Unless you are like Brian’s dad, who won’t go to a doctor unless he can see the broken bone as it pokes through his skin, most of us visit the doctor more often as we age. So the question I’m often asked is whether health care costs will send a retiree to the proverbial poor house.
Prior to the age of 65, it’s important to have adequate health insurance, preferably through your employer. Medicare is available to you at age 65 regardless of your health. The cost is predetermined and may be adjusted based on your income. Medicare only covers certain health care costs as it is somewhat limited in coverage.
To fill this coverage gap, you need to purchase a Medicare supplement plan (or Medi-Gap policy). The website Medicare.gov offers easy-to-un-derstand explanations and we can do no better than to refer you there to understand your options. 18
Why do we recommend both Medicare Supplement? The plans are standardized, so really, you only have to pick the plan that suits your situation. The more the policy covers, the more it costs. However the cost of these policies is really quite reasonable.
Chart One is the supplemental policy chart. As you can see, Plan F carries the most coverage.
The second option is to purchase a Medicate Advantage policy. The Medicate Advantage combines all coverage into one comprehensive plan. Medi-gap policies work much like an HMO. However, these plans may limit your choice of doctors
