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OK. I get it now. Medicare is all new to me and has been surprisingly confusing with all the options. Mine is all covered through employer but trying to buy a separate Part D for DH has been a nightmare.
Humana has a stand alone Part D Prescription Drug plan for only $13.20 per month. It's one of the least expensive in the U.S.
It's called Humana Walmart Value Rx Plan PDP.
They will also mail all prescriptions to you for free using USPS, if you wish.
See if it is available in your zip code area by putting your zip code in at this link:
So if this is the average SS check is $before medicare, $1461 and medicare part b is $135 a month, then the average SS is about $1600 mo.
Thanks so much!
No, $1461 is the average total amount per month (as of January 2019) and then $135 for Medicare (or whatever the amount is) is taken out of the $1461 every month.
The really expensive cancer drugs are the biologics but those are almost always given by infusion and are thus covered under Part B or A depending on where administered. Also, most pharma companies have assistance programs that help with the cost of the very expensive drugs if the patient does not have insurance coverage or cannot afford their copays. In some cases they will supply the drug for free.
Several cancer drugs for Multilple Myeloma are pills, which are covered by part D and are VERY expensive. My mother's Revlimid w/ her part D was over $8K per month, around $100K per year (co-pay was almost $10K per year, about 80% of her annual income). The pharma co-pay assistance pan for it did not accept people on Medicare at the time, but I was able to find a non-profit org that covered her co-pay. They did change the rules that if you could not get a grant from a non-profit you may qualify for the pharma program, but there is still an income limit.
She went 65 YO to 73 YO w/ the only RX she took was a cheap BP pill, but she more than made up for it when she got MM.
No, $1461 is the average total amount per month (as of January 2019) and then $135 for Medicare (or whatever the amount is) is taken out of the $1461 every month.
Ok thank you for clarifying
Then the average SS check is about $1361 a mo and so many live off of that amount
I wonder how many own their own homes
That is LOW. Kinda blows me away thinking about it.
Yet I am from an expensive state so maybe that $1360 or so goes much further in other states
Then the average SS check is about $1361 a mo and so many live off of that amount
I wonder how many own their own homes
That is LOW. Kinda blows me away thinking about it.
Yet I am from an expensive state so maybe that $1360 or so goes much further in other states
Social Security was never intended to be one's only income in retirement. It was meant to supplement one's other resources. The fact that it is the only income many people have in retirement is another issue entirely and probably not something that can be blamed on Social Security itself.
Social Security was never intended to be one's only income in retirement. It was meant to supplement one's other resources. The fact that it is the only income many people have in retirement is another issue entirely and probably not something that can be blamed on Social Security itself.
Agreed. I do wish there was an incentive to allow low income Seniors to sign up for SS yet not endure an earnings cap. Then they can still pay into the system yet store up some money that would pay for their healthcare in the future.
There is a bi-partisan bill in the Senate which would allow this to an extent. HSA's could be contributed to after age 65 however, cannot be used for Medicare premiums which are only about $150 month anyhow. They can be used for other health issues. We pay for poor seniors, allow those able bodied Seniors who are low income, to work longer and pay for themselves.
Poor people on medicaid shouldn't be in skilled nursing homes with 2 people to a room.
If you are poor, go to a Board and Care home ( if your health isn't really bad) and it is 4 people to a room.
At 65, neither DH or I take prescription drugs. We may of course in the future, however I am wondering why we are forced to have drug coverage to avoid a penalty? Can anyone explain??
At age 65 I only took two medications on a regular basis (one a very expensive arthritis biological). Just two years later, due to changes in my health, I have to take twelve medications on a regular basis (several very expensive medications). You never know what will happen in the future, IMHO, it is better to be prepared.
DH had an inexpensive easy to deal with Part D plan through Anthem which got automatically switched to WellCare and that's where the nightmare began. They signed him up for auto payment taken from SS even though he wrote and called multiple times for payment booklets. I can only imagine how difficult it will be to disengage from this horrible company next sign up period.
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