Oh for heaven’s sake. This is the fifth day in a row of rain, with temperatures a good twenty degrees below normal. I can’t plant seeds, I can’t weed the garden or put down mulch. The lawn is growing by leaps and bounds and we are just stuck here in the cottage about ready to go nuts.
I’ve had it.
I got home yesterday and took some photos late in the day of the few blooms that are happening around here. Daffodils are blooming in a clearing on the edge of our woods.
It’s May 6th, and the daffodils are just now blooming. We have had the weirdest spring. Abnormally warm. Then snow out of nowhere, with ice. Then warm. Then cold. And on and on it goes.
I wanted you to see the wee little bug that was on a petal.
• Anastasia is simply wonderful. I can’t wait to see it in full costume, with gorgeous sets and a full orchestra. In fact, the cast was going to sing with the orchestra for the first time yesterday afternoon, and the composer and lyricist wanted me to stick around if I could (they were understandably excited) but I had to get on the road. By the way, that first rehearsal with the orchestra is called the Sitzprobe, a German term used in opera that literally means ‘seated rehearsal.’
The music is glorious, the cast is very, very talented, the dances are great, Darko’s direction is impeccable, as always. The next time I see it will be for a Preview – probably in a little over a week.
• Don will be starting Medicare in June. (We can’t believe we’re this old!) I won’t be eligible for a year and a half. So we called New York State of Health (our state’s vehicle for the Affordable Care Act) to let them know that and to ask that our policy be changed to a single policy. For months now, I have been looking forward to finally saving some money on health insurance, which for those of us who are older, but not quite ready for Medicare, and who earn a modest income but are not at the poverty level, has not really been all that affordable. In fact, it’s been a strain financially.
Imagine my shock when I was told that I no longer qualified for a tax credit – even though, right now, we do get a tax credit. Due to some metrics that I cannot understand that have to do with income, a single policy, and the fact that I, being honest, reported a bit more income – and by a bit I mean no more than $2000 – that I’d earned this year, never mind the fact that I have no guarantee of any more income for the rest of this year – I’m suddenly going to have to pay more than we’re paying now. For just me. And, since Don has to pay monthly for Medicare Part B, we are now losing money.
I can’t tell you how upset I was. We looked over policies and, honestly, I could save maybe $50 if I went for one with a $5000 deductible, but that is simply ridiculous. Those policies also require you to pay a rather large chunk of the costs of hospitalization, also no-can-do. So I have to pay more, just to get to a $2000 deductible.
Pardon me while I scream.
I championed the Affordable Care Act and I know it is helping millions of people. It is helping many actors I know, many young people who are working part-time, the list is quite long. That’s a wonderful thing. But it doesn’t help those of us who are in a riskier age category and who aren’t quite 65. For us, it sort of sucks. Big time.
Edited to add: Please remember, though, that pre-the Affordable Health Care Act, getting insurance as two freelancers was much more difficult. I want to be clear on that. We had to settle for catastrophic insurance, which only covers hospitalization.
• Today is my late brother Dave’s birthday. He would have been 69. He died when he was 44. I miss him so much. Happy Birthday, dear brother. And Happy Birthday to his son Eric who shares the same birthday.
• I’m not looking forward to Mother’s Day for obvious reasons. I hope the day brings weather that allows me to work outside. I think that will help. I just have to keep busy on that day.
Happy Friday.
Pray that a bit of that rain comes this way. The fire up north is just devastating. I can’t bear to think about any of the animals that had to be left behind when the city had to be evacuated.
It is indeed unbearable to think of. How I wish I could send you some rain. I will indeed pray that some rain comes your way very, very soon.
Life should be easier for those of us that are 65 and older, but we do not exactly take care of our elderly here in the US …worked hard all of my life, owned my own business, as of now, I don’t see any increases in our income, health care costs are continuously going up. We are on social security, medicare and have a supplement insurance…still have to pay several hundred dollars each year out of pocket for healthcare.
I know. It’s wrong. I understand. It doesn’t account for the cost of living or the rising costs of health care. You would think that at this point in your life, you wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
The ACA might not actually be helping millions of people. More and more are falling off of ACA policies because of circumstances like yours and they just can’t afford it if their income goes $1 over the limit to qualify for the tax credit. I know small business owners who have chosen to pay the tax penalty rather than buy any policy at all because it costs so much. 2 major insurance providers are getting out. Jonathan Gruber’s comments about the ACA were quite eye-opening. Our economy is now going to start paying a heavy price. As insurance sucks more private dollars out of people’s pockets, there are fewer dollars for fun stuff like vacations, minis, home repairs, retirement savings, starbucks coffee, etc. We’re living in interesting times, for sure.
That is an understatement, Dana. We hardly ever have anything extra for home repairs, etc! And this isn’t going to help.
Welcome to the real world for many of us. I didn’t wish it upon ANYone. Exactly why I am NOT for the ACA & why I hope it is repealed. Do the research, folks. Do the math.
I’m for Universal Health Care. I want it out of the corporate, earn money mentality that governs health care now.
Quite frankly, health care pre the Affordable Health Care Act was impossible for us. We freelance. At least we can get covered now.
OK. (Though in my opinion that will be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, she said cheerfully.)
Cheerfully from me: I don’t agree! I know many, many people who are covered by the equivalent of universal health care in their countries. It has made an enormous difference in the quality of their lives. xo
Bummer, bummer, bummer! Wish here were better health care options for you! Old age is not for the faint of heart. I understand completely.
Why we can’t have Universal Health Care like every other country in the world is beyond me.
Before I got medicare last year, I was below the poverty level and did not qualify for insurance but through extended medicaid which my state had declined. So I was sooooo happy to finally get covered for some health care. We should be taking care of our citizens better then we are and not charging so much for so little.
Anastasia sounds so wonderful, I really wish I could see it. Maybe one day. I’m so blessed to still have my Mom this year and will celebrate Mother’s Day with her and one of my daughters.
I hope that rain goes away. You need some outdoor and gardening time. Mr Toes is a restless kitty this morning so I best check on him.
hugs,
Linda
Give Mr. Toes a hug for me, Linda. I don’t seem to be getting anything back for my sizable monthly health care payments. Right now, our deductible is ridiculously high. I think most people have it in case anything catastrophic happens.
I had to read your blog post today and then walk away from it for awhile, lest I reply with too many comments again because medical insurance/costs is a huge topic for me. Some years ago, we had to step down from a really-good PPO to HMO, and HMO sucks although of course I’m always reminded how lucky I am to have any health care coverage at all when so many don’t. When I was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer, it was a three-month wait from onset of symptoms to surgery and, when surgery finally happened, I was told, essentially, this is your surgeon and this is the facility where it will happen…I was given no choice on the doctor or the hospital. With HMO, you do it their way; you have no choices. That’s the trade-off for lower premiums. I’d rather pay the higher premium for more flexibility but, at least where my husband works, the PPO is completely unaffordable (laughable) for a ‘normal’ person. Fortunately, I think my oncologist is pretty good (but what basis do I have for comparison; we were in a race against time).
We are just now getting the bills for my husband’s hernia surgery in January. It was supposed to be an ‘easy’ operation but he had complications. So far, just the same-day surgery facility charges are over $33,000; who knows what the ‘regular’ hospital’s bill will be, when he had to be readmitted unexpectedly for a couple of nights/days. Who could afford this? No one.
Do I know the value of medical insurance? You betcha. Can never be without it. My husband is reluctantly staying employed to try to limp me to Medicare (long after he himself has qualified) but we have awhile yet til I qualify. I feel awful that my husband has to work beyond what he wants to and feels like, to accommodate me. On the one hand, we can use his income; we’re in no way financially ready for retirement. I definitely worry about the gap to Medicare for me, though. My husband has been offered, indirectly, a buy-out to retire early; it’s tempting for him (not lucrative enough, if you ask me) and he thinks “Obamacare” is a credible fallback for me; I’ve read nothing but problems about it for average-income people.
It’s that THING again where if you have some income and you have assets…
Ran into this when I wanted to go to college. Dad didn’t make a big income…we lived modestly, always…but just enough to where I couldn’t qualify for scholarships. Dad needed heart surgery in his 50s but the operation had a cost of $90,000 and was experimental with a high-mortality rate at the time; his policy as a self-employed person wouldn’t cover it. My mom was running out of money toward the end of her life due to the cost of trying to stay home with paid caregivers the previous three years…and this, even with reverse mortgage…but the state looked at her remaining equity (they don’t give you all of it with reverse mortgage, although they give you most of it) as an asset as also was her long-term care insurance policy (it was facing its end; it was a plan with a finite/limit; but still considered an asset). She’d be allowed to keep a car and I think $1000; something like that (in order to get benefits of any kind). We had to pay for everything…wheelchair, other home health equipment. One of my caregivers had an indigent parent at the time. She got everything free for her…even adult briefs (diapers); a hospital bed; yes, wheelchair; etc. I have a friend who was able to somehow declare her elderly mother as indigent and a tax deduction (brought her in to live with her) and when her mother had to have knee surgery, they even ‘for free’ installed with a professional plumber, the permanent hand grabs/rails in the shower stall (I had to pay plenty to have that done for my own mom) and they were loaned all kinds of exercise equipment in the home…even came and set it up in the living room…for the knee rehab (while, at this same time, my mom had broken her back with osteoporosis and we were having to pay for the same stuff my friend’s mom was getting for free, which I found frustrating because my mom, again, was running on empty with the bank account and I couldn’t help but feel she was being penalized for having gotten somewhere in her life and actually owning something, only to have it bite her in the butt when she was in a time of her life when she needed any financial helps she could get).
Oh, well; I hear your frustrations about the cost of health coverage. It’s something very concerning I think for so many of us.
I have to run. I did read last night that much of the Northeast is slated for rain in May for as far out as they can predict. Another frustration for you!
I used to regularly take a bag of food to my local community assistance…still do when I can but we try harder and harder now not to waste food…and would feel odd to see people drive up and get in line for the food who were driving nicer cars than mine. We of course don’t know all the circumstances on these things…
Well, my dad had to sell most everything and leave only a certain amount in my mom’s account in order to qualify for the Medicaid that was necessary to get her through three years in the nursing home. They had to hire a lawyer, at a large fee, who was experience in just that kind of thing. It’s ridiculous. Completely, utterly, insane.
Yes, it is what we should have done; I know that there are creative ways to get around the system. I actually tried to find a good elder care lawyer within months of my dad’s death but Mom was reticent and I guess I didn’t try hard enough, figuring like Dad had said, that we’d figure it out as we went along; well, that only works for so long. As it was, we almost lost the house after Mom died and I had to buy it as it was going into foreclosure. It was a time of great tumult in our lives.
We’re not over it yet, either. We’re still not settled; we don’t know if we’re staying. A lot is up in the air and I sort of envy people our age who ARE nicely settled and who did things in the right order, with stable jobs, putting money away into IRAs and 401Ks, the house paid for while they were still in their 50s but, what can you do, some people’s lives have taken a different track (like ours) and my husband and I didn’t get married and start out things together earlier…we were closer to 40 than 20 or 30 when we hooked up. At the age we married, friends of mine had already had two incomes and were building their joint lives 15 years earlier whereas I had a relatively low income as a single woman although I was self-supporting and my husband had lost a lot of money in a divorce. Everybody’s got a different story; we don’t all come up the same way yet we often all reach the same age and are then quite aware of our vastly different circumstances.
I’ve let go of a friendship of 40 years because I can’t ‘keep up’ – although she only worked about 25 years full-time like I did, she hasn’t had to hold a job since she was 55; she became downright wealthy, has robust health as she now approaches age 70, is on the go-go-go, travels extensively and needs/wants the same of me so we can do things together but, you know, I can’t go out to $40 weekday lunches at the local spa-inn with her. Outside of a brief (Stage 1) cancer episode 25 years ago, she’s had an utterly unencumbered life with all the right investments, her husband of 49 years has worked for the same employer for over 35 years, she never took care of kids or aging parents; her time is her own and she has no worries. We don’t all get that lucky.
You touched a nerve with this post, Claudia. I think the overriding thing is how awful it is in the latter years that as older people, we have to have so much worry and angst over how to best live, needing that crystal ball of what’s the best thing to do.
I agree with another reader about how we don’t take good care of the elderly in the U.S. And it needs to change as this gigantic pool of baby boomers ages. Aging is inevitable and it’s hard enough, with a loss of independence as well as financial resources, struggling with increasing poor health, probably having lost a lot of contemporaries as everybody ages at the same time. It can be a lonely time…it’s a lot of loss in general, and loss is hard. Horrifying enough to see yourself able to do less and less; it shouldn’t also be filled with fear of losing a home, not being able to make your bills, going without medicine you need because you can’t afford it. (I’ve seen all three of those things happen with real people, good people.)
They moved a food line we have on Sundays in our town, where a church gives out free food for about an hour. It’s mostly all younger people who can drive there and have some way to cart out the boxed/bagged food. I would say I mostly am seeing women in their 20s and 30s in this line. Again, who knows the back-story? (In our area, our particular town has a high unemployment rate, a subsequent high ‘welfare’ rate; many homeless.) But in the crowd last week, I noticed one lone old woman walking haltingly with a cane, clearly struggling and not accompanied by anyone that I could determine. How was she going to carry any food at all? Maybe in a small sack in one hand? My mother used to say, in darker moments, “Maybe we should be like the native Alaskans (she’d say, the Eskimos) who take their old and suffering to an ice floe, letting the cold put them to sleep while they just drift away…” (must be some old folk tale she’d heard). This would correspondingly send chills down my spine, when she’d say such a thing.
Don’t old people have value? Does anybody want to be bothered with us as we age? Is the only thing to look forward to, being warehoused some place where they’re understaffed and underpaid? The world is busy and old people take up time. Old people need help. When you’re really old, you need gentleness, reassurance, kindness. You need to feel safe, warm, loved. It can be scary enough, getting closer to the end.
I got off your topic of the impossible case of affordable health insurance. Why on earth does the U.S. have to have the most expensive healthcare system in the world? How does Canada manage to provide free healthcare for everyone? What are we doing wrong? I read an interesting piece in the Atlantic Monthly about this. Drawbacks for Canada are longer wait times at ERs; longer wait times to see a specialist. But the averages were no different than what I’ve personally experienced here in the U.S. for those same things. And, unlike Canada, my healthcare isn’t free. I’ve also read that private health care is only used by the smallest percentage in Britain. Healthcare there is mostly provided by the country’s public health service and while it doesn’t pay for everything, and I think that includes prescription drugs, healthcare is free to all English citizens regardless of age, paid for from general taxes.
Can’t the U.S. learn anything from these other countries?
Well, we’re in the same boat. Didn’t meet until we were in our forties, didn’t buy a home until we were in our fifties. We’re way behind most people!
Claudia, Mother’s Day isn’t fun for everyone. I feel some of your pain. I just lost my mom 3 years ago. And I totally understand the need to mother something; it’s deep inside us women, childless and otherwise…we nest, we mother. I’m not good at this, but I try to turn it around (much like you immerse yourself in the work of the yard) and have a note on the calendar to call a cousin of mine on Sunday who’s a good mom and wish her a happy day, as she lost her own mom (too young) six years ago and, of course, I can’t take her mother’s place but at least I can try to reach out.
I’ve noticed for a long time that I have difficulty in the greeting card aisle at the stores. So many holidays formerly celebrated with nice cards, like Father’s Day, too, and Happy Birthday To My Brother, etc. All those occasions, gone. It’s hard to lose these people, these ‘anchors’ from our lives. So many holidays now, I just wish for the day to end quickly and start a new day asap. I never wanted to live like that, so I’m trying to make a bigger blowout now for my own birthday, my husband’s, Halloween, etc.
For some of us with hardly any family, the Hallmark (and other retail) crush at Thanksgiving, Christmas…Mother’s Day…can almost seem cruel. It’s when I really hate being in the minority (a majority of people have a heckuva lot more family and are of course a target audience for a retailer!) and have to drum up everything in me to be positive, look outward and not inward, count the blessings and be glad for what I have, believing that it has all unfolded the way it’s supposed to, even though I don’t fully understand the whys.
We gotta stay strong, Claudia!
Be sure you wish that Mother Of The Year sister of yours, Meredith, a happy Sunday; it’ll help you to hear the voice of her precious little one, too! These are the happiest of things…
…and I’m very happy that here in SoCalif we got a smattering of your rain today; not a lot, but anything is wonderful!
We’re both on Medicare and are paying more than we used to when we were working and to top it off, we don’t get the benefits from Obamacare like free mamograms. Our insurance company opted out. I didn’t know you could make your own rules but I guess it’s just how things work. I think our country is moving slowly in the right direction but more needs to be done for the average Joe like us. I don’t know where we would be without our union such as it is. Woody’s mom is looking into nursing homes and I can’t believe the cost. It will wipe out her life savings.
Stay dry,
Eileen
I know. I feel the same way. My dad had to do some creative stuff to get medicare to pay for Mom’s nursing home. This was all done legally – moving money around, selling off assets, etc. But there were two of them. Can Woody’s mom check out the costs via Medicare – maybe consult with a lawyer?
Claudia, I know what you are talking about…it’s not fair by any means. I have Medicare and a policy thru my retirement from G.M. and still pay big chunks for any medical test or procedure…Plus I pay 58 dollars a month on visual and dental and they do not pay all that either…I still pay. That’s why Ted and I strive to stay healthy…can’t afford to become ill. I pray it will work out for you and Don. Blessings to you, xoxo, Susie
It will have to work out, Susie! We have no choice.
Health Care is a mess that’s for sure. And expensive! I won’t go into my tales of woe, but I was extremely fortunate last year when I had to have a number of treatments at approx. $400 a pop…and my insurance refused to cover them. The head of our benefits department went to bat for me and I got every penny back. I’m one of the lucky ones, I know.
By the way, I think I noticed that I am developing webbing between my toes…..
Me too! Webbing for sure. It’s raining torrentially right now, Vera! I’m glad that your experience turned out to be a positive one!
Healthcare is definitely a maze, and the older we get, mazes get harder and harder to solve. I don’t understand why we don’t have Universal Health Care, either. Well, I sort of do….. the 1% would STILL want extra super duper riders to buy so they would always be able to get to the head of the line, get the choice of treatments, etc. and they would not ever settle for their care with the rest of us. They would devise some sort of system where the richer one is, the less “universal” their care would have to be. I listened to it for 20 years in the health insurance industry.
Also, once we take Social Security we have to be ever vigilant to watch our outside income. When we reach that threshold (around $14,000 ~ $15,000 or so) we start to lose SS dollars. I know we have to watch it in our house every year as my husband is a church music director, and subs in the school system.
Whoever dubbed these as the Golden Years certainly had a sense of humor!!
You make a very good point about the 1%, Chris. It’s ridiculous. The whole thing with Social Security makes me crazy. That’s money we earned and it shouldn’t even be an issue – whether losing part of the SS or, in my case, because it adds to my income and therefore I’m penalized when I have to pick a health care policy. I’m not out there working and earning that money. It IS my money – from long ago, not now.
Total agreement with Chris….these years are not golden! I just recently, turned Medicare age…so I will see how that goes. But…not only do you loose income to pay for the premiums part A, then you have to find a supplemental insurance Part B, and a drug plan. Which of course drains your bank account…month after month. When my hubby dropped me from our marketplace insurance, the premium only went down $20! So our house repair budget is slim too. Golden years? Not so golden if you ask me.
My mom had drained her life savings too, being in a nursing home after her stroke….she finally had to go on Medicaid. And that was no picnic either…and quite depressing.
This country needs Universal Health Care period! Maybe in our lifetime…but doubtful. Health care costs are ridiculous! And we earned social security….it is not an entitlement as some have said!
Hope the rain stops for you! ;)
I so agree about Social Security! We earned that long ago. It’s not an entitlement and I don’t think it should even qualify as income.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Affordable Care Act-biggest oxymoron ever! You beat my chops last time I said that but I notice your enthusiasm is waning.
Hubs passes all categories of mandatory health screenings, I miss only one-improvements for both of us over the previous year and yet…………………………………………………premiums increase by 30% and that is opting for very high-deductibles to boot along with threats of future 30/70 vs. 20/80 coverage to come.
Can’t afford cost of insurance you can’t afford to be with out and yet the reality of the ACA leaves more and more of us unable to afford to actually use it.
Incidentally, mandatory health screenings were a recent precursor in anticipation of the roll out of the ACA.
Still, I am always glad when I read of the occasional instance of where someone thought to write in a few checks and balances to try to be sure all who should be sharing in the burden are required to do so. Nothing personal here folks, so please don’t flail too hard on me for my honest opinions. Like I said, can’t afford to doctor for any physical or emotional pain you might inadvertently bring my way. Just saying.
We have never had to go through mandatory health screenings, so I’m not sure I understand that. It’s never been a requirement – at least here in NY State. I’m still for Universal Health Care in the long run, which WOULD be Affordable Health Care. (Did I really ‘beat your chops’ – or did I just disagree with you?) But ACA does have problems. It’s certainly not perfect. And actually, what I’m saying now isn’t a whole lot different than what I said before – that it isn’t perfect. I even wrote to HHS about it when it first came into being. And they called me at home to talk about it. One of the things I spoke to them about was that for those of us who were freelancers and couldn’t predict our income, filling out the application was a pain in the tush. If you take home a consistent paycheck, then you don’t get penalized come tax time. If you don’t, all bets are off.
We are clearly running into some of those imperfections as we draw closer to Medicare age. Still, as I said in an earlier comment, to me, it’s far better than we had before. So many more people are able to get insurance and even though what we are personally experiencing at the moment isn’t desirable, the greater good has to be always kept in mind.
We were all for the affordable health care act as well. My husband can no longer work due to health issues but the State of Texas doesn’t feel he needs disability from SS. I am still working and get free insurance from my employer but to put a spouse only on the policy is over $700 per month. I literally would only be working to pay insurance if we did that. The premiums for the government insurance this year and what they do not cover would have cost us over $1000 a month. We are not quite old enough to start thinking about medicare but still have a fixed income so to speak. So in an effort to save money and be able to afford my husband’s medication we went the no insurance route (actually cheaper than using insurance) and will pay the penalty. I wish you luck in your insurance needs.
We also have been having lots of rain and I haven’t been able to plant much in my flowerbeds this year.
I’ve also thought about going the no insurance route, but frankly, it scares me!
Im all for a national healthcare policy . Go anywhere for good care. Up everyone’s taxes a bit and fight the AMA and we may get somewhere
I agree, Kathy.
Oy. After reading today’s post and everyone’s comments, I can’t believe there are STILL people out there who DON’T support Single Payer Insurance. Across the nation. For everyone, regardless of whether you are unemployed, or a member of Congress. Just like – as Bill Maher says – “all the other big boy nations have…” Sometimes I really don’t understand how the US got to be as advanced as we actually are, because the number of non-thinking people in this country seems to be getting larger and larger with every passing week. We are gratefully sunny and dry in Rochester at the moment – hope you get some outside time this weekend! ☀️☀️☀️
It makes sense to me. So much so, that I can’t imagine why it hasn’t been implemented. In so many ways, this country is a leader – or used to be a leader – but in others? Not at all. I have friends who live in foreign countries who are dumbfounded by the fact that we don’t have Single Payer. And I can’t explain why we don’t.
No sun. More rain tomorrow. More rain on Sunday. I may slit my wrists.
Welcome to my world…..4 years difference between me and hubby….he’s on medicare while I have to pay $523.76 every month just for my own coverage through the MA. Health Connector.
Have 18 months to go…never in my life did I think I’d be waiting to turn 65!
Weather here is just like where you are…so awful.
That’s about as much as I’m going to have to pay, Elizabeth. Unbelievable. I have 18 months to go, too.
Thank you for answering. I should have added that I am healthy, do not take any meds and only see a doc for a yearly physical. So do I continue to pay this or do I just pay the penalty, which is $1,000 a year. But what if I fall down the cellar stairs, slip on the ice, etc. The hospital bills would be awful. Makes me nuts to pay it but I just can’t afford not to.
Great topic…it certainly affects all of us, that’s for sure.
I feel the same way. What if? xo
The ‘what if’ is so real. I worked with a young gal who had a bad accident just out of college and before her first job with our company. No medical insurance. She was skimboarding at the water’s edge…that thing you do where you skim the waves at the ocean beach with this board you throw out in front of you and then sort of jump on, like skateboarding without wheels (or surfing on sand)…and she broke her foot; $7,000 hospital bill. When I left the company almost three years later, she was still working hard to whittle down that huge bill on a beginning salary. The hospital wasn’t forgiving. They wanted their money.
She was young; she’d recover. But a big bill like that in late life on a fixed income is catastrophic.
I worked with another gal whose sister was stricken with an auto-immune disease in her 30s; had a newborn and other kids. Why she had no medical insurance, I don’t know, but the only way she could get medical care, as her husband was off/on employed I guess, was to charge all the medical fees to personal credit cards. She got better, although her disease was incurable…the aggressive care kicked it into a remission, so that she could resume her life…but they then were saddled with multi thousands of dollars in credit card debt. They always said it was worth it; her life was more important. But how on earth they were able to eradicate that credit card debt, I have no idea…
…and ‘they’ say the worst thing you can do going into retirement is to be carrying credit card debt and mortgage debt. Like you, Claudia, we bought houses in our 50s and 60s so, yes, we are going into retirement with a mortgage that will never be paid off in our lifetime…but if it’s not a mortgage, it’s rent for us, and that’s just what happens to some people. My parents paid on their home for 30 years, but then they got to enjoy it another (almost) 30 years ‘mortgage-free’. Ideally, that’s the way it’s intended! I can’t imagine how freeing it must be, to have a paid-up home. I’ll never know what that feels like…but I’ll be grateful if we can just always keep a roof over our head when I know others are sleeping in cars or on the street.
I agree with so many of the comments written before mine. At 62 I would like to retire, but I carry the health ins for both me and my husband and he is three years younger. I couldn’t even put our son on although he could be on to 26, because it would have cost $1,300 per month and that’s through a company ins plan. For my husband and I it is around $650 per month. I hate to use our ins because so much is out of pocket. Have thought of going on Obama Health, as I would like to cut back from full time work, but what would that cost and cover? Coming from the UK I can tell you that National Ins especially when you get older takes the terrible worry away that US citizens have as they grow older.
How I wish we had single payer like the UK. You must miss that, Christy –
So much is out of pocket for sure. You wonder what it’s for – unfortunately, what it’s for here in the U.S. is hospitalization or something catastrophic – that’s about all it’s good for, at least in its current state.
We are sunny and dry here in Minnesota – a little too dry. Breezy and high fire alert. Chance of rain – small and not enough, I’m afraid – if at all. More chances later in the week. Keeping fingers crossed.
We were having your weather about two weeks ago. Now we are drenched, Ranee. Maybe rain will be coming your way!
Dear Claudia, just to let you know that I am your regular reader and and each morning you bring me smile. You are interesting, great photos and NOT fake.I fully understand about Mother’s Day without mother. Here in Australia all public hospitals are free for all of us.All procedures and tests in the hospitals are free.We all have Medicare card. Some doctors don’t charge any extra just Medicare payment. People on lower income get Health card and pay for medication only $5.For Mother’s Day I will visit somebody lonely that is forgotten and call dear friend that is without Mother like me. Take care
Oh, it appears that Australia is a sane country! Unlike the United States, which seems increasingly Insane to me. I’m so glad you have such great health care, Hope. And thank you so much for your kind words, Hope.
We have been having sunny days recently after days upon days of rain. Don’t be sad ~ I’ll send some sun your way. Regarding health care, what a mess! I read an article the other day in the Washington Post that said the third highest cause of death, after heart disease and cancer is hospital error! An estimated 250,000 people die each year from doctor/nurse/hospital error and yet medical costs are staggering. Something is very, very wrong. Then we have big companies like Monsanto poisoning our food. Don’t get me started ;-) I don’t like Mother’s Day either, for obvious reasons as well. Sending you lots of love and good thoughts.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
I read that same article, Susan. So…we have to pay for health care/coverage and then we have to hope there is not hospital error.
This is also my first Mother’s Day without my own child/dog. That makes it even harder. xo
I am SOOOOOO done with all this grim weather! Come on sun quit your hiding!
Blessings, Joanne
Maybe if we shout to the sun at the same time, it will come out of hiding?
After living 9 years in Germany, a socialized country, we saw first hand that Socialism does not work. Some of the Examples are: the requirement to physically maintain the sidewalk in front of your residence to the standard that the gov’t dictated, unable to bbq because laws that forbid such things except during certain hours, a very restrictive medical availability, (except for the rich) and a 60% overall tax base for employees. From that and because we had access to the military facilities, we were constantly bombarded from our neighbors asking us if we could buy them certain things from the commissary because the cost on the German economy was so high they could not afford it. For the military, gas was rationed on the military bases as well as coffee and tea. Gas could be purchased on the German market at their rate, which was approximately $5-6/gallon. The apartment we rented, we could not adjust the thermostat. True freedom is nonexistent.
Another example of socialism that we had first hand experience with, was during our relocation to & from Alaska. Our four day drive through NW Canada,the cost of Walmart items, the cost of fuel was staggering as well as the motels. During our inquiry as to “why” cost was so different than the USA , it was explained to us it is the need to pay taxes. They explained to us they work 6 months of the year to pay taxes and the remainder 6 months is their income. Their cost as well as getting appointments for medical services is outrageous, IF they can get a medical appointment. The Canadians that can afford to come across the border to US to get medical services because they can’t get routine medical care in a timely manner, that’s Socialism. Go to Seattle and try to get an appointment, it’s difficult. Do we really want Socialism in our country and have these experiences? The ACA is the precursor to a one payor system for health care. That will be the gov’t dictating to us what we do with everything. Again, I ask, is that how we want to live in our America that is suppose to be a free nation?
My brother who lives in WA state has experienced the same issues you have with the ACA, in that his medical insurance has increased about 57%. His income is based on him farming. Your experience with the ACA is just beginning.
Thanks for your thoughts, Andrea. My short answer to your question about single payer? Yes. We already have it in Medicare. No one seems to be running away from Medicare because it’s implemented by the government.
Yes, I agree with you that Medicare is implemented by the govt. The present day difference is its mandated when you turn 65, and when it becomes single payer it will be mandated for everyone. Our experience with Medicare is not all quality doctors accept Medicare. At the end of the day, the govt will tell us if we can live or die. An example of socialized medicine is the Veterans Administration.
Hi Claudia,
I have been reading the information about health care and as someone who lives in Britain I am absolutely shocked. We over here are lucky to have free health care for all.We say free but obviously we have worked all our lives and payed social security contributions which were related to the amount a person earned – the only fair way. Both my husband and myself have been the recipients of excellent care for life threatening conditions with no cost and I have given birth to 4 babies again with no costs. We also receive good care for less urgent condition( including free prescriptions) for which we are grateful even when we might have to wait a bit longer. We are now retired and so grateful for our life-long free health care . In this country people are realising that they may now have to fight hard to keep this because big business would like to get in there, but it is one thing everyone agrees on and having heard some of the really sad stories in the replies I can see where we don’t want to go.
Most people here realise that people in the U.S. pay private health insurance and we presume that you therefore get better care so it is shocking to see you don’t ,it looks like big business has got you coming and going.I do hope you someday manage to change this and you remain in good health meantime
Best regards.
Megan.
Work hard to keep big business out of your wonderful healthcare system, Megan! We are all envious. No, I don’t believe we get better healthcare in the U.S. I suspect it isn’t any better than in your country.
I will admit to being envious!
Thanks for your comment, Megan.