Medicar question . . .

Both of us turning 65 this year. We have always paid for machines and equipment ourselves. Insurance at work covered 50% of the machine cost, but supplies were less hassle to buy online. Have not seen a specialist in years as my GP writes script to cover whatever I ask for.

What can we expect from Medicare? It will Medicare A & B with supplemental coverage for B and prescriptions coverage.

Odd, I had to wait until age 66 to qualify for Medicare, and that was in 2013.
You may need to consult the table.

You will want to make sure that whomever is supplying your cpap equipment participates in Medicare and will accept what Medicare says they should be happy with (allowable charge).
If they do then your CPAP equipment all comes under the Part B coverage...and Medicare pays 80% of the allowable charge (assuming the Part B deductible has been met) and then you are responsible for the remaining 20% and that's where your Part B Medicare supplement comes in to play. Your Part B Medicare supplement will pay the 20% that would have been your responsibility and depending on which supplement plan you purchased might even cover that Part B deductible.

chunkyfrog wrote:Odd, I had to wait until age 66 to qualify for Medicare, and that was in 2013.

No...the age for Medicare is 65.
What probably happened to you is that you had to wait until you were 66 to get full Social Security Benefits.
My husband turned 65 last April and in July we finally got around to getting him set up with his monthly Social Security Benefits and at that time he had the option to sign up for Medicare or just staying with his employer provided insurance. He chose to go ahead and get Medicare and continue working.
You can get Medicare and still work. In my husband's case his employer group insurance is primary and Medicare is secondary and we don't worry about a supplement at this time.

chunkyfrog wrote:Odd, I had to wait until age 66 to qualify for Medicare, and that was in 2013.
You may need to consult the table.

You waited (1) year too long. Medicare is available at 65, 66 is the age to collect your full Social Security benefits.

Oops! You're right. I was waiting for the numbers to line up so I could afford to retire.

chunkyfrog wrote:Oops! You're right. I was waiting for the numbers to line up so I could afford to retire.

Never going to retire! Too many places to still travel too and too little time to do them all. Going to keep working, but 8-10 weeks of vacation, not all paid a year helps.
When I walk by the boss I think I hear him mumble "Prima Donna" under his breath.

Your Full Retirement Age at which you can collect Social Security Benefits varies based on when you were born. There is a chart on the SS web site.

Rick

I retired while still healthy and strong; as I have seen what happens to those who wait
until there is too little time/health/money left for them to enjoy that time. I didn't want to be one of those people.
Like the housewife who never uses the "good" dishes, never make the mistake of living for "later".

About Social Security, I make a strong recommendation to consult an adviser on when and how to take your benefits. Many of my friends are making mistakes that are costing them a big sum of money.

To get a taste of what a "Social Security strategy" is, read some of this - https://www.google.com/search?q=social+ ... 8&oe=utf-8

Making your own Social Security strategy is complicated for many people and an adviser skilled at doing strategies is recommended for all but the most astute financial minds. You may be surprised at the range of options available. The question of when and how to take SS has a different answer for every individual and couple.

Be smart and seek an adviser.