The Medicare Episode

Health insurance sucks. Which leaves lots of us counting down the days until we turn 65 and can get on Medicare - the federal government’s health insurance program for seniors.
But Medicare is a lot more complicated - and costs more money - than a lot of us realize. (Also, it involves insurance companies.) And:t There will be huge, complicated decisions to make when you turn 65, that can have huge consequences.
The biggest, and most consequential: Choosing between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage - the privatized version sold by health insurance companies that’s advertised everywhere seniors look.
Some folks who pick Medicare Advantage later regret it - but find there are no do-overs (kffhealthnews....) .
We get the scoop from Reporter Sarah Jane Tribble, who’s been covering the story for KFF Health News (kffhealthnews....) and the Washington Post (kffhealthnews....) .
And we get a preview: What do we all need to know before we hit 65 about the choices we’ll face? There are a lot of options, and a lot of price tags. Sarah Murdoch from the Medicare Right Center gives us an outline of those choices and their consequences - and supplies both tips and resources.
The biggest: When it’s time for you -- or anyone you care about -- to make choices around Medicare, every state has a free source of unbiased advice and information: Here’s a link to find your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (or SHIP) (www.shiphelp.org/) .
Here’s a transcript of this episode (armandalegshow...) .
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