Larsongs Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 52 minutes ago, Fish Crumpet said: I’m not a president but I was taken to Eisenhower ER back in the 90s when I lived in Palm Desert. Got in immediately and quickly taken care of: These are different times. Indeed! My point exactly.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted October 12, 2022 Author Share Posted October 12, 2022 16 hours ago, Fish Crumpet said: I’m not a president but I was taken to Eisenhower ER back in the 90s when I lived in Palm Desert. Got in immediately and quickly taken care of: These are different times. They thought you were Hunter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefang Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 19 hours ago, Fish Crumpet said: I’m not a president but I was taken to Eisenhower ER back in the 90s when I lived in Palm Desert. Got in immediately and quickly taken care of: These are different times. Plus could have been a different time literally. At different occasions both me and my wife spent four hours or more waiting just to be admitted after spending near two hours just to get treated in an ER. Other times was quickly in and out of the ER and if needed to be admitted was in our room within an hour or two. It's usually what they consider the more urgent cases get seen and treated more quickly. Of course, in Lars' case it was his daughter and seen(to him) as being critically urgent. Plus if you're there in the middle of the night, it could be busier or in some cases, not busy at all. Depends on a plethora of factors. Whitefang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 On 10/8/2022 at 10:55 AM, Fish Crumpet said: In Southern California, Kaiser Permanente all the way for Medicare Advantage. Even covers nitrocellulose lacquer inhalation. When I was working, I tried to understand the Medicare Labyrinth....even to the point where one of my guy's wife worked for Medicare....and I STILL never understood it! When I retired and went on Medicare, they started withholding @ $135 a month from both my wife and myself for Medicare, (which I think is the 'standard' withholding). In addition, we both have to pay an EXTRA @ $350 a month because our income level....and it's NOT that high....but I'm still being paid a salary from my company. THEN....we pay Kaiser @ $100 each a month for their "Senior Advantage" plan. The co-pays are reasonable, and we have vision and dental care included....but....when you think of it....we pay (together) @ $1150 a month for health care....it seems the people who pay in the most get the least! I started paying into Social Security in 1965. I STILL pay in because I'm still getting a salary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 9 minutes ago, Fish Crumpet said: That all sounds a bit scary. I'm paying the standard Medicare monthly premium out of SS and nothing for the Senior Advantage with Kaiser. In 2023 all copays will be either $0 or very low. I must be poor... I know Kaiser is changing it's plan....but I haven't digested it yet. I'm happy with Kaiser, (so far), not sure how you get the program for 'free'....the $100 per month, (It might be $95 per month....not sure....but it's deducted from my Social Security payment each month....so out of my monthly payment, they deduct the standard $135, they deduct the $350 'penalty' for my income, and they deduct $100 for the Kaiser Senior Advantage plan..... it's not too bad out of my social security....I get the very most allowable, (I paid the maximum since 1967, minus my 2 years I worked for Uncle Sam" up until I was 70)...there was no more there to get...so I started collecting Social Security at 70, and the medicare hit didn't happen until I actually retired, and no longer was covered by my employer's plan. My poor wife gets all those deductions too, and her monthly payment is small anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted October 13, 2022 Author Share Posted October 13, 2022 It looks like the dental plans are a joke. Low limits and such. All of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 39 minutes ago, Murph said: It looks like the dental plans are a joke. Low limits and such. All of them. Dental care was more or less affordable before the insurance companies invented insurance for it. For years, dentists would ask when deciding which fee schedule to use when you were checking out - "Do you have insurance?" If you did, they charged more. Now, of course, they have gotten rid of the lower fee schedule. I'm guessing 'Pet Insurance' is going the same way, but we've never dabbled. I've not gotten any spam calls telling me the warranty is up on my 11 year old car and recommending I get "Repair Insurance". Wonder if Shade Tree Mechanics are going to have 2 fee schedules? If there are any left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted October 13, 2022 Author Share Posted October 13, 2022 19 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said: Dental care was more or less affordable before the insurance companies invented insurance for it. I was wondering if there is a real/cash price anymore.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 2 hours ago, Murph said: It looks like the dental plans are a joke. Low limits and such. All of them. I have to say, the dental coverage under Kaiser Senior Advantage, (Delta.... but it's a lousy version of Delta), is not too good.....we had to quit our old dentist because he wouldn't take the Delta plan we have now, (he was a Delta dentist....just not our new Delta plan). Luckily, we found a dentist who DOES accept our coverage....he's local....and went to high school with my wife! So...no harm, no foul. The visits do cost us more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 2 hours ago, Murph said: It looks like the dental plans are a joke. Low limits and such. All of them. My BCBS of TN policy covers all preventative dental care - cleanings & xrays - plus up to $2300 per year of eveything else. It's awesome. A few hundred bucks of vision coverage too. $89 a month. I'm basically walking dead and I haven't paid out-of-pocket costs of more than maybe a couple hundred bucks this year for everything. I looked at this year's stuff a little, and I guess what I had last year is like plan G. I'll prob do the same thing this year. One thing I figured out from years of looking at different plan levels, where you either pay a higher monthly premium or have higher deductibles and copays is this - the difference in premiums for a higher level policy is usually the same as the difference in the copays and deductibles that you'll pay if you use up all your benefits. So there's no real advantage to getting a higher grade policy other than convenience. If you're betting on being healthy, get a low level policy, if you're just about croaking, you can still get a low level policy, just put all the money you saved in the bank to cover the possibility of getting hammered with higher medical bills if something bad happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefang Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 24 minutes ago, DanvillRob said: I have to say, the dental coverage under Kaiser Senior Advantage, (Delta.... but it's a lousy version of Delta), is not too good.....we had to quit our old dentist because he wouldn't take the Delta plan we have now, (he was a Delta dentist....just not our new Delta plan). Luckily, we found a dentist who DOES accept our coverage....he's local....and went to high school with my wife! So...no harm, no foul. The visits do cost us more. Don't get me started on dental insurance. I can see a separate policy to cover cosmetic work, but lately we've been hearing all about how poor dental health can adversely affect your overall health. So it seems to me that given having good dental health is beneficial to overall health, and that your teeth are a part of your body, that your healthcare insurance should cover any dental work that isn't "cosmetic". After all, your basic healthcare insurance will cover any eye examinations or sight saving surgery. Just not fancy framed eyeglasses. But think about this... If you lose a leg or an arm in an accident of some kind, do you need an extra prosthetic limb insurance policy? I don't think so. And I also think your basic insurance should help cover the cost of eyeglasses. But only what's needed. Any extras like blended, progressive lenses or "transitions" not be included. In fact, even with separate vision coverage those extras aren't usually covered. Far as I know. Whitefang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 1 minute ago, Whitefang said: Don't get me started on dental insurance. I can see a separate policy to cover cosmetic work, but lately we've been hearing all about how poor dental health can adversely affect your overall health. So it seems to me that given having good dental health is beneficial to overall health, and that your teeth are a part of your body, that your healthcare insurance should cover any dental work that isn't "cosmetic". After all, your basic healthcare insurance will cover any eye examinations or sight saving surgery. Just not fancy framed eyeglasses. But think about this... If you lose a leg or an arm in an accident of some kind, do you need an extra prosthetic limb insurance policy? I don't think so. And I also think your basic insurance should help cover the cost of eyeglasses. But only what's needed. Any extras like blended, progressive lenses or "transitions" not be included. In fact, even with separate vision coverage those extras aren't usually covered. Far as I know. Whitefang WF, you're right... that's what is nice about the Kaiser Senior Advantage.....while not a "Cadillac Plan" it does cover vision and dental....I've had Kaiser since the 60's (when I first went to work), and have been 'relatively' happy with it....When I got shingles in my only usable eye, Kaiser sent me to a "retina specialist" who saved my eyesight.....I'll be forever grateful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted October 13, 2022 Author Share Posted October 13, 2022 3 hours ago, badbluesplayer said: My BCBS of TN policy covers all preventative dental care - cleanings & xrays - plus up to $2300 per year of eveything else. It's awesome. That's about double some I've seen. Still, $2300.00 max isn't much. Eyeglasses are nearly free now, finally. After overpaying (with insurance) for decades, now I just go to "cash" places and get 2 pair for $69.00 including the exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitefang Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 20 hours ago, Murph said: Eyeglasses are nearly free now, finally. After overpaying (with insurance) for decades, now I just go to "cash" places and get 2 pair for $69.00 including the exam. Doesn't work that way entirely. As I've stated, "extras", like transition lenses, or "blended" progressive lenses cost extra and can run that 2 pair for $69.00 up to a bit over $200 and for one pair only. And that 2 for $69 is only good for a limited selection of frames. Whitefang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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