10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make Paperback – September 23, 2020

I really wish I could give this book a ten star review. I am still a year and a half away from being eligible for Medicare but thought I'd start to educate myself on the ends and outs of Medicare, and boy I'm glad I did and very glad I bought this book.First, don't let the title of the book put you off. I first thought it focused just on mistakes and while it does organize its chapters that way, it really is a "Medicare 101" type of book too. In other words, if you know next to nothing about how Medicare works (which was my situation) this book will educate you from the ground up.Key takeaways:1. Medicare is NOT free. Get that out of your head now. While Part A (hospitalization) is free for most people, Part B has a premium of $164.90 (as of this review in 2023).2. For most people you get a ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE to enroll in Medicare without the worry of underwriting. Yes, that's right! If you're not careful, you can and will be subject to medical underwriting if you don't enroll during your "Golden Ticket" time which is the 3 months before your birthday, the month of your birthday, or within the 3 months after your birthday. Exception: Medicare Advantage programs don't require underwriting, but original Medicare can if you're not careful.3. Medicare Advantage. Not to say they are all bad plans, but I do kind of conclude the author of this book is a bit biased towards sticking with Original Medicare and choosing a Medicare Supplement such as Plan G or Plan N. Another pitfall is if you start with Medicare Advantage and later want to enroll back into Original Medicare with a supplement, you may face medical underwriting. Further, the author says to be very careful about those Medicare Advantage TV commercials promising free gym memberships, 0 premiums, and grocery allowances. Oh yeah? Okay, but what if I have to stay in the hospital? How much do I still have to pay per day out of pocket for a hospital stay? What!!!??? 500.00 per day?? You mean to tell me if I had just done my research and chose Plan G instead, I would have paid a total of 226.00 out of pocket for the entire year and my hospital bill would've been nothing? What??!! This is just an example. That free grocery money or gym membership may not seem so great then. Another thing the author points out is if you really want a Medicare Advantage plan, be sure to carefully study its network. Is your current doctor in its network? Which hospital(s) are in the network? And so on. Finally, for me at least, the more research I do, the more inclined I am to stick with Original Medicare and not enrolling into an Advantage Plan.4. Plan D. This is your Pharmacy insurance. You may think to yourself, okay but I don't take any medications so why should I even enroll in any Plan D insurance. The author strongly recommends in this case to at least enroll in the cheapest Plan D you can find. Why? For every month you're not enrolled, you face a permanent penalty FOR LIFE if you later find yourself needing medications and thus wanting a Plan D prescription plan. This is because Medicare will impose lifetime premium penalties and they really add up for delaying enrolling in Plan D. By the way, this goes for Plan B too. Some of the cheapest Plan D's can cost just a few dollars a month (and thus protect you a few years later from a huge penalty in case you develop a serious illness and need expensive meds).I knew next to nothing about Medicare before I read this book other than something about a "Part A or Part B." In addition to this book, I'm reading another and listening to free podcast. I'm finding by saturating my brain with Medicare education from different sources, its really starting to fall into place for me so I'll avoid the dangers and pitfalls when I'm ready and eligible to enroll.I strongly urge you to get this book, I know for me, its one of the best (roughly ten bucks) I've ever invested. If you're a year away, and more so if you're 6 months away from enrolling in Medicare, do yourself a favor and get this book, listen to podcast, and educate yourself. Enrolling in Medicare is one of the most important life decisions you'll make and you want to do it right.For me, after all the research I've done, I'm pretty sure I'm going to take Medicare Part A, Part B, Plan G (this is one of the most popular supplements now) and a Plan D drug coverage.

very informative. things you might not know and need to.

Having spent a lot of time & energy over the years navigating big challenges in the healthcare system, I wanted to be educated and prepared going into Medicare enrollment. This book provides the kind of approach that’s needed; here are the potential pitfalls & how to make wise decisions.I clicked on one of the links in the book to request a call & was incredibly impressed by the broker, who ultimately saved me a great deal of time & energy. Purchasing this book was a very wise decision!The result is that I’m now all set up in Medicare with 2 supplemental plans that I know are best for me. If I run into problems, Boomer Benefits will help. A major relief!Investing in this book has saved me a ton of money and time and I’m confident it’s helped me avoid many headaches.Highly recommend it!

A informative book with numerous useful resources for those who, like me, have to make Medicare decisions without much pre knowledge.

Easy read and very helpful to understand the potential pitfalls of medicare supplemental plans. Enabled me to ask the right questions of the insurance agent. I'm very happy to have purchased this book and gave a copy to my friend.

This author really excelled in helping readers to navigate the confusing roadmaps of choosing a Medicare plan. I have read couple of books on this subject, this book is the best. Read it and you will truly understand how to avoid mistakes and optimize your choices and decision making. Good job!

This is a fantastic, clear overview of Medicare as well as a comprehensive explanation of things you need to watch out for. There are several one time things with Medicare that if you mess up, you will pay for for the rest of your life!If you are going to enroll soon, you owe it to yourself to take the time to read this book. Highly recommend!!

….ordered by mistake