# Sorting through Medicare: what a fucking pain in the motherfucking ass **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437 "2026-05-27T21:29:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/41 "2026-06-08T04:05:24Z")
Then you probably want a medigap plan G, or a high deductible plan G, unless you live in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or Minnesota, which have different options from the other states. Even among the states with standard plans, the rules vary a lot. > **[Medicare Supplement Plans by State: Rules, Costs and Best Options | Compare...](https://comparemedicare.com/articles/guides/medicare-supplement-plans-by-state-rules-costs)** > > How state laws shape Medigap availability, pricing, and your right to switch in 2026 You probably also want a plan D supplement, to cover drugs you might need in the future. But i haven’t researched those, yet. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/42 "2026-06-08T11:07:52Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > You probably also want a plan D supplement, to cover drugs you might need in the future. This is a great point. From the good folks at KFF: > Even if you aren’t taking any medications right now, it makes sense to enroll in a drug plan so that you have coverage in case your needs change in the future. If you don’t have coverage and the Medicare Open Enrollment period has ended, you won’t be able to sign up for coverage until the next Medicare Open Enrollment period begins, and your coverage wouldn’t take effect until January 1 of the following year. This could put you at risk of paying a lot out of pocket for prescriptions if your needs change. Also be aware that there is a late enrollment penalty for Part D. If you don’t sign up for a Part D plan when you are first eligible to do so, and you decide later you want to sign up, you will be required to pay a late enrollment penalty equal to 1% of the national average premium amount for every month you didn’t have coverage as good as the standard Part D benefit. > **[I am covered by Medicare, but I don't take any medications. Do I need to sign...](https://www.kff.org/faqs/medicare-open-enrollment-faqs/part-d/i-am-covered-by-medicare-but-i-dont-take-any-medications-do-i-need-to-sign-up-for-a-drug-plan/)** > > Even if you aren’t taking any medications right now, it makes sense to enroll in a drug plan so that you have coverage in case your needs change in the future. Many Part D plans, at least in my area, are cheap. This year, my wife and I are paying nothing, as our needs are minimal. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/43 "2026-06-08T12:33:03Z")
Strong agree w last two posts. You can do this real cheaply and still have complete coverage w a high deductible G & cheap D plan. Depending on your post-retirement taxable income, IRMAA may be a larger factor. My IRMAA is a bunch more than my premiums. And there’s no escaping that. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/44 "2026-06-08T12:34:40Z")
What is irmaa? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/45 "2026-06-08T12:40:29Z")
I hoped nobody would ask. My keyboard broke so I’m pecking at an on-screen keyboard until my replacement arrives tonight. See here and expand the hidden part: > [@Countdown to retirement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-retirement/981653/970): > > Here’s a vexing story about IRMAA that is a cautionary tale for everyone approaching their own retirement. Since we each only really retire once, we never get very good at it. So one person’s experience navigating the transition can be useful for others. play_button Explanation of IRMAA for those who don't know what it is and how it works ... Now comes the vexing tale. Well, I retired towards the end of 2023. My 2021, 2022, and part-year 2023 taxable income (mostly W2) and married status put me in a h… ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/46 "2026-06-08T14:10:01Z")
Thanks! Because I’ve been ambling into retirement, my income from 2 years ago wasn’t all that different from my income today. I think I’ll just use it and figure, “close enough”. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/47 "2026-06-08T14:33:55Z")
I’m on my phone & can, paradoxically, make longer posts more easily than wirh my keyboardless tablet/PC. A quick Google for [IRMAA brackets 2026] will give you an idea of the magnitude & where the bucket borders are. Each step is fairly large, so avoiding just breaking into the next bracket might be a tax planning consideration. ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/48 "2026-06-08T14:57:09Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Many Part D plans, at least in my area, are cheap. This year, my wife and I are paying nothing, as our needs are minimal. I’m paying $0 in premiums on my drug care plan, too. Because of a DVT (four veins) and a Pulmonary Embolism last year, I have to take blood thinners the rest of my life. Eliquis is still under a drug patent. You can find it on-line for about $360 to more than $600 a month. We have something to look forward to. The drug patent runs out next year. In England, it looks like four weeks of pills is about 20 pounds. With insurance, mine has been all over the place. It started out the year at about $260, but the last two refills were about $80 each. I also have a couple of other medications for approximately $10 per month and my prescribed Vitamin B12 injections run about $20 per month. So make that about $130 to $140 a month lately. I understand that there is a maximum cost per year of medications. Last year, I was told that it was $2,000 for the year. It has gone up a few percent this year. I don’t know if that is for all seniors or if it is for Medicare prescription drug plans only. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/49 "2026-06-08T15:08:46Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > What is irmaa? I’m looking at this too. Thanks @LSLGuy . IRMAA = Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/50 "2026-06-08T16:32:36Z")
I got caught by IRMAA the second year after I retired because retroactive SSA payments (I didn’t retire till I was over 70) and PTO cashout put me over the limit for the year in which I retired. Fortunately, since that year was an anomaly I could file a fairly straightforward appeal and get it rescinded. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/51 "2026-06-08T16:55:23Z")
Heh, doing the shuffle myself. Due to my oddball past job history, I have a small federal pension and have my regular health insurance through it as I was entitled to carry it over. Well… just so happens that if you’re on an OPM benefit, your Medicare B premium has to be paid from it…and I just calculated it will not fit. So I’ll also have to change the regular coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/52 "2026-06-10T12:23:08Z")
I got my Medicare card laminated. This is the month I turn 65. Medicare, here we go. Thanks again for all the helpful comments. This fucking pain in the motherfucking ass want as bad after all. Especially thanks to @JohnT for his helpful thread. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/53 "2026-06-10T13:00:28Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > This fucking pain in the motherfucking ass want as bad after all. IME / IMO the learning is far harder than the doing. The incremental effort in subsequent years is close to zero. Also IME, many (most?) medical practices want you to upload your medical insurance card(s) during their online patient on-boarding or appointment check-in. Online “for my convenience.” Of course. Bastards. So I have carefully taken & cropped pix of front, back, and both side-by-side on file in my phone and PC to upload wherever on demand. And most folks who might want to just look at your card will be totally happy looking at the pic instead. My card hasn’t been out of my safe in a couple years now. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437/54 "2026-06-11T08:46:35Z")
Yeah I have pictures of my card on my phone. But the card is so thin — paper, really — that it hardly takes up wallet space. I hope you’re right about the doing vs the learning. That’d be great! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorting-through-medicare-what-a-fucking-pain-in-the-motherfucking-ass/1030437.md?page=2)