Now at age 65 I am enrolled in the government’s difficult and socialized health care system, Medicare.  In a previous report I wrote of the difficulties in making decisions about the various choices available and the limited time period in which one must make the decisions or be subject to various and somewhat severe penalties for failure to do so.

I first enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B.  Part A is “hospitalization” and is paid for at least in part by my past Medicare taxes.  Part B is “medical” and has an annual premium of $1,260.  I received a plain paper insurance card indicating these coverages.

I also bought a Medicare “supplemental” or “Medigap” hight deductible F Plan at $340 a year after much consideration of this Plan versus the more popular N Plans.  The N Plan would have cost $1,090 a year but would have eliminated up to an about $1,600 deductible (after the $140 Medicare deductible) each year.  I concluded that my average deductible amount each year would have to be about $1,200 for the N Plan coverage to break even in cost.   I doubt coming close to that over the next 25 years.  I also have enough in savings to cover such deductibles if they come about.  So, I bought the high deductible policy. 

Anne stayed with her N Plan.  We can view that as some kind of experiment.  Last year, with her shoulder surgery, she just barely went over the $140 deductible and her supplemental policy paid, as far as I can tell, nothing.  So, she paid an extra $750 in premiums for no benefits in Year 2014.  I received a fancy plastic insurance card from the Standard Insurance Company for this coverage.

More, I bought a Silverscript Part D drug benefits plan at $264.  Until I need any prescription drugs, this plan will be a loosing proposition, but if I didn’t buy the policy and elected to purchase it in future years, my cost for this coverage would be much higher because of the federally mandated penalty.  So, I pay the fee.  I received another lovely card from this company.  All my cards are in the desk drawer.

My total premiums for this year will be $1,860 vs. last year’s cost for private high deductible insurance at $4,990.  A savings, I suppose, but much more complicated.  I pay three bills a month and have three insurance companies to wrestle with.  It would have been much simpler if the government said that as a result of the Medicare taxes I paid when working that I was entitled to an annual check of perhaps $3,000 which I could use for health insurance.  Then I could have continued with what I had, probably saving both the government and me time and money. 

It was not too many years ago that I bought a family policy for the two of us for about $6,700.  Now our combined cost is $3,200 with the Medicare “benefit.”  The cost of health care has ceased to be affordable.  After paying their insurance premiums who has enough money to go to a doctor?