Medicare vs VA HealthCare?

[Buck52]

I turn 65 on my next birthday in July.

I need to file on Medicare  but don't know which plan to get?  Plan A OR Plan B  or the other plan?

Right now all I have is the VA Health Care for me  and no additional supplemental Insurance..the wife has ChampVA &  a Delta Dental and

 Sellman supplemental  but I'm not covered for those &  for the two the premiums  are about 120.00 month.

I  can't afford any more supplemental Insurance for me.  but may need it?  with Health Care Cost going up every year  I need to get me a Plan.

Will my Medicare take over when I turn 65? and use the private Dr's?     if  so what Plan should I choose on Medicare? If I have to pay for a medicare Plan and still get my meds by mail via  VA I could possibly squeeze out a premium of about 70.00 month  on top of my wifes supplemental Premiums...that would run our cost up to almost 200.00 monthly for our Health Care.

Anybody turning 65 this year? and any Advise for me?

Thanks

.........Buck

 

[Buck52]

bump bump , Anybody?

[Berta]

If my husband had used his Medicare, instead of VA ,he would still be alive.

The problem was that we thought his main disability was his PTSD and the local VAMC ,where he worked,was the only entity around providing PTSD care.

The other problem was that VA was treating him under the employee regulations,instead of as a service connected combat veteran..

CHAMPVA after age 65 requires the CHAMPVA beneficiary to get Medicare Part A and Part B.

I think the whole VA health care system should change to something like CHAMPVA but for veterans as well as their dependents.

I can chose my own doctors and have some of the best around.My eye surgery last year only cost me about 4 bucks. Medicare and CHAMPVA covered everything but an eye drop prescription refill I got for about 4 bucks.......and didnt even need it. Those little eye drop bottles the hospital gives cataract Pts do hold more antibiotic then we think.

 

 

[rockerson]

If you get just plain ol' Medicare, you get part A AND B. If you are on SSDI, you can have them deduct the premium ($109ish)from that monthly.

You must pay out of pocket for meds, but sometimes you can have your VA Primary Care Doctor prescribe them for you and get them for free.

Medicare only pays 80% and that remaining 20% of an expensive bill can break the budget   So, I got a BCBS supplement plan for about $77/mo.  Hell, I was paying $68 per month for YMCA, but the supplemental plan pays that now (Silver Sneakers),so it was a no-brainer - a very nice plan for $9 more a month. So, I'm paying close to $200 for health insurance over and above VA, but I have damn good insurance accepted 'round the world with ridiculously low co-pays and pretty much my choice of doctors.