Posted on 12/30/2023 10:03:55 AM PST by OneVike
I need some advice.
I am 67 years old and in a little over a Month I will be having my right shoulder replaced. I am actively enrolled in Medical-Care for health care, but not in any prescription policies. However, I need to figure out which prescription policy would be best for me before I have the surgery.
As of right now I have no current prescriptions for anything. Until I began having shoulder problems I have not even seen a general practitioner for over 10 years. Other than my shoulder problem I am healthy as an ox, or at least as healthy as an aging ox. The last time I got sick was with COVID in early 2020, and that lasted maybe two weeks and I have not been sick since.
NO, I have not been vaccinated since I was in the army almost 50 years ago., and I would rather die than allow any doctor inject any modern vaccination into my system.
Anyone have any suggestions as to what prescription plan would be best for me? Because after my surgery I know I will have to have at least pain medication if not antibiotics or anti rejection drugs.
I am guessing on what I will be told to take after the surgery, since I am clueless.
Unfortunately, my conditions have nothing to do with diet or exercise.
It might be that my drug in the exact dosage I take is not covered or something like that. Maybe the Rx has to be written for double the dosage and split it? I have heard of that. Not going to look into it any further because my plan covers it for $15/month and less when mail-ordered.
Check with your local auto service center. They usually offer a free oil change with every drug you get thru them.
Different subject.
I hope it works out for you. They were a huge help to us, more than once. (And we’re not official members.)
All you are going to need post op if all goes well is pain medication, which usually is very cheap.
IIRC, when you qualify for Medicare, you MUST enroll in an acceptable prescription plan or you will be hit with annual penalties. Those penalties continue even if you later do enroll in an eligible plan.
That said, if you are Medicare eligible, check with your state CMS/Medicare for available plans. They vary by state and even areas within the state.
Start with medicare.gov and check the back section of Medicare and YOU 2024 booklet, if you got one in the mail.
The main costs post op is physical therapy, arm sling and xrays. I went through 4 arm slings before I found one that was comfortable when I had shoulder labral surgery.
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“You will also be on some antibiotic for the rest of life. Two surgeons told me that I’d have to take something like acetaymiacin (sp?) every time I got my teeth cleaned to prevent an infection of a knee replacement.”
It’s Amoxicillin, a yellow/black capsule, and you usually take four one hour before cleaning proceeds. If you forget, the clinician will provide four capsules upon request.
However, not all surgeons make that Amoxicillin requirement; moreover, that requirement is for Life. (As you stated).
I’m ten years into my knee replacement surgery, the components of which are supposed to last 20 years. At my present age, the outcome will be a tie! ;)
A corpsman would tell you to take some Motrin, drink water and change your socks.
Since you were in the army is the VA an option?
Agree with the poster who said pain pills are not expensive.
Antibiotics can get pricy if those are needed. Don’t take NSAIDS post op as they slow healing. Best wishes for a good result.
talk to your local Office for the Aging, they will show you all the plans in your area and pros/cons of each
But if you need expensive drugs for future issues you are all out of pocket! Unless you sign up within two months of loss of other coverage you will be penalized 1% of $34 for every month you didn’t pay premiums for the rest of your time on Medicare...
OV, it’s insurance covering all drugs for every approved Medicare procedure. Premiums are as cheap as $8/mo while next year a Medicare beneficiary will not pay more than $2000 for approved drugs out of pocket for the whole calendar year...a bargain for many of my older clients! ... ymmv
I’d agree with this in most cases. Certainly for those where there is the possibility of some long-lasting medical condition. While, as I understand it, MAP offers lower premium costs, and low co-pays, the added costs of those charges that don’t get paid for major surgery, chronic conditions, etc. can get to be very high.
If you’re not taking any meds now, just find the cheapest one you can find that has a convenient pharmacy nearby.
People on this thread have made some very good points about the benefit of signing up for part D immediately. If your income is high you pay A LOT for coverage. If your income is low it’s more reasonable. So much about medicare depends on your income, age and other factors.
My parents used the free Fidelity service to find out more and verify if what they were choosing were best for them. I think their financial company had a similar program but they found the Fidelity person to be better.
https://medicare.fidelity.com › home
Fidelity Medicare Services
Trained & licensed State licensed agents, trained by the insurance carriers and certified by the industry. Knowledgeable & experienced People who will help you find coverage that fits your unique situation. Through Fidelity, you can enroll in Medicare coverage that fits your health care and financial needs.
https://www.ncoa.org/article/fidelity-medicare-services
Fidelity can provide ongoing, personalized advice—from your initial enrollment or review of current coverage to continued year-over-year support. We offer multiple types of Medicare coverage options, from insurance companies vetted by Fidelity.
It’s The PT copays the go on forever, The whole Medicare thing is s giant scam, where you work all your life, in many cases SocialSecurity does not cover your Medicare FORCED payments.
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