I have an insurance question for me! I am covered through my husband’s job. Could I or should I also get a supplement insurance at age 65?

Here's the thing.

Check with his HR department right away. Follow what they tell you to do. You can get hit with lifelong financial penalties if you mess this up.

Medicare is individual, so there is no more " being on his policy" for either Part A or B. I made this mistake last year.

His company probably requires him to get Part A at age 65 as his primary insurance. You need to find out if you are automatically covered until YOU are 65.

If he doesn't required Part B because he can show comparable coverage, there is a form that will need to be filled out by HR proving that he had that coverage. Same for you when you turn 65.

Get the book "Medicare for Dummies" and read it. It will help you understand what I mean.

The other thing that larger companies do is at 65, if you are still employed, you (or your dependent) go on medicare a&b and their health insurance becomes a supplemental insurance. This is usually at a cost savings passed on to you too. Just before retirement you will need to find your own supplemental insurance policy but will be able to enroll because retirement is considered a life changing event instead of waiting for open enrollment. There are very few large companies that actually offer to let you and your dependents continue your supplemental health insurance thru them at employee cost as part if your pension depending on the number of service years you have. Great idea to check not only the hr department but also their retirement planning department (assuming they have one if company is that large).

This is not a direct answer but caution you and your husband to be sure and apply for Medicare in the narrow window starting 3 months before your birthday and ending 3 months after in order to get Part A & B as you must have Part B in order to get supplement insurance (this since Obama care came in and prohibited insurance companies from issuing policies to people over 65 without Part B). Just a caution.

After my wife and I retired we had, of course, Medicare. We also had a supplement through Blue Cross of Michigan. We were perfectly happy with BC but they really bumped up the premiums we paid. We talked to an excellent insurance agent who saved us a ton of money each month by going with AARP United Healthcare. Seriously, we saved several hundred per month. The same was true when our agent found much better Part D drug insurance. Co-pays were comparable to those we had with Anthem BC but for my wife, her monthly cost dropped from $175 to $23!!! My savings were comparable. In other words, shop around and don't be afraid to change companies and policies if you're dealing with an agent you trust.

I would first see how his employer handles those employees that reach Medicare age. Also, what your husband receives if he retires.

My husband is a UAW retiree. We both get Medicare and the UAW supplies our supplimental, me paying a small sum a month to cover me.

Some employees can continue with full coverage if still working but I would contact Medicare to see how that needs to be handled. Medicare charges more monthly if a person didn't take it at 65. I think there is an allowance made if the person continues to work.

When u get this info together, call your Office of Aging and ask if they help people "sort" all this out.

A good source of information is through your state’s health benefits counseling service, SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program).
SHIPs are free, state counseling services that help seniors understand their Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap (Medicare Supplemental Insurance) and Medicaid benefits. Anyone with Medicare related questions is free to call a SHIP's counselor even if they are not currently enrolled in Medicare.
https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/longtermcare/resources/state_health_insurance_programs.html

Please be careful as you plan...medical crises can happen when we least expect it and unless you are a lottery winner or a millionaire, could wipe you and your future out financially. So for sure get a supplemental, and realize that our wonderful country has it set up so that if you are healthy and dare to NOT sign on for the drug coverage, they will penalize you for every month you go without.

The advantage plans SOUND so wonderful...why do you think they are running all those commercials...promising you the world...but you will be limited in your choices and they will dictate all the conditions of who what when where and why...IF your providers are listed, lucky you...but that's today...what if they drop out tomorrow? Or maybe to you, it doesn't matter...so it could be a good thing.

My folks have Medicare and then United Health Care thru AARP of which they are members...it seems to be a good way to go and I have found their staff to be responsive, helpful, and speak clearly:-)

We can't be without the health coverage, but I will say I just dropped my workplace offered dental/vision combo. We had switched plans and so we had one where if you saw someone out of network (all of my providers are) of course it paid less and of what THEY determined was allowable at 80%, after a deductible...so when I sat down and did some math I found my premiums and my out of pocket for just one visit totaled about $850. The out of pocket was $514. It's a scam. The vision part: they had one on-line provider. More discount because they were IN network. Check it out with another place I'd used before...and even with the discounts at the in network, with a discount from the out of network I'm still saving about $50.

Caution is the word:-)

NeedHelpWithMom: When it was time for myself to sign up for Medicare, we used a pro bono insurance agent who came to the house and set it all up. First, I did not sign up for Medicare at age 65 as I was covered under my husband's employer. However, so that I did not incur the penalty when I did sign up, I had to have a letter written by my husband's employer, stating that I had medical insurance. Okay - onto the Medicare Supplemental - Yes, do obtain it. The insurance agent we worked with set up the proper Medicare Supplemental Plan AND plan "Letter." We went with AARP through United Health Care and after addressing all of my needs, used plan Letter "F." Now mind you - while I was living out of state caring for my mother, I had to use that areas' ER services. I never owed one penny! I am about to turn 73 in January and have never owed a penny. Of course, you do have to pay the Medicare Supp premiums.

My wife turns 65 in January. She's covered by my insurance. We are each on medicare already via disability, but my insurance serves as a secondary insurance for both of us. She will stay on my insurance until I turn 65 in 3 years and then we will get a supplemental together.

NeedHelpWithMom: You're very welcome. But don't refer to yourself "as not getting any younger" till you're a septuagenarian! I have almost 9 years on you. LOL.