WHEN MY YOUNGER brother Jonathan died, I thought I knew who he was.
After all, we had shared a childhood in England, years together at boarding school, family adventures in Bangladesh, and more than six decades as brothers. I knew the journalist the world admired, the devoted husband and father, and the man whose words quietly helped millions of readers live richer lives, not simply financially, but personally as well.
I was wrong.
Over the past several months,

I’ve known since I was a young woman that my siblings and I did not win the genetic lottery when it comes to health, particularly regarding heart disease. My grandfathers and my father all died of heart attacks in their 60s. My dad was the youngest, only 61 when he passed. My brother, now 54, had a quadruple bypass when he was just 47.
Only recently did I become aware that a “bad family history” actually had a specific indicator,

When my 76-year-old mother-in-law was told she needed a dual-chamber pacemaker, our family’s attention shifted to one thing: getting her safely through the surgery. Joey was especially anxious. Living thousands of miles away, he struggled with not being there for his mother. Thankfully, the surgery went well.
As relief replaced worry, I found myself thinking about something entirely different. Her surgery took place in the Philippines, and her family’s share of the cost, after government health insurance paid its portion,

I will be starting to receive my SS benefit when I turn 70 this October.  I understand that my first check will be issued in November. Since I began Medicare when I retired several years ago I have been paying my quarterly-billed Part B premium through the Medicare.gov website.  I anticipate my next invoice (for Oct.- Dec. of this year) will be mailed to me in the next couple of weeks, with a due date of Sept.

MA  plans in several areas are being shut down for 2027.  The choices seniors have is declining as insurance companies realize the profits are not there.
If your Medicare Advantage plan closes or terminates its contract, you get federal guaranteed-issue rights to buy a Medigap policy without health screening or denial for pre-existing conditions. 

You must apply within a strict 63-day window starting from the date your plan coverage ends. Keep Your Notice: You will need the formal termination or non-renewal notice from your Part C plan as proof when submitting your Medigap application so the insurer knows not to put you through medical underwriting.

One of my biggest concerns about actually pulling the plug and retiring early is the expense of bridging health care expenses until I turn 65 and qualify for Medicare. [For those of you too polite to ask, that is just over nine years.] Mind you I have not sat down to forecast any real numbers to this worry… but as I see it, it’s the one big cost that is coming my way and currently is ‘invisible’

The current standard Medicare Part B premium is $202.90 a month. That equals about 25% of the cost of Part B. The average American worker with employer coverage pays about 26% of premium for family coverage.
Remember, Medicare payroll taxes only fund Part A of Medicare. Part D and B are funded via premiums and general tax revenue. 
Combined, Connie and I pay $1,925.60 per month for Parts B and D and Plan G Medigap. That is over ten times my monthly employer payroll deduction the day before I retired. 

I watched a YouTube that said there are 3 ways to tackle the LTC problem.
1. Long term care insurance, (which is more costly as we aged),
2. Whole life w a LTC rider, (maybe much more costly comparing option 1), or
3. Self funding from investment.
Your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

As I review social media the angst over health care costs and insurance is apparent. Americans don’t like premiums, out of pocket costs, insurance companies or anyone interfering with their health care. Most people have no clue about the relationship between premiums, deductibles and out of pocket costs. One goes down the others must go up. 
Americans want any and all services paid without question and they want it all “free.”  
That’s quite a wish list.

WHEN I STARTED writing for HumbleDollar, Jonathan gave me some simple but important advice: “Don’t brag about your financial situation. You want readers to like you.” Perhaps that’s one of the reasons he named his financial site HumbleDollar.
I try to follow this advice not only regarding money, but in other aspects of my life. I know how fleeting things can be—especially when it comes to health. Life can change on a dime. It can humble you.

JUNE MARKS THREE years since my mum passed from complications of vascular dementia. It was a tough couple of years, watching her mind slowly fail and her world shrink a little more with each passing month. Anyone who has cared for a loved one in the late stages of dementia will know how difficult and disjointed even the simplest conversation becomes. The loops, the confusion, the frustration of trying to redirect someone you love from a thought they can no longer find their way out of.

Medicare is starting a program called the GLP1 Bridge program.
The basics of the program are:
1) This is available to Medicare recipients but is a special program not associated with your drug plan.
2) Begins 7/1 and runs through 12/31/27, with no details at this time as to what will occur after the scheduled end date.
3) $50 copayment is for all four levels of dosages (some other programs only cover the starting dosage then the copayments sky rocket).

For people retiring before age 65, obtaining health insurance is often a major concern.
The near automatic choice for many people is COBRA which allows them to keep their current coverage for a period of time. Generally 18 months if you lose your job or employer coverage. Other situations extend coverage longer or until Medicare eligibility and a few states also extend the 18 months for insured plans. Not all employers use insured plans and thus are not state regulated. 

When I read Social Security is a scam or that Congress stole the funds, or “I paid for my own benefits,” I find it very upsetting.
When someone says they paid Medicare taxes while working so why should they pay premiums in retirement and also demand to know what happened to the money, such ignorance is disturbing-mainly because there is no effort to learn the facts.
During my working life I paid $132,817 in Social Security taxes.

One of the big mistakes retirees make with healthcare coverage is focusing on premiums. The real risk is out of pocket costs, especially if catastrophic medical events happen. 
For example, Medicare Advantage may look great with low, even no premiums and perhaps extra benefits like dental. But MA typically has out of pocket costs, up to $9,250 (sometimes less) per year. That expense can occur year after year.
MA plans generally use deductibles and copays of some type while the lower OOP costs may also mean limited choice of health care providers.