Thursday, December 21, 2017

Getting Old is Not for Sissies

"You old guys have it made," remarked Herkimer.

"Pray tell," said I.

"Well, that Medicare thing.  You guys get all that free health care and I am paying like nearly four hundred bucks a month for my coverage."

"Right, Herk.  But listen while I tell you how it really works.  My "free" Medicare insurance costs me $134 a month.  Then I buy a supplemental policy to take up the slack, what Medicare does not pay.  That is another $300 a month.  And when I have an "issue" whoever runs my health insurance program decides what they will cover and what they won't.  None of this even considers the seventy bucks a month I pay for prescription drug coverage-- and that only covers a portion of the costs."

"You're kidding!"

"And not only that, but my wife pays all of the above for her health care coverage.  Now get this.  I am not complaining, we are blessed to have the coverage and the ability to pay for it.  But I just wish people would get off this "free" stuff that I am supposedly getting."

4 comments:

Jim Grey said...

My father is eternally grateful for his four years in the Navy, for they have provided VA healthcare in his older age at little or no cost. The VA has a bad reputation but the Roudebush Hospital in Indy has been nothing short of wonderful.

vanilla said...

Jim, I think it is unfair that the VA gets a bad rap. Certainly any organization will fail to satisfy everyone and there are those who have perhaps not received timely attention to their needs; but those are the cases that get media attention, and we, the people, love (too much) accounts of the failure of the government to deliver. There are those close to me who are cared for by the VA and they, too, are grateful for the care.

Lin said...

Right?! I love it when people think they know and tell you about it. Ugh.

vanilla said...

Lin, ignorance is not a deterrent to sharing, 🙂