View Full Version : I'm so frustrated with Medicare, Social Security, etc!
Does the U.S. have the most difficult retirement crap to deal with?
It's a good thing DH can understand most of it, 'cause I sure can't.
We've changed a couple of our Medicare supplement plans this year, because supposedly, they're pretty much all required to provide the same things,
except the cost can be different.
So, we changed from one Supplement D (Rx) plan to another one in December. I've tried over and over and over to register online, but it keeps saying I've put the wrong username and password in.
So I requested a new password, and went through all the right steps, but it still wouldn't take it.
So I thought maybe I got the username wrong, and requested a new one, but it refused to give me one, since I hadn't answered their security questions right.........which I did!
I've called twice and have been on hold once for 20 minutes and today for almost 40 minutes, but got nowhere. The one person I talked to had such a thick Indian accent, I couldn't understand him.
I've emailed their customer service last week, but haven't heard back.
I haven't even used the card yet for meds. I hope this isn't a sign of how the whole dang year is going to go, until we can change.
We were on Silver Script. The monthly premiums got too high, so we switched. But I never had trouble contacting them, or with their website.
This new one is WellCare. And now that we have it, I'm reading reviews saying the same bad things about never being able to contact them.
Who would I call to complain if this company continues to give such bad service?
This is so damned frustrating..........
Just think...if we lived in Scandinavia, we wouldn't have to stress so much over all this stuff...
What has this to do with Social Security or Medicare? Both are usually extremely simple and easy to use. The problem you described is the difficulty in obtaining and using additional insurance coverage which is optional. And yes, supplements to Medicare are confusing and difficult to work with and understand.
I deal with it by not dealing with it. Our system in unnecessarily complicated, and as long as I do what's required and stay well, they can take the whole dysfunctional bureaucracy and shove it, IMO.
We really didn't have trouble when we first signed up for Medicare 4 years ago. But when we needed to change plans because of cost, we started running into problems, as far as the poor communication of one of the companies. There was essentially no way to get hold of them. Our Medicare agent (who is wonderful!), said that agents were having trouble getting hold of this new company too, probably because they were inundated with new customers. I haven't been able to contact them yet to register online, but at least I have their card to use when buying meds.
With Social security, for some reason, our online applications gave rise to us needing to wait a month and a half to see the Social Security in our district. Fortunately, he was very good and we got everything straightened out, but it seems the online people aren't as competent.
And in our meeting with our Medicare agent yesterday, we learned that if you change Medicare companies after having had one initially, you have to fill out a big medical questionnaire and then wait for someone from the company to call and ask you more questions. If one of us gets approved and the other doesn't, that presents another problem that I won't bore you with now.
Maybe lots of people stay with the first Medicare company they sign up with, but the price of ours went up significantly.
So my frustration when I posted this initially, was being unable to get hold of the new Part D company, and also just the crap that seems to come with all the decisions you have to make at 65.
We didn't apply for SS until now.....as we're both 69, so that makes it more complicated. Plus, I haven't worked in a long time, but I can apply for half of his SS at his age 66, which was a bit complicated and we got different info from various online people.
Maybe some of you find this easy, but I don't.
These bureaucratic hurdles are no fun - but they are a part of all insurance plans now. I’ve stopped reviewing all the details. I just choose the plan at work that costs a little more but gives us options to go to other hospitals (at a slightly higher cost to us if we don’t go to the preferred hospital of course) - but I want the options for the specialists we like. And when I get a bill I just pay it, as long as it looks approximately correct from my very cloudy understanding of our policy’s many rules and exceptions.
Then I just go about my life without wasting time on the details, cause I can’t stand it.
My whole job is in a huge bureaucracy. I work every day to get a few things done. It took over a year to get acoustic panels installed in a very loud and echo filled room that our patients use. A year AFTER it was approved.
I refuse to deal with bureaucracy when I get home, I just pay the bill and if it’s a few dollars too much I don’t care. It’s worth it for my peace of mind.
Our medical insurance systems are ridiculous in the USA.
These bureaucratic hurdles are no fun - but they are a part of all insurance plans now. I’ve stopped reviewing all the details.
......
Then I just go about my life without wasting time on the details, cause I can’t stand it.
......
Our medical insurance systems are ridiculous in the USA.
Ridiculous is right. WHY we continue to feel that our "American way" is so much better, despite ample evidence to the contrary about outcomes and costs, and why so many people believe that having a system that works (i.e. European model) would be a threat to the free world is beyond me. SO frustrating.
But to Tammy's point, my system for choosing a Medicare plan was to find the smartest friends I have and ask them what they chose and why, and then I followed suit. They had already done the homework, so I took advantage of the free consultation.
For the record, I chose supplemental Plan F. I compared the prices and the benefits after my friend told me what she did and I think she was right.
iris lilies
1-9-19, 11:05am
I find it surprising that you all apparently think there is no bureaucracy in the socialized medicine world. I’m not sure if you all have run into it, but The Gubmnt is pretty good at Providing hoops to jump through to accomplish anything. Certainly some countries are better than others at how they hand out healthcare. Mainly, the grass is always greener…
iris lilies
1-9-19, 11:12am
I have retained a phone landline for the primary purpose of dealing with insurance and gubmnt officials as we sign into Medicare and Social Security. Hearing them on a cell phone is bad enough—two parties on the cell, ugh. Nightmare.
and this all reminds me that I need to make an appointment with the Medicare expert. I can enroll after Fenruary 20 for it to start up in May.
Teacher Terry
1-9-19, 12:00pm
In Poland my DIL just shows her card and that’s it. If she goes to a private facility the prices are posted and she pays. They try to get their health care when they visit because it is so much cheaper. However, it’s a small country and she was lucky to be living here when she got a big complicated brain tumor. No one in our state was qualified to do surgery either. I am just the opposite about medical bills. I will fight to the end not to overpay. When my husband was sent out of network by the doctor for cancer treatment and screwed up the paperwork I fought for a year until I got them to pay. I was unable to resolve by phone and fax and finally made a appointment with someone higher up and brought everything in person. When I was young I paid health insurance claims for a living.
I find it surprising that you all apparently think there is no bureaucracy in the socialized medicine world. I’m not sure if you all have run into it, but The Gubmnt is pretty good at Providing hoops to jump through to accomplish anything. Certainly some countries are better than others at how they hand out healthcare. Mainly, the grass is always greener…
Yes, there's always bureaucracy, but their single-payer system is, by definition, streamlined. You don't have employer groups, and managed care executives, and pharmacy benefit managers, and providers and a gazillion health care companies and a gazillion healthcare plans WITHIN the companies and copay vs coinsurance and high deductible/low premium vs. low deductible/high premium and prior authorizations and appeals, and Medicare vs commercial and donut holes and Krispy Kremes.. (oops, I haven't had breakfast---mmm... Krispy Kremes).
And for all this convoluted mishmash and layers upon layers of stakeholders and high cost, we have horrible health outcomes. The grass is not only greener, but our grass needs to be completely re-sodded!
Read The Nordic Theory of Everything to get a Scandinavian's perspective of our system(s) after moving to the US and getting married. There is no reason it needs to be so complicated and profit-driven.
Miss Cellaneous
1-9-19, 4:21pm
Read The Nordic Theory of Everything to get a Scandinavian's perspective of our system(s) after moving to the US and getting married. There is no reason it needs to be so complicated and profit-driven.
I think the fact that is is profit-driven explains most of the confusion and frustration.
People against single-payer medical care say they don't want the government making medical decisions for them. But they are apparently completely happy with a for-profit insurance company making those same medical decisions as to what they can and cannot get.
Our Medigap change starts March 1, and of course, I'm having problems that I didn't have when we were "accepted" awhile back. But what's frustrating me the most is our Part D (prescriptions).
I'm was hoping we could keep going to Walgreens. It's the most convenient for us, but I've realized the new RX plan prefers CVS. I've been trying to find out how much more it would cost to keep going to Walgreens, and it's near impossible.
I finally found this new plan's "formulary" online and it's like 100 pages long. Then there's 4 different tiers of meds, and the prices change depending on where you have them filled. If the meds I've been on aren't their "preferred meds", then I either pay a lot more, or change the med. I received their booklet last month and it was about an inch thick. This is all just too crazy for me. Life is too complicated here.
Another thing I realized was that when you first apply for a Medicare supplement (medigap), they can't NOT accept you for pre-conditions you might have. But.....if you want to change companies later on, because the first company got too expensive, they CAN refuse you. They ask all sorts of questions and even have a representative call and ask you questions. Fortunately, we got accepted, but if I had had that steroid knee injection in the past 6 months, instead of 1 and 1/2 years ago, they would have rejected me. My brain isn't big enough to live in this day and age. :(
Sadly, CathyA, that's everywhere, Medicare or no. That's also something that single-payer is not likely to fix, unfortunately.
Don't memorize the formulary, either; it'll change next year. >8)
iris lilies
2-5-19, 6:35pm
Cathy, have you considered using a Medicate insurance broker? They sell the supplement policies, they get paid by the in surance companies, they signyou up.
We met with one yesterday. She gave me more information than I want. At this point, I just want the EASIEST choice which is I think “Then Cadillac Plan” for part G and the rest of it,
I simply do not cAre. Cost be hanged.
We have very few health care needs but be ause we go back and forth betwee nurban MO and rural MO this appears to be the best plan.
I used to insure just for catestrophic things but now I insure for convience.
Thanks everyone. We do have a medicare agent. I don't think we could have figured anything out without her. She helped me with a problem yesterday, so I'd like to give her a day or so to recover, before I bug her again. haha
She's wonderful. She knows soooooo much and has such a caring heart....which is unusual to find in today's world.
I was able to finally register online yesterday with my Part D (Rx) supplement. I tried several weeks ago and spent hours either online or on hold on the phone and gave up. But it worked yesterday. YAY! Unfortunately, it didn't work for DH, so he has to call them today. I also have to call them about pricing at different places, since my favorite of Walgreens isn't their "preferred pharmacy", couldn't answer my question. So we'll see.......both DH and I might spend hours on the phone today, just trying to talk to a representative.
We chose a company that has great rates.............but when I told our Medicare agent that it's impossible to reach them, she said she and other agents have the same problem. She said it's a new company and sometimes they get overwhelmed with all the people choosing them and can't keep up. I'll give them another try today. But I'm not looking forward to it. After a long wait, I hope I can understand the person who answers.......
OMG!!! This is unbelievable. I just got off the phone with someone in the pharmacy (India?) for my new drug plan. I needed find out the difference in cost between Walgreens and CVS for 2 drugs. She could not understand me, and I could not understand her. So.......I had to go through each and every letter of my meds, one at a time, and most of the time she wouldn't get it right. So I had to tell her that I would say the letter and she would repeat it after me. Then I would also have to say the letter and a word that she would understand that started with that letter. I tried to be patient and kind, imagining that she was doing the best she could and no doubt really needed this job. Plus.......she knows a second language, which is more than I do. (except I do know German pretty well). Anyhow........I think I'll write a letter to the company. I just can't go through this every time I need help with something. Am I being an arrogant American? There's just got to be a better way than this. Am I expecting too much?
:(
Teacher Terry
2-6-19, 10:41am
That’s ridiculous and terrible!
OMG!!! This is unbelievable. [snip] Am I being an arrogant American? There's just got to be a better way than this. Am I expecting too much?
:(
Yes ... and no. If I had to be conversant in the languages natively spoken by people I've contacted in long distance customer service, I would have to speak several localizations of Spanish, languages connected to Indian natives, Tagalog, and, likely, Mandarin. Americans do skate by on the fact that English is a lingua franca (odd using a term most American probably cannot translate but there you are). As long as public companies are chasing stockholder dollars and non-profits are cash-strapped, customer service will not be an area of high investment and this is the way it will be.
One thing I've found that helps greatly in instances like this, though, is to go to the provider's Web site and see if there is an option for "chat" or "live chat". Spoken language comes with accents and local idioms and is dependent on the quality of the voice line/speakers/headset/etc. (this goes for boh parties). With chat, you type in what you want and everyone has more time to understand and react.
My experience in working with people in other languages (and them working with me) is that it's easier to follow the written word. You would not have had to spell medication names phonetically -- even if you didn't spell Syklosporein right, the person you were speaking with (or the knowledgebase at their fingertips) could at least check against spellings to give them an idea of what you were referring to. Cuts down on errors in member numbers and things like that, too. Give it a try if you can and see if things go more smoothly.
Thanks Steve. I actually did try to use their chat first, and the person came back and said my question wasn't in his scope of knowledge. ....which was true. I should have called the pharmacy first, but wasn't sure, so went the Chat route.
You're absolutely right about the written word is so much easier to understand. Funny though, in many instances I can still detect in chat that their first language isn't English.
I suppose as things get more and more global, there's always some group of people who find the person on the phone, hard to understand.
It frustrates me more, though, considering all the other difficult/frustration inducing things that seem to be in far too great a number in this country these day. At this point, it would probably be even harder to try to do things in a simple manner, since so much is set-up to be a challenge.
But you're right about chat. I do use that often, when it's available.
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