with the best and the brightest. I said that arrangement sounded fair and, if needed, they could just put the refund check on my grave. No response. Being retired, I clearly have the time to fight this fight again, but I don't know if I have either the strength or the stomach for such a re-match. This is so much harder that I though it would be. On the plus side, it might turn me into a day-drinker.

Just. So. Sexy. Has my engine running hot.

Could I see you in my orifice?

Damn! He's as big as a lighthouse! Or is that, too, an illusion?

Funeral pick-ups may be tricky. Will Truman tried it in an episode of Will & Grace, but the handsome object of his attention responded, "Are you trying to pick me up at my grandmother's funeral? Have you no shame? I'm embarrassed for you!" Art imitates life, or vice versa? Proceed with caution.

Tommygunzz said "When you turn 65, you automatically have to pay for Medicare. It's currently about $144/month, and it is deducted from your SS check each month, or if you are not taking SS yet, you must pay 6 months in advance. I don't think there is any way around paying for Medicare, even if you are "covered" by another plan, or even an employer's plan." FWIW - When I turned 65, this was not my experience. Before that 65th birthday, and at each subsequent birthday until retirement, my company provided a notice, which I was advised to keep to later show proof, if needed, that I was covered by a "creditable plan" as defined by Medicare, and was therefore not required to enroll in Part B so long as that plan remained in effect. It's true that, generally speaking, within a few months after turning 65, you must enroll in Part B, but that's unless covered by such a plan. If not covered by such a plan, and you wait too long to enroll, you'll have to pay a penalty in addition to the premium, and that penalty will apply each month from then on for as long as you stay in Part B. If, however, you are covered by such a creditable plan, then you have 90 days after coverage under that plan ends to enroll in Part B without incurring the penalty. If this has changed, I am not aware of it.

He may look submissive here, but in the right circumstance, I'll bet he can be quite the beast!

Those shorts are so tight they've got to be cutting off circulation to something! Scares me to think what.

My apologies for startling you. My sense of humor is itself sometimes a bit cracked, and when I saw the images I'm afraid I just couldn't help myself.

No. The tip is extra. And appreciated.

OMG! I can see his crack!

I thought that to be a mother carrying a young one, but it could have been dinner. Seeing the variety of animal users of the bridge, I did wonder if there were reports on predator-prey encounters. The bridge could become the Utah equivalent of an African watering hole, or a kind of 7-11 for wolves and cougars. Overall, however, an excellent solution for both motorists and the furrier life forms. Well done!

A cartoon I once saw shows two chickens facing each other from opposite sides of a road. One shouts to the other, "How do I get to the other side?" The second chicken replies, "You're on the other side!" Not bright, perhaps, but tasty.

There is that perspective, to be sure, and I, too, want the system to be and to stay solvent. But, overall, my view was, and is, a bit different. During my working years, I was content ["happy" would be too strong a word] to pay more into both SS and Medicare, just as I paid more in taxes as my income rose through the years. But when I retired and enrolled in Medicare, I was surprised and annoyed by the extra premium costs under the IRMMA rules. The money was less an issue than the principle. I objected to being required to pay more, and relatively speaking, substantially so, for exactly the same service and coverage. I don't have to pay more for bread, butter, or Scotch because of a higher income, and saw no just reason for being forced to do so for health insurance. I paid my higher income-related share through payroll deductions in my working life, and was fine with that. But when I found myself on a "fixed" income, I had looked forward to a bit of a break. It didn't come. I'm in a good situation in retirement, and ask or expect neither Argentina nor others to cry for me. But I find the perceived inequity irksome. On the plus side, when I and my sympathizers meet to commiserate, we don't need to hire a large space.

Where's the beef?

These are members of the exotic male dance troupe Magic Mike of Melbourne, Australia. The one on the right is Will Parfitt, billed as a Channing Tatum look-alike and the main draw of the show. Makes me want to go down Down-Under.

Yes, quite right that Advantage plans may be more limiting in your choice of providers, restricting you to specified networks. Some are very much into "managed care," with the emphasis clearly on "managed," and less on the "care" part. I have a friend who has to drive more than 50 miles for in-network testing that is easily available within 5 miles of home, but by providers out of the plan's network and therefore not covered by the plan. Experience is the best, yet harshest, of teachers.

OK, well. Give me a minute or two, then line 'em up. (Ask the middle one if he can stay over.)

I was so taken aback by this, I looked it up. I assumed it was a translation gone horribly awry, but found that's the actual name. And it was meant to be a compliment! After receiving some belated pushback, the company is considering a name change. Can't wait for the unveiling.

I was auto-enrolled in Part A (hospital and institutional care), for which there is no premium, when I turned 65. I was still employed at that time and had medical coverage provided through an employer plan. When I retired at age 69, I enrolled in Part B and Part D, with supplemental plans instead of Advantage plans; premiums were significantly cheaper. My employer still provides a generous annual HSA to help defray premium costs and out-of-pocket expenses. It doesn't cover everything, but certainly helps, and overall I am very happy with my situation. I would counsel looking into two things. First, I retired from a large Fortune 500 company, plans of which and transitions from which Medicare was quite familiar with. I have spoken with friends in a variety of other circumstances, such as retiring from a Federal agency or from a certified small business, and learned the rules are almost as diverse as the individuals. If you are self-employed and/or self-insured, you may benefit from a Medicare Benefit Review service to help guide you through all the rules and options. I complained at the time, and to no avail, of a system that waits until one is older and more easily confused, then confronts them with a horridly complex system and a thousand similar, yet all different, options. My company paid for the services of such a review service and it was of great help. Second, be aware that your Part B premium cost will have to be paid under any plan - basic, supplemental, or advantage - and that the Part B premium goes up with your income. In the first two years, my monthly premium was almost 5x the normal amount paid by those below the first threshold for income-related adjustments to the premium. There's no escaping it, but you should look into it and be prepared for the possible shock. Instead of about $150/mo I paid out over $500/mo, which may explain why my blood pressure med costs were so high.? Hope some of this helps. Best of luck to you.

I'd like to climb that mast!

Congratulations and best wishes on the new abode. I must confess, however, to be be fascinated by the mention of he who will be "tied up at work for the next 2 weeks." Sounds like an interesting job.