🙂 My son is so close to reading! He gets such excitement when he is able to sound out a word.
🙂 Butchering is done for the year.
🙂 Miguel is healing! We go to the Dr on Wednesday, and hopefully he will be released to weight bearing, at least on his left leg. Looking forward to physical therapy.
🙂 We have had so much company since he got hurt. We have been blessed to have the all of the grown children come home, except for his oldest. Family and friends stop by regularly. What a blessing to be able to share a meal and visit!
🙂 Insurance has paid the majority of the medical bills. It paid all, but $2,000 of the $159,000 hospital bill. What a relief!
🙂 Foundation = done (except to re-stucco, pavers and other cleanup)
🙂 Wood (1923) windows restored. They close, they open, they lock. What a concept Double-hung windows glide easily up and down.
😦 Two of the casements couldn’t be repaired and will need to be replaced with wood replicas. I will find out Tuesday what the cost will be, the the estimated repairs on those 2 windows, because they were in pretty rough shape, were high so I was spared paying that and can apply it to replacements.
😦 Carol seems to be back into a mindset where she’s convinced people are hacking into her phone, everyone from “George” (one of the other residents) to some kid she saw at Rite Aid. “But what would be the point of doing that?” I asked. “Just to mess with me.” “Hmm. Guess they have too much time on their hands then.” She’s also bringing up “gas lighting” again, and was thinking of spending $130 every few months for a post office box and she believes people are stealing her mail there. Sigh.
🙂 Starting the color evaluations for my house. But also looking to take a bit of a break, so I don’t feel rushed in doing that right now.
😦 House has been exhausting. So has work. Mentally, physically, emotionally. And spiritually I’ve taken a hit from it all as well, I’m afraid. I feel so distracted and weary. In the worst moments, I feel like crying. Sometimes I do. Then I pray, get up and get back to it.
🙂 I have a week off. Finally. With no major projects on the house planned. There’re surely things I could and should be doing, but I think I need to ‘force’ myself to take a break right now. I’ve thrown a tarp over the piled-up furniture in the middle of the living room and am learning to just live with that for a while. My cousin and I are planning to get together later in the week, maybe see a movie or do something else, I may grab some meals out with friend down the street, and there will be a few extra dog park trips tossed into the mix. And naps.
😦 Received another $230 bill from the express pharmacy through my work-sponsored insurance to pay for those pricey eye drops my eye doctor has prescribed. That pushes it to something like $1300 for the year on those, which is about what I guess my deductible was. Sheesh. Can’t get onto Medicare fast enough, but my editor, who’s now on it, says that’s expensive, too. He’s basically quit going to the doctor and just barely gets the $500 a quarter paid out of pocket for the premiums.
😦 Something really needs to be done about the health care costs. Carol pays nothing, of course, which has included numerous surgeries, multiple prescriptions, etc., she’s had full 100% coverage for all of it. But the folks in middle are really getting squeezed.
Kizzie, Carol is probably on Medicaid which is the welfare version (though I think it’s called Medicare for her since she hit 65). But she seems to pay nothing for anything, which is such a deal (it’s taxpayer supported).
For the rest of us, it sounds to me like there are options (but not related to income, unless you’d qualify for the state 100% support that we seem to have at least in California).
Some of the regular Medicare plans have higher premiums (for more doctor and hospital choice, PPOs, other costing less as in HMOs that offer less choice). I still need to meet with the broker I’m going to use so he can fill me in on some of this. I told my editor he should shop around a bit, I think he just shifted straight to Kaiser’s Medicare plan (since he was on the Kaiser work plan we had at the time) and he’s only been on it for 1 year. The $500 quarterly sounded steep to me, though about what we pay now I suppose through work (but since it’s not being taken out of a paycheck, he has to send in the $500 payment every few months, they have no monthly payment plan apparently, which certainly *feels* more expensive).
Hubby had all those non-monthly expenses, such as car & home insurance, figured out so that he would put a certain amount away each week to go towards them, so they didn’t seem to be such a big bite at one time.
Kizzie, I guess so, but there are a multitude of plans within Medicare, apparently, or so I’ve gathered and so the broker has told me. I KNOW the out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles aren’t as bad as our work plans, broker already told me that much. Whew.
The one nice thing my 2017 work plan had was an HSA (health savings account) option where you could elect to have a certain amount held out of your check, tax free, every month, which I did. There’s now about $400 in that account for me, but unless the Medicare account I elect to sign up for has one of those, I guess it either just sits (and doesn’t grow larger) or I can withdraw it, of course.
DJ, I’m pretty sure you have to spend that by the end of the year or lose it. That’s why I don’t have an HSA–I don’t have medical expenses every single year, and some years I’d have to go to a doctor just to spend it.
No, it rolls over under this plan — I think you’re thinking of the other program (which we also have) where you set aside money for medical needs but in that case yes, it does come with that “use it or lose it” provision.
The HSA is offered by Anthem and the money stays in the HSA “bank,” if you will. It can only be used, though, for medical costs (unless you’re 65, I believe, which I am, and then you can use it for anything, it becomes just like a savings account).
But unless I have a Medicare plan that has that, I think I can’t contribute any more to it once I change insurances.
The other plan, where you set aside money that you have to use within the year, was always tricky, though when I was wearing contacts I used it for that for a few years running (since I also still had to buy glasses). You could also use that money for OTC things such as medicines, eye drops, contact lens solution — it had pretty liberal provisions. But because you’d lose it if you didn’t use it, most of us were pretty gun-shy about putting much into it.
The HSA, on the other had, had to build up for at least a year before it was worth much to you with all our high deductibles. Mine will reach over $400 by the end of the year, so that’s a nice chunk for something and I may take some out just to pay off that final refill ($230) of these eye drops I’m on.
The “use it or lose it” program also became mired in red tape, I was told (I haven’t used that program in a while now). A friend who was relying on it heavily said it became a real pain, requiring up-front approvals (which it didn’t before).
The HSA comes with its own debit card you can use. But again, it takes a while to build it up to an amount that’s all that useful.
It just seems like the entire medical system now is encumbered with so many restrictions, hoops to jump through and high deductibles that have to be met by the patient that it could wind up discouraging people from going to the doctor unless they absolutely have to.
Yes, the distinction between a Healthcare Reimbursement Account and a Health Savings Account confuses a lot of people. I’ve put the maximum contribution into an HSA for several years. Because of all the heart diagnostic stuff and the valve replacement I’ve used most of it every year, but rolled over a little bit from year to year.
It can only be offered in conjunction with a high-deductible health plan. If you have the lower deductibles that have been normal for the last few decades you can’t get an HSA.
😦 Speaking of Medicare, the people who sell Medicare supplemental plans are driving us crazy with their phone calls. Mrs B will turn 65 next year and we’ve been getting calls almost every day from people wanting to sell us something. It doesn’t seem to matter that we’re in the Do Not Call registry.
We’re not even in the market. Since I need to keep family coverage through work to cover the kidschildren, Mrs. B is also covered and doesn’t need to sign up for Medicare.
standing outside the church office with my computer to use their guest internet. It is dog park cold out here. Hoping someone might happen by to let me in to that nice couch I can see inside.
Just FYI, you cannot use an HSA with Medicare. I found this out when I hit my official “retirement age.” I didn’t retire but did file for social security. Under SS, you have to sign up for Part A Medicare, so I could no longer use my HSA at work even though I was enrolled in a qualifying insurance plan there. I am able to use the FSA (which is the one that doesn’t roll over), but they’ve improved that process by including an option for them to automatically send you a reimbursement when a medical bill comes in. Plus, they reimburse the entire annual amount even prior to the contributions equaling that amount. So, in other words, the odds of losing it are very slim. BTW, did you know that when you “lose” it, your company gets to keep it – to cover other folks who may have used their entire amount and left the company prior to contributing it.
Wandering Views 
😥 I missed seeing Kim.
LikeLiked by 4 people
😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 My son is so close to reading! He gets such excitement when he is able to sound out a word.
🙂 Butchering is done for the year.
🙂 Miguel is healing! We go to the Dr on Wednesday, and hopefully he will be released to weight bearing, at least on his left leg. Looking forward to physical therapy.
🙂 We have had so much company since he got hurt. We have been blessed to have the all of the grown children come home, except for his oldest. Family and friends stop by regularly. What a blessing to be able to share a meal and visit!
🙂 Insurance has paid the majority of the medical bills. It paid all, but $2,000 of the $159,000 hospital bill. What a relief!
LikeLiked by 9 people
Amen.
LikeLike
🙂 Foundation = done (except to re-stucco, pavers and other cleanup)
🙂 Wood (1923) windows restored. They close, they open, they lock. What a concept Double-hung windows glide easily up and down.
😦 Two of the casements couldn’t be repaired and will need to be replaced with wood replicas. I will find out Tuesday what the cost will be, the the estimated repairs on those 2 windows, because they were in pretty rough shape, were high so I was spared paying that and can apply it to replacements.
😦 Carol seems to be back into a mindset where she’s convinced people are hacking into her phone, everyone from “George” (one of the other residents) to some kid she saw at Rite Aid. “But what would be the point of doing that?” I asked. “Just to mess with me.” “Hmm. Guess they have too much time on their hands then.” She’s also bringing up “gas lighting” again, and was thinking of spending $130 every few months for a post office box and she believes people are stealing her mail there. Sigh.
🙂 Starting the color evaluations for my house. But also looking to take a bit of a break, so I don’t feel rushed in doing that right now.
😦 House has been exhausting. So has work. Mentally, physically, emotionally. And spiritually I’ve taken a hit from it all as well, I’m afraid. I feel so distracted and weary. In the worst moments, I feel like crying. Sometimes I do. Then I pray, get up and get back to it.
🙂 I have a week off. Finally. With no major projects on the house planned. There’re surely things I could and should be doing, but I think I need to ‘force’ myself to take a break right now. I’ve thrown a tarp over the piled-up furniture in the middle of the living room and am learning to just live with that for a while. My cousin and I are planning to get together later in the week, maybe see a movie or do something else, I may grab some meals out with friend down the street, and there will be a few extra dog park trips tossed into the mix. And naps.
LikeLiked by 5 people
😦 Received another $230 bill from the express pharmacy through my work-sponsored insurance to pay for those pricey eye drops my eye doctor has prescribed. That pushes it to something like $1300 for the year on those, which is about what I guess my deductible was. Sheesh. Can’t get onto Medicare fast enough, but my editor, who’s now on it, says that’s expensive, too. He’s basically quit going to the doctor and just barely gets the $500 a quarter paid out of pocket for the premiums.
😦 Something really needs to be done about the health care costs. Carol pays nothing, of course, which has included numerous surgeries, multiple prescriptions, etc., she’s had full 100% coverage for all of it. But the folks in middle are really getting squeezed.
LikeLiked by 2 people
DJ – Does Medicare have different costs for different incomes, or is it the same for everyone?
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Kizzie, Carol is probably on Medicaid which is the welfare version (though I think it’s called Medicare for her since she hit 65). But she seems to pay nothing for anything, which is such a deal (it’s taxpayer supported).
For the rest of us, it sounds to me like there are options (but not related to income, unless you’d qualify for the state 100% support that we seem to have at least in California).
Some of the regular Medicare plans have higher premiums (for more doctor and hospital choice, PPOs, other costing less as in HMOs that offer less choice). I still need to meet with the broker I’m going to use so he can fill me in on some of this. I told my editor he should shop around a bit, I think he just shifted straight to Kaiser’s Medicare plan (since he was on the Kaiser work plan we had at the time) and he’s only been on it for 1 year. The $500 quarterly sounded steep to me, though about what we pay now I suppose through work (but since it’s not being taken out of a paycheck, he has to send in the $500 payment every few months, they have no monthly payment plan apparently, which certainly *feels* more expensive).
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Does he have a deductible & co-pays & such with that $500 quarterly?
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Hubby had all those non-monthly expenses, such as car & home insurance, figured out so that he would put a certain amount away each week to go towards them, so they didn’t seem to be such a big bite at one time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kizzie, I guess so, but there are a multitude of plans within Medicare, apparently, or so I’ve gathered and so the broker has told me. I KNOW the out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles aren’t as bad as our work plans, broker already told me that much. Whew.
The one nice thing my 2017 work plan had was an HSA (health savings account) option where you could elect to have a certain amount held out of your check, tax free, every month, which I did. There’s now about $400 in that account for me, but unless the Medicare account I elect to sign up for has one of those, I guess it either just sits (and doesn’t grow larger) or I can withdraw it, of course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No internet here
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Rant or rave?
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😦 In Hendersonville, I didn’t have to go out and warm up the car on cold winter mornings.
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DJ, I’m pretty sure you have to spend that by the end of the year or lose it. That’s why I don’t have an HSA–I don’t have medical expenses every single year, and some years I’d have to go to a doctor just to spend it.
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No, it rolls over under this plan — I think you’re thinking of the other program (which we also have) where you set aside money for medical needs but in that case yes, it does come with that “use it or lose it” provision.
The HSA is offered by Anthem and the money stays in the HSA “bank,” if you will. It can only be used, though, for medical costs (unless you’re 65, I believe, which I am, and then you can use it for anything, it becomes just like a savings account).
But unless I have a Medicare plan that has that, I think I can’t contribute any more to it once I change insurances.
LikeLike
The other plan, where you set aside money that you have to use within the year, was always tricky, though when I was wearing contacts I used it for that for a few years running (since I also still had to buy glasses). You could also use that money for OTC things such as medicines, eye drops, contact lens solution — it had pretty liberal provisions. But because you’d lose it if you didn’t use it, most of us were pretty gun-shy about putting much into it.
The HSA, on the other had, had to build up for at least a year before it was worth much to you with all our high deductibles. Mine will reach over $400 by the end of the year, so that’s a nice chunk for something and I may take some out just to pay off that final refill ($230) of these eye drops I’m on.
LikeLike
The “use it or lose it” program also became mired in red tape, I was told (I haven’t used that program in a while now). A friend who was relying on it heavily said it became a real pain, requiring up-front approvals (which it didn’t before).
The HSA comes with its own debit card you can use. But again, it takes a while to build it up to an amount that’s all that useful.
LikeLike
It just seems like the entire medical system now is encumbered with so many restrictions, hoops to jump through and high deductibles that have to be met by the patient that it could wind up discouraging people from going to the doctor unless they absolutely have to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the distinction between a Healthcare Reimbursement Account and a Health Savings Account confuses a lot of people. I’ve put the maximum contribution into an HSA for several years. Because of all the heart diagnostic stuff and the valve replacement I’ve used most of it every year, but rolled over a little bit from year to year.
It can only be offered in conjunction with a high-deductible health plan. If you have the lower deductibles that have been normal for the last few decades you can’t get an HSA.
LikeLike
😦 Speaking of Medicare, the people who sell Medicare supplemental plans are driving us crazy with their phone calls. Mrs B will turn 65 next year and we’ve been getting calls almost every day from people wanting to sell us something. It doesn’t seem to matter that we’re in the Do Not Call registry.
We’re not even in the market. Since I need to keep family coverage through work to cover the
kidschildren, Mrs. B is also covered and doesn’t need to sign up for Medicare.LikeLike
I think you have to sign up for Part A at least when you turn 65 or you pay some kind of fine later?
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HSAs should really be available to everyone these days
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standing outside the church office with my computer to use their guest internet. It is dog park cold out here. Hoping someone might happen by to let me in to that nice couch I can see inside.
LikeLike
Just FYI, you cannot use an HSA with Medicare. I found this out when I hit my official “retirement age.” I didn’t retire but did file for social security. Under SS, you have to sign up for Part A Medicare, so I could no longer use my HSA at work even though I was enrolled in a qualifying insurance plan there. I am able to use the FSA (which is the one that doesn’t roll over), but they’ve improved that process by including an option for them to automatically send you a reimbursement when a medical bill comes in. Plus, they reimburse the entire annual amount even prior to the contributions equaling that amount. So, in other words, the odds of losing it are very slim. BTW, did you know that when you “lose” it, your company gets to keep it – to cover other folks who may have used their entire amount and left the company prior to contributing it.
LikeLike