Health Insurance options for Elderly Parent

[Al]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan

It's sad, isn't it, that a decision to bring my mom over to be close to me for care-taking is hampered by health insurance concerns?

But its reality. At the age of 61and in poor health. ... you have to realize that her medical expenses going forward 20 years will probably be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

So even if you were to get insurance it would have to cost at least 1000 to 1500/ month. How could it be otherwise? I don't recall if you have a wife/kids...but I would have to seriously consider whether my role to care for my aging mother would prevent me from carrying out my responsibilities to my family.

You will likely be saddled with a burden that could ruin your life and your family's. Were I in her shoes and had an inkling of the hardship I would likely cause for my children and grandchildren, I would rather leave this world.

And don't forget if she requires long term care she has no social security. Long term care is 70K/year.

Not a happy prognosis, but sometimes you have to face reality.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

If I called my mom elderly when she was 61 I would have been disowned big time...At 61 she was working 10 hours a day in factory 35 miles from her home and teaching a dance class 25 miles away twice a week...At 65 she went part-time till she was 75...I work with people from ages 18-90 and would hate to think of their reaction if I called some of them elderly...Some commute 40 miles each way everyday...The last taxi driver I had out of M.I.A. was 90 years old...He said since he can not sleep at night he drives a cab during the overnight hours...He drove just fine BTW...I showed your post to the people I work with and they got big laugh on your post title.

Some companies have Essential Insurance Polices that just cover hospitalization...It's generally covers 80/20 you pay the 20%...It generally costs around 3K bucks a year in most areas...BTW some of my [as you would say] elderly co workers told me about that.

Good luck and really hope things work out well for you!!!!

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
It's generally covers 80/20 you pay the 20%...It generally costs around 3K bucks a year in most areas...


Age? You'd be kiddig yourself if you can find an 80/20 or even 70/30 insurance for a 61 yo at 3K a year.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
It's generally covers 80/20 you pay the 20%...It generally costs around 3K bucks a year in most areas...


Age? You'd be kiddig yourself if you can find an 80/20 or even 70/30 insurance for a 61 yo at 3K a year.

Yea heck buy it. I pay more than that with Medicare and company sponsored group supplemental insurance.

 

[tonycarguy]

Originally Posted By: kb01

1) Go without insurance and negotiate for medical care. Emergency Rooms can't turn anyone away and if she doesn't have much in the way of assets, collection agencies can't do anything.


They won't turn patients away for true life & death emergencies, but for everything else they can turn you down if you don't have insurance. Most doctor visits aren't for true emergencies anyway.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
It's generally covers 80/20 you pay the 20%...It generally costs around 3K bucks a year in most areas...


Age? You'd be kiddig yourself if you can find an 80/20 or even 70/30 insurance for a 61 yo at 3K a year.


One of the guys is 61 and pays 3K bucks a year from Blue Cross/Blue Sheild of Florida...I does NOT cover doctor visits...ONLY Hospitalization.

He pays every 6 months but he said every 6 months months the policy gets higher by a couple of hundred bucks...The 3K bucks was for 2010.

It is not unusual to see people in the 70's or 80's [sometimes older] down here still working to make ends meet.

 

[Dave Hess]

Quote:
It is not unusual to see people in the 70's or 80's [sometimes older] down here still working to make ends meet

Sad but true. When I was 15 I was working at Publix as a bag boy and there was a lady that was 80 years old working for Hallmark doing displays for their cards/gift wraps, etc. We were talking one day and she said she had no choice to work cause she didn't have enough in savings and needed the health coverage.