wsc

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.

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.

Could I see you in my orifice?

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

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

No. The tip is extra.
 
And appreciated.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'd like to climb that mast!

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

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 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 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.

Love the pump-style dispenser!
 
Do they make mouthwash, too?

I very much like the Wrestling thread, too, but find it a little frustrating in the way that the photograph of a good steak is frustrating; I can see it, but can't hear its sizzle or smell its juices.
 
With the wrestlers, I see chiseled features, bulging biceps, broad shoulders, and big (but mostly covered) chests; all lovely to look at and to savor. And so, too, are those marvelous, magical, but altogether mysterious hidden mounds of butts, balls, and "bats". Thin layers of cloth frustrate my wish to see more, but leave me with only my imagination and desire. I must be content with these, and see the hidden treasures only in my dreams; my, gratefully, sometimes vivid dreams. Not a bad lot, that, really. And I must love them still, as I keep coming back for more. Please keep the supply coming. Thank you.