Another chart and all three ball gown wedding dresses are out of the shop! It is so much nicer in there now. I feel like I can move and breathe. Yeah! Color Kim happy.
I have another dress I hope to get out today. I have about 2 hours of hand work on it and will get started right after this post.
Had a lovely birthday and thanks for all the well wishes. It was just fun and relaxing. Daughter and Kelsa and I went to three plant places, but I only bought a rosemary because mine did not survive the winter. I am going to bring it in next year. I also put in an order for some asparagus fern, which I was not able to get last year. They will call me when it is in. But I did receive $150.00 in gift cards to my favorite garden center. So, I am excited to spend them later.
My daughter also came over with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Hubs is taking me out tonight, so the fun still continues. Daughter had a three-hour rehearsal last night and I had a church meeting so Hub's watched Kelsa while I went to meeting. It ran into the dinner hour.
Let's talk medical costs. Hubs and I both pay $150.00 dollars a month for some of our coverage. The state charges me $208.00 a month in addition, Hub's pays $97.00 for his supplement. He also pays out about $90.00 a month for co pays for drugs. I pay $100.00 a month for copays for drugs. I used to pay nothing, but now have to pay $60.00 for the biologic and $10 for each of the other 4 drugs. This does not include any visits to doctors where we might pay a 10- to 40-dollar copay for the visit. So, all told we pay over $800 dollars a month for our medical. It is scary. This will never go away. It is over a 1/4 of our retirement income. 25 percent of our retirement income goes to medical coverage. Remember that you younger ones and save. My meds are over $6000.00 a month, hub's about $600.00 without insurance.
Now we both have good coverage, and I will continue to have this coverage for another year. THEN WHO KNOWS? This is not including any hospital bills if we get really sick. I am so grateful I can still do some sewing to help offset these costs. But for how long? I try now to dwell on it as it makes me crazy. You all know how frantic I get when I have a flare, when my wrists stove up and I can't move them. I had to quit teaching dance because my hips and feet are so arthritic, they won't stand for the stress. I get around well as long as I am not in a flare. It is a crap shoot I tell you. So far, I am winning:)
Have you ever really added up the cost of your health care and meds? Do you even want to?
Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.
Kim
The whole reason I keep working is mainly for insurance for the two of us. Luckily so far neither of us have any health issues or are on medication. I try not to worry about things I can't control but honestly this is something I worry about for the future. It's all only getting more expensive.
ReplyDeleteI planted my huge rosemary bush last year in the yard. I'm anxiously waiting to see if it will be ok. We don't have the winters you have so fingers crossed.
Have a great weekend Kim. Glad you had a nice Birthday!!
You are so blessed. Stay that way. I just think it is a crime that we have to put out so much for insurance and yet they really won't pay for what we need once I turn 65.
DeleteMy husband retired three years ago at 62. We have been paying $2,100/month ($25,200/year) for health insurance. We EACH had an $8,000 deductible.
ReplyDeleteMy husband turned 65 last week so he's now on Medicare - 18 more months for me!
that is just insane. All I can do is shake my head.
DeleteHappy Birthday! Let the celebrations continue!
ReplyDeleteI wish, today I must do the piles!
DeleteMy eyes have been opened during Mom’s fall on how much money these things cost. It is unreal. You are so right to tell young people to save money. They are definitely going to need it when they get older.
ReplyDeleteI love getting things cleared out too. I’m glad you got those three dresses done. :)
It is very scary.
DeleteKim, That is a lot of money! I hope Medicare coverage is better when you are old enough. Keep enjoying the birthday celebration.
ReplyDeleteYes, I track our healthcare costs every single month. But then, I track all of our money every month as I have done since the start of 2000.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor recently got onto a BlueCross Medicare Advantage plan. 0 premium, and copay is low they say. She is having a knee replacement and has been told her out of pocket will be less than $300. I have Blue Cross state and my knee cost me just under $3k. They are smart people so I am assuming they are correct even though it is so hard to believe.
YEA for those damn dresses out of your way!!!
Well we will see once I am off the state of Idaho's plan. What supplement I will be able to get that will cover my meds!
DeleteI understand medical costs. I have had a pre-existing the past 50 years. I also paid an $80,000 hospital bill with a second mortgage on my home while paying $3000 a month for my insurance that wouldn't cover my pre-existing illnesses. I was broke all the time, no fancy vacations at our house!!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry. We owed $80,000 after Franka died. The hospital forgave $40,000 and we paid the rest off over 25 years. It was like having 2 house payments. So I feel your pain. But now at least preexisting conditions are a thing of the past.
Deletehappy belated birthday wishes Kim! ugh- medical costs, it feels like the one thing thats just unpredictable in planning retirement.
ReplyDeleteI really had no idea it would be this high and growing.
DeleteHealth care in the US is a criminal system. Pay into insurance then fight for coverage when needed. It's apalling. It's the one expense that has me continually rethinking my retirement date. I too will have meds in my future, a knee replacement, and who knows for hubs. We'll done in chart and dresses.
ReplyDeleteWell when I get in this same mind set, I just remember Hub's folks and all the money they have saved that they are too old to enjoy. As long as I can move I am going to enjoy to hell with the system.
DeleteThe entire US system makes me nuts. We currently are in a high deductible plan with our employer, and "most" years, we make enough to roll over the seed money we start with, and save it an HSA. That money will cover our health care costs for the first few years of retirement. Because of lupus, I've hit the deductible a few years, which wipes out all of the seed money (and then some). My husband has his own plan (same employer, but required to be on a different plan) & has never hit his deductible. He's started to go to physical therapy for an injury & is blown away by the out of pocket costs.
ReplyDeleteOur current plan is that I will "retire" early, & find something fun & flexible (or, nothing, for a bit) & we will all move to his insurance plan. His costs will rise, but not by much. When he's ready to retire, we will use our HSAs to cover medical expenses, and then pay out of pocket for likely 5-7 years for a plan on the marketplace.
Yes and lupus is so expensive to treat and you do and will have to treat it. We are both in the same boat only mine is older and has more leaks.
DeleteHappy Birthday!!!!!! Celebrate the heck out of you, my friend!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Billie
DeleteGood luck with the rosemary indoors! I bought a small pot last spring, left it outdoors and and forgot about it. Come this January, I found it in the snow, all hearty green and growing. I "rescued" it and brought it inside. It died within two weeks. Color me stupid for not leaving it where it was obviously better off!
ReplyDeleteWell we will see if I can keep it alive.
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ReplyDeleteFirst off Happy Belated Birthday (had to delete my first comment as it published before I was done).
ReplyDeleteI have supplemental insurance up here in Canada for certain medical costs (drug, dentist and a few hospital things) but I am so glad that our costs are either nil for somethings or very low for others. I don't think we could have retired if we faced your medical costs.
God bless.
I so wish we had the Canadian health care system.
Delete$30,986. LAST YEAR. Not including the medical miles we claimed on taxes. We are still under retirement ins from Hubby's old boss. A friend who takes biologic just went on Medicare. Best price she was offered was $2000 a month for her biologic and she was going to have to change to a biologic that never has worked for her (she's been through all of them). There is a pill(biosimilars) coming out that is supposed to work like a biologic. Still in testing I think.
ReplyDeleteI tell you have an auto immune disorder is just the pit. Money pits.
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