A Medicare supplement policy can make a huge difference

If you passed away tomorrow, would your loved ones be able to pick up the pieces? Of course they would be left behind, and their lives would have to go on. But how challenging would it be for them to move forward when faced with unexpected medical expenses, like costly medications and deductibles for hospitalizations, and copayments on expensive, but necessary medications? It is a shame that more seniors don’t think that far ahead. They don’t think of how their death will affect those they love most in the world. Whether you are a wife or husband, a mother or father, a sister or brother, the time to consider how the decisions you make today will directly impact those around you. That is why it is so important to consider a Medicare supplement policy to complement your Medicare plan. Medicare doesn’t cover all of your medical expenses. It was never designed to. In fact, there are many expenses that aren’t covered in the least by a traditional government Medicare plan. When you visit Go Medigap, you will get a detailed explanation about what the various plans through Medicare have to offer you, as well as information about supplemental policies that you can purchase to work with your Medicare coverage.

Before it is too late, it is important that you thoroughly investigate and understand your options, and act on them to purchase the supplement plan that is right for you and your family. You should also encourage those around you to find the plans that are right for them. It could make all the difference in the world for your children’s children and their children. The benefits of your wisdom can be felt on a multigenerational level. Tomorrow’s seniors will work more years than we did and will have fewer benefits, leaving them with very real and awesome challenges. It is important for today’s seniors to pave the way to make it easier on our children, as well as to set an example by purchasing a Medicare supplement plan. A report from the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare states that: “As the Medicare system itself faces financial troubles, Medicare beneficiaries also face higher costs. Today, beneficiaries pay nearly 30 percent of their health care costs from their own pockets. In 1995, those costs averaged $2,563 per person to pay for premiums, services and products not covered by Medicare. In the future, out-of-pocket costs are expected to rise.” This rise is attributed to soaring medical costs and fewer workers paying into the system to cover the Medicare costs for retirees.

Seniors should prepare now for tomorrow

My uncle died last year. He was 80 and had lived in a state-run nursing home for about 10 years. He never thought to get Medicare supplement insurance and I saw him and his family suffer because of it. My aunt struggled with how to cover the ever-growing mountain of bills from co-payments and hospitalizations. There was so much that Medicare just didn’t cover. It was stressful for the whole family. My cousins often stepped in to help my aunt pay her bills. And seeing my uncle living in the nursing home was a painful experience. He wasn’t happy and neither was anyone else. He wanted to be home with my aunt. If he had purchased a Medicare supplement policy, he might have been able to live at home longer and receive in-home nursing care. But the family couldn’t afford that option and the constant care really took its toll on my aunt and cousins. In fact, my aunt had a nasty fall trying to help my uncle out of bed and broke her collar bone. That was when the family made the difficult decision to put Uncle Pete in the home. And my Aunt Susie now suffers from arthritis in her shoulder and back. She also incurred medical expenses due to the fall, including co-payments and deductibles for a hospitalization, treatment and subsequent physical therapy.

Sometimes I think people just automatically assume that Medicare will take care of everything when they are eligible to receive it. That is an inaccurate and dangerous assumption. I found out about Go Medigap when I did some research on Medicare supplement insurance. This search was prompted by seeing what my aunt and uncle and their children were going through. Their grandchildren even witnessed some of the pain their parents were going through, which should not have had to happen. It is a sad reality that most seniors will encounter some type of serious health issue in their later years. Prostate, breast, lung and other forms of cancer, heart disease, strokes and heart attacks, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and myriad other illnesses are tragic and devastating enough for individuals and their families. At least by having a Medicare supplement plan, you can take control of your future and better prepare for what might come. It can save you, your spouse and your family a great deal of misery and pain, as well as worry over financial concerns from deductibles, co-payments, costly medications and other expenses that, many times, you don’t even think about until it’s too late.