Yesterday morning I got a mammogram, and I already have the results. No sign of malignancies, but due to density it is recommended that I also start getting sonography. I'll have to check my insurance. Another reason to make a change. I did a little reading on my plan yesterday, and it looks like I would have to pay $295 per day just to be an in-patient in a hospital. That's not even counting rehab. That's terrible! I thought Medicare always covered hospitalization, but maybe that's only original Medicare and I have a Medicare Advantage plan. Changes will be made. More reading to do.
I spent the rest of the day on mystery shopping. I had to go back to the car dealer and get a business card -- which meant I had to listen to the spiel all over again and get back on the salesman's radar. It was a bit of a drive, too, thirty minutes away.
My other mystery shop was to go to a self-storage facility and rent a unit. Then I identified myself as a mystery shopper and got the whole thing cancelled. I felt kind of bad because the employee went through all this rigmarole for nothing. But his company contracted for this. The two shops, if I get full payment, will yield $70. No, not much for all the time I put in.
In the evening I went to GS1's flag football game under the lights. It turned quite cold and I was really ready to come home.
I'm taking GS2 to a complimentary screening of "Smallfoot" today, and then we'll drop in on GS1's baseball game.
I'm getting quite low on gas, so I should fill up today. I hate to do it, being so much over budget already, but I think I must. Safety first.
Medical Stuff and Mystery Shopping
September 22nd, 2018 at 12:55 pm
September 22nd, 2018 at 01:31 pm 1537623072
https://seniorsavingsnetwork.org/medicare-advantage/
If you can find a way to switch back to original Medicare and a supplement plus a Plan D, your overall coverage will be better and you won't be bankrupted by a hospital stay.
September 22nd, 2018 at 10:37 pm 1537655866
Another thing about advantage plans surfaced when my mother was hospitalized and the Dr wanted to keep her longer. She had an advantage plan and the decision to allow her to stay was made by insurance co. bean counters NOT a doctor (and of course not allowed). The social worker at the hospital said that if mom had regular medicare and a supplement they would have gone with the Drs recommendation and allowed her to stay.
September 22nd, 2018 at 11:37 pm 1537659471
September 23rd, 2018 at 01:29 am 1537666163
http://insurance.illinois.gov/HealthInsurance/MedicareSupplement.pdf
The SHIP people should be able to clarify this for you.
September 23rd, 2018 at 01:40 am 1537666801
https://boomerbenefits.com/medicare-advantage-disenrollment-period/
September 23rd, 2018 at 01:23 pm 1537709015
September 24th, 2018 at 02:31 pm 1537799464
I'm not sure but I think you can file multiple applications. Your SHIP counselor should advise you on that. You apply a couple of months in advance with an enrollment date in the MADP.
You might call a licensed insurance agent to discuss your options as well. Both the Boomer Benefits people and the Senior Savings Network people are licensed agents selling policies nationwide. It might be worth a call to both to get their take on your situation.
In your shoes, I would get out of the Advantage plan ASAP. You don't want the insurance company sending you home from surgery too soon or cutting short your rehab benefits. I would delay surgery until I had made the switch. You will also have a better choice of doctors, including surgeons, under original Medicare and the supplement.
September 24th, 2018 at 03:08 pm 1537801726
Sorry about all the struggles with the mystery shopping. But, $70 is $70.
We try to keep our gas tanks at half or more. Supposedly gas prices are going to go up as they start the winter blend and there will be a "shortage" until it completed. But oil prices have been increasing a bit, and any excuse to raise the gas prices, the stations around here do it. I swear they have a phone tree because within a few hours, they all are the same price.
September 24th, 2018 at 04:16 pm 1537805788
High out of pocket costs are one of the ways plan premiums are kept low. OOP costs can be over $6,000 annually with an Advantage plan. You will want to get a detailed estimate of your share of the cost before you move forward with the surgery.
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:52 am 1550832768