MEDICARE & YOU (oops...ME)

     I stopped at the new Fullerton Community Center this week to check it out. The facilities are beautiful. While there I happened to look at the scheduled activities for the Senior Center Club. I’ve wanted to take line dancing and lo and behold, they have a class on Wednesday mornings. For a mere $10.00 a year, I can line dance to my heart’s content. I paid the $10.00, gave my information to the volunteer lady at the desk, and waited for her to ask me for my ID to confirm that I am indeed a senior. It didn’t happen. How could that be? Finally I mustered up the courage to ask how old you needed to be to join the Senior Club. Fifty-five was her answer, which made me feel better. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re still thirty in your mind.

     At home, I read through the materials she’d given me and then “My husband whom I’m never to write about-who from now on will be referred to as REX” read through it. He said, “They’re having a Medicare seminar. You should go check it out.” Me? Check out Medicare? You don’t get Medicare when you’re thirty! Finally I said, “Yes, you’re probably right.”

     So today I attended the Medicare seminar. And they didn’t kick me out for being far too young. Two of my social worker co-workers showed up for the seminar, too. Vania and Jane. They were there to learn more so they can counsel our patients.(More about them later.)

     I did learn quite a bit. I learned that you should start your research into signing up for Medicare about six months before you turn 65. You can actually sign up three months before, so you need to know what kind of plan you’re going to go with. Once you get your Medicare card in hand, then you sign up with the plan you’ve chosen. It’s actually easy for me. I have Kaiser through REX’S state of California policy, so I’ll just be adding my Medicare to that. The easiest way to sign up for Medicare is to do it online. All you old fogies that are computer illiterate will have to make an appointment at the dreaded Social Security office and spend your whole day doing it.   

     So, I’m all set now. I know just what to do. And like it or not, I’m going to sign up for Medicare on December 1^st of 2012.

     As for Vania and Jane, I’m going to get you guys. I really don’t think it was very nice of you to say, “Wow, she’s old” loud enough for me to hear. I hope you’re not going to spread it all over the office. I know for a fact there are one or two nurses there that are older than me. Well, I know of one for sure because she told me...