I need some advice about medicare, and I don't know who to trust

Everyone out there seems to want to sell me something.
My Wife and I are on Tri-Care Prime and I do most of my medical through the VA.
Now I’m told I have to make some changes and gwt medi-care?

Perhaps you can elaborate? In the mean time: https://tricare.mil/LifeEvents/Medicare

I’m just completely clueless.
Thanks for the link, I will give them a call.

Wife uses an agent to explain the Medicare labyrinth. All the extra co-insurance, drug plans and what all else is more than I care to learn. Good luck.

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Not looking forward to when that day comes. But hey, Medicare must be pretty awesome, it’s not like the .gov needs to use the power of the law to force older Americans into it. Err, wait…

Best of luck figuring it out. Now I really need this board to hold on. I’ll need you to explain it to me in a few years.

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I will post my results.

Tri Care doesn’t last the rest of your life? Or does it become a supplement to Medicare Part A and Part B?

I believe that’s the case;
Like I said I have Tri-Care for my Wife and Myself, but most of the time I use the VA.
The only reason I use the VA is that they’ve been my primary for like a decade. My Docotors were more predictable with VA than Tri-Care.
But I’ve got to track down exactly what I have to do, I’m really not sure of the logic in all of this, I was happy with my Medical Care.

You can keep using the VA for life while enrolled in Medicare.

Gonna have to figure it out for your wife.

Okay;

Here we go,

You are automatically signed up for Medicare at 65, they automatically enroll you in Medicare part A and B. Cost $200 a Month automatically deduted from your Social Security.

You are then given Tri-Care for Life. No one can explain that shit to me at all. I have no idea of what they provide.at Tri-Care for Life.

I explained I primarily use the VA and I feel like Medi-Care is essentially VA care for Civillians. I atill don’t know why I need Part B, but I’m old as Shit so…

I need to call Tri-Care and see if sine my Wife is 40 are they going to charge me a single rate for her or a continued Family rate.

Wife and I have Medicare along with Mutual of Omaha supplemental medical and drug plans. I don’t know what Medicare premium is deducted before we see SS deposits in our checking account but MO is about $200/mo for each of us. With the exception of a couple hundred dollar deductible each year, all medical is paid and drugs are either free or just a few dollars. But ya gotta be careful selecting which so-called ‘tier’ medicines to sign up for. It can all be very complex. I’m blessed to have a wife who loves all the aggravating detail. I want nothing to do with it other than just pay and get care when needed.

Speaking of… after ten long years of quarterly, semi-annually then annually driving to Vanderbilt in Nashville to be put in a damn tube, yesterday my oncologist said: “Since it hasn’t returned by now the odds are extremely low it ever will. Go enjoy your life.” I thanked her, walked out the door and hope to never see that place again!

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To keep and maintain TFL, you must have both Parts A/B Medicare. Typically, Part A is free. You are required to pay the monthly Part B premium. 200.00 and some change monthly. If you don’t begin Part B when first elgible, you’ll likely pay a lifr - long penaly.

Regarding any treatment with the VA, it depends on whether it’s service - connected or not.

If you have more than 1 other family member with tricare. If only one other, they go to the single plan.

Once again, it’s a numbers (money). To keep and maintain Tricare, you are now required to have Medicare Parts A/B.

Well I will keep Tri-Care for my Wife and I have Parts A and B and how it works squared away in my Head TFL seems to become a supliment to Medicare.

Yeah, I’m squared away with the VA for Life.

Single plan is a relief, my understanding is TFL is free?

As long as you continue paying for Part B.

Well, I think the whole part B is silly considering I primarily use the VA but, I also want to not leave my Wife with a bill