I turned 65 in January. There is no need to feel bad if you didn’t remember. I failed to forewarn you of the occasion. Trust me, if I had told you about my birthday and you didn’t acknowledge it, well, you would be hearing about it! I am a lover of birthdays. I want cards, texts, emails and gifts from the family. I like it when the waitstaff gathers around the table with a dessert and sings “Happy Birthday.” One of the worst days of my life was when the TGI Fridays closed by my house. They really knew how to celebrate a birthday! The most important thing about turning 65, though, is Medicare selection.
You know you are inching towards the big day when you start getting phone calls and mailers from insurance companies. Even if you don’t want Medicare, you get it. Just like no one wants to pay taxes, you just do it so you are not carted off to a federal penitentiary. (Yes, I know there are a lot of steps between failure to pay taxes and being cuffed by the FBI!)
Carey’s birthday is in December so he got a book, Medicare & You, in the mail that is 132 pages long. I knew the likelihood of him going past page two was zero. He wisely got in touch with an insurance agent to take him through the steps of getting the right coverage. Carey is a physically fit guy and only takes two medications, one of which is for migraines. So, after plugging in all of his information, he had a choice of a few different plans. Easy, he picked the one that covered his medications and also got a lot of free stuff just for being 65 in 2024.
I knew my situation was going to be different. I’m neither physically or mentally fit so my list of medications is numerous. I am the person who brings in a pre-typed list of medications to all of my doctor’s appointments. I needed a more complicated kind of Medicare drug coverage—the kind where you have to pay extra. I too worked with an insurance agent and got a plan that was right for me. Then it started: prescription refills.
Carey’s first prescription was filled, no problem. But the insurance company balked the second time. His doctor got involved, the insurance agent got involved. The only reason he chose the plan was because it covered his medications. Apparently not anymore. The Medicare approved medications change each year. He went to the high court of Medicare appeals and still no go.
I refilled my migraine medications but the pharmacist said they would only refill it every 60 days, not every 30 days. Hmm. So, Carey and I are beefing with the insurance company, and Medicare & You has been no help. Just like with birthdays, when it comes to arguing with insurance companies, you can never overdo it. Oh, happy birthday to anyone turning 65! Peace my Peeps. And wish me luck in my quest for coverage.
