Choosing a health insurance carrier for retirement next year (credit, employment)

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by westeasterly

Thanks for the replies. With so few providers in the area, do people just have to wait a long time for appointments? I don't want to speculate about the quality of care. I am supremely spoiled by the abundance of excellent care where I live now.

Like I said, if you are on the coast, or on MDI for example, your medical care will be excellent. Dental could be very good too, but it will be way more costly compared to where you are now since there is very little competition in the dental area.

For routine stuff, I bemoaned getting an appointment with a doctor, all I ever saw was the FNP. But when I was running a fever of 102.7(NOT GOOD AT age 67) and blood work suggested something serious, I got to see a physician immediately. So I know that they shunt the non-emergencies out to the PA's and FNP's who can handle that kind of work. But in an emergency that requires serious intervention, I got to see a physician(MD) right away.

[westeasterly]

Slyfox, my search is in the midcoast swath between Damariscotta and Belfast. I started out thinking exclusively about Belfast, but over the last year I've moved my real estate searches further south / west. But there is also Blue Hill, which sounds appealing to me. I'll be in the area again in October for some more reconnaissance.

Sorry about your bite. I can't think about ticks. It makes me irrational.

[mensaguy]

Originally Posted by westeasterly

Slyfox, my search is in the midcoast swath between Damariscotta and Belfast. I started out thinking exclusively about Belfast, but over the last year I've moved my real estate searches further south / west. But there is also Blue Hill, which sounds appealing to me. I'll be in the area again in October for some more reconnaissance.

Sorry about your bite. I can't think about ticks. It makes me irrational.

With a hospital in Damariscotta, I wouldn't think you would have any problem getting medical service there.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I have a friend who had shoulder surgery. The shoulder froze and now he needs to have the joint replaced. Obamacare pays 50% or less of the cost and he can't find a hospital that works for half price. Welcome to the new world order.

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

I have a friend who had shoulder surgery. The shoulder froze and now he needs to have the joint replaced. Obamacare pays 50% or less of the cost and he can't find a hospital that works for half price. Welcome to the new world order.

Before Obama care, would your friend have had anything possible at all? What was your friend's position before Obamacare in regards to something like this?

I have medicare. But without my supplemental policy, there are many things that it won't cover. For example, medicare won't cover the pertussis shot of $132 so I could hold my grandson, since elders don't generally get whooping cough. It will pay for the $600 treatment if I do get it without the vaccine though. But my supplemental policy picked it up.

I have a friend who needed a heart by pass operation: $500K. Medicare would only pay $400K. He had no supplemental policy, so he didn't get it. He went to a total fat free diet. The doctors told him he would die in 6 months without the by-pass. That was 4 years ago. He no longer takes his nitro pills.

Many people who now have Obama care had no insurance at all before....NONE AT ALL.

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by westeasterly

Sorry about your bite. I can't think about ticks. It makes me irrational.

You better start. Maine is a very high tick infested region.

[westeasterly]

What I'm trying to say is that I have all the information I need for dealing with ticks but there is no need obsess about it now. I could start up with moose in the road, driving on ice, the whole bear thing, hostile neighbors, social ostracism....there are a dozen tempting perils to indulge. I have read all those threads, too. But if I focus on that stuff I will never get there. I just have to be prepared and deal with it when it comes.

I don't even know what mature person just wrote that.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Slyfox2 wonders about my friend:
"Before Obama care, would your friend have had anything possible at all? What was your friend's position before Obamacare in regards to something like this?"

Before Obamacare he had a job and medical insurance. Now our nation has 95,000,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 65, not working. That is nearly three times the population of Canada. Hellooooo. Houston, we have a problem. My friend is unemployed at the moment, but if he can get his shoulder fixed for half price he will be back to work. Hospitals cannot provide their services for half price and Physicians are leaving the medical profession in droves.

[seasallyttle]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Before Obamacare he had a job and medical insurance. Now our nation has 95,000,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 65, not working. That is nearly three times the population of Canada. Hellooooo. Houston, we have a problem. My friend is unemployed at the moment, but if he can get his shoulder fixed for half price he will be back to work. Hospitals cannot provide their services for half price and Physicians are leaving the medical profession in droves.

There is no hospital in Maine that would take his insurance to fix his shoulder? Are you saying that he could get it fixed but could not afford the out of pocket maximum? And his insurance through his job was part of Obamacare? Which provider was it? Most plans offered through employers are not in the Obamacare network. And if he is unemployed now, does he have MaineCare? And no MaineCare provider will fix his shoulder?

[LarryLogger]

@Westeasterly: yes, I have good health insurance with the University. My same job in private industry would pay twice my salary (I've had offers to move over) but the benefits plus tenure of my current job have always won out. I'm not going to say "I'm lucky to have the job" because I busted my butt through three college degrees and have worked at it for 30+ years. I also am NOT a liberal professor who is trying to indoctrinate our students (your children?) into my social/political opinion