Being Canadian, I don't have any comments about your health insurance. I really like the photo of your dad, though, as well as those of your mother and grandmother that you posted on another thread. Unfortunate that your dad injured his leg but he has a nice corner in which to recuperate. I love those antique scenarios (although probably not considered antique at the time!)

Thanks, Stacey! The picture of my dad was taken at our vacation cottage on Long Island. Although he was not normally prone to accidents, he managed to injure himself on several vacations. One time in Lake George I served him a tennis ball so badly that he stepped on it rather than return it--and managed to break his foot. He and my mom were wonderful tennis players, but I never did get good at it. :-)

Alisande, I turn 65 in April and I am being inundated with mailings from insurance companies all with the message to choose before December. I'm pretty sure I can't do that since Medicare hasn't contacted me yet so I am just looking at them and throwing them away for now. I'm excited to begin Medicare because of the Silver Sneakers program. I don't take any medicine, so I'm hoping I can get something relatively inexpensive. I have an individual insurance coverage right now (through the Affordable Care Act) and I hope it will take me up until April.

So I guess I can't answer your question either, but just wanted to chime in. I always think of you whenever I find a tick on me or the horses when I ride. You have my sincerest sympathy for what you are and have gone through.

So nice of you, Murraysmom. Thank you. You can apply for Medicare 3 months before you turn 65. This government website explains it:

Medicare facts

It's worth doing promptly to avoid a penalty for being late.

I don't believe regular Medicare, nor every Medicare supplemental policy, offers Silver Sneakers. When I first got Medicare, I signed up for the Blue Cross/Blue Shield supplement and did not have Silver Sneakers. After a couple of years I switched to the AARP United Health supplement: considerably less expensive, same coverage, plus I have Silver Sneakers.

Gosh, I hate this whole procedure. I'm also seeing that medicare supplements are hugely more expensive for 2016. We've had Plan F high deductible in 2014 and 2015, paying under $100/month. Looks like more than DOUBLE for the same coverage next year -- and very little difference in premiums between high deductible and the comprehensive straight Plan F.

I'm wondering if we will even GET a supplemental plan next year. I have yet to meet the deductible ($2800) after my hospital stay for pneumonia. (Medicare paid almost everything.) I'd have been better off not paying premiums!

We have to do Part D (drug plan). Fun and games running the numbers of who will charge you less for any maintenance meds -- two for DH and one for me (Adviar, at $300/mo. retail).

This is a cockamamie system we have in the US.

Thanks, Alisande, for the info on AARP. I will look into it and thanks for the Medicare link! Silver Sneakers is my top priority, LOL.

We have Silver Sneakers with our Premera Supplement, but it can differ from state to state. And, I don't really use it, I exercise at home. DH is still working which has him hiking off trail 4 days a week year round, he has it, doesn't need it ;) College interns can't keep up with that man.

We both have the Humana Plan for medications, neither of us are taking anything expensive so I wanted some coverage but didn't have to look too far past the price of the premiums. Knock on wood of course.

I have the AARP Advantage plan with United Health too. I did get the Silvers Sneakers card although where I put it is a good guess. I to get all kinds of mail from other ins companies to switch. From what I've gleened from the info is that I won't be switching.

Just to be clear, I don't have an Advantage plan. The Advantage plans are different, and involve co-pays for medical care. For awhile it looked as if the Affordable Care Act was going to eliminate Advantage plans, but it hasn't happened.

Between Medicare and my AARP supplement (Part C), I pay more for health insurance than I did when I was working, but my coverage is much better. Other than my premiums, I haven't paid a cent for medical care--with one exception. I had to cover the cost of the corrective lenses I had implanted during my cataract surgery. Medicare would have paid for clear lenses, which would have left me wearing glasses, just as I had since first grade. It was a decision I have not regretted!

Breenthumb, I didn't realize it varied that much between regions. I guess that's why they always want to know your ZIP code.

After using Medicare's comparison site, I had better results calling Aetna direction. I gave them the names of some meds, and they told me how much I'd have to pay at the pharmacy. I'm guessing other insurance companies would do the same.

Susan, as you probably remember, I live in Pa, not too very far from you. I was on the Medicare.gov site yesterday. I'm helping my brother switch from an expensive Part D plan to a more economical one. I find that site very helpful. I'm also on Humana /Walmart.

Mare, have you had to buy any prescriptions on the Humana/Walmart plan? The only one I had was the doxycycline. I paid about $80, and Aetna said it would cost me $2. Of course, the monthly premium isn't the same: Approximately $29 for Aetna vs. $17 for Humana. The plans I used to have (Blue Cross and United Health) are much more.