The 'M' word

I am so grateful for the good insurance we've had these many years. I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills I've racked up this last decade, and without good insurance I would either be bankrupt or dead. For all the claims, I've only had a couple of disputes, and they were minor. I didn't even raise my voice.

I thought I'd have at least another year before I had to think about Medicare. But because I am now on disability, it's mandatory that I go on Medicare at the two year mark. My retroactive disability date is April of 2010, so that gives me three months to get my ducks in a row.

Yesterday I went to an informational seminar, Retirement 101: Getting Ready for Medicare. Mostly it involves some paperwork. But there are decisions to make about supplemental coverage. And because Laurie won't be eligible for Medicare for at least 12 more years, we need to get coverage for her too, since my county subsidized retiree insurance that had covered both of us will end when Medicare starts up.

I'm terrible at this sort of thing. I procrastinate, my eyes glaze over when finances or future plans are discussed. Laurie is a planner, a comparison shopper, an information gatherer, while I'm more of an in-the-moment, whatever-will-be kind of gal. We balance each other well (though I suspect she thinks she gets the short end of the stick).