Mediwhat?

Oh my! I got an email from Fidelity talking about Medicare and all of the options. Good grief… How can anybody make real sense with that stuff?

I’m a fairly intelligent person, and presumably still capable of making informed decisions, but that stuff is so confusing.

Knowing I will be without a job as of 12/20/2019, and I have a birthday in the first quarter next year, I will be applying for Medicare at the end of this year (within 3 months of B’day). And, it will be for Part A and Part B from the government.

Part A (hospital) will be “free” since I’ve worked for 40+ years giving them money. But because I earn a living in 2019, my cost for Part B (doctor visits) will be very high the first year, but with no “earned” income in 2020, it will drop back to reasonable in 2021.

Part D is the drug one, and if I don’t get one (from private insurer) immediately, I will pay a penalty forever after.

Now, I could go the Medicare Advantage instead of A/B, from a private insurer, but then you are forced to pick a network of doctors/hospitals. Hey, I don’t know where I will be living, how do you choose that?

So, instead, I think I need to do the Medigap (private insurer) version which covers “some” of what A/B doesn’t. It includes the possibility of traveling.

Since I’m the type that wants it all in one, it appears the Medigap F plan is the right one for me.

Even after that, there is still Dental and Eye care. Ugh!!! To be honest, while the costs are high, but not that bad, the real issue for me is the nonsense needed to set it all up with way too many rules.

Guess I’ll have to figure this out — and likely get some help — by the end of year.

Enjoy life.