What should I get before our medical coverage ends?

[pampam]

DH is thinking of retireing and when he does, our extyra medical benefits will ne gone. We have gotten eyeglasses and orthotics. today I saw our dentist, and explained that we soon would lose our coverage. He sid my teeth were in fine shape and I didn't need any extra work before we loose our benefits. is there anything else we should get done before retirement/

 

[auralia]

I would do a full blood panel if you have not done one recently ... Cholesterol, thyroid, cbc, and have any prescriptions filled too.

 

[SunnieRN]

Female exam with pap smear, mammogram, blood work, any specialists you may need/want to see. Also check with your physician to see what they recommend.

 

[powellrj]

Are you sure you can't buy the insurance? My DH retired last month and was able to buy just dental and eye alone.

 

[tvguy]

Are you sure you can't buy the insurance? My DH retired last month and was able to buy just dental and eye alone.

Yes, you can buy the insurance, but the payout between the premiums and what it pays out is close, may retirees elect to gamble and go without dental and vision coverage. For a lot of folks, under normal circumstances, the cost of dental and eye care is equal to our less than the insurance premium without an employer match.

 

[bearzabout]

A colonoscopy will be free with insurance. The mammogram and Pap smear will be free. The blood test is a great idea. Make sure to get a crp test to check for inflammation.

I only pay about $230 for glasses at Costco that include blue light blocking, transition and progressives.

 

[powellrj]

I don't have the numbers right here, but it was only a few dollars a month to add both to his retiree insurance from his job. It was separate from the health and you didn't have to buy it, but it was so reasonable he went ahead and got it too.

 

[lanejudy]

I don't have the numbers right here, but it was only a few dollars a month to add both to his retiree insurance from his job. It was separate from the health and you didn't have to buy it, but it was so reasonable he went ahead and got it too.

I'm guessing that could be the difference -- your insurance continued to be through his employer/former employer as a retiree benefit. Many companies no longer offer medical to retirees. Once they retire, they have completely different medical coverage secured on their own -- either through a spouse's employer, Medicare, or purchased privately.

OP -- will you have ANY medical coverage post retirement? Without knowing what "extra medical benefits" you currently have compared to what will be available to you after retirement, it's hard to say. So many different plans. But most any coverage today should include preventive care well visits and routine testing associated with such visits. You could scramble to make sure you've done all that, but it may not be necessary. Of course, copays/co-insurance may be quite different with your post-retirement coverage so take that into consideration.

 

[pampam]

OP here
I live in Ontario, so our medical coverage , Ontario Health Insurance Plan is quite good for health care. Pretty much all tests ordered by the doctor, including cat scans, xrays, colonscopies, mamograms, pap tests and ultrasounds are covered, except a few blood tests, but extras such as chiropractors, braces, dentures, hearing aids etc are not covered. Most medication is covered through our insurance plan. It even covers travel insurance for when we go out of country. Assistive devices will pay 75% for wheelchairs, rollators, etc. and the insurance pays the balance. I really hate to lose the out of country coverage. It was excellent since DD who is severely disabled was covered too. WDW is her happy place. If she doesn't have extra coverage we will not be leaving Canada.

 

[lanejudy]

but extras such as chiropractors, braces, dentures, hearing aids etc are not covered.

So these items above are the "extras" that you'll be losing, and you'll retain the standard coverage for things like office visits, most labs/tests, etc.

• I'd refill any meds you can, especially if the copays will change.
• Get your DD anything she may be needing -- wheelchair, therapies, etc. -- if those items won't be covered.
• Visit the dentist, eye doctor, hearing tests.

As for travel, you can purchase travel insurance that includes medical coverage. It may be quite reasonably priced, based on the cost of your trip. I'm sure you have "extra" needs that you want to be sure are included, and many travel policies will cover pre-existing conditions (for your DD) if purchased within so many days of making initial deposit. You may also be able to purchase an annual policy for minimal expense. Just be sure to ask questions if you have specific needs to be covered, and read the fine print so you know what isn't covered.