Not old enough for Medicare and going broke with company insurance

I understand your situation. I was actually happy to turn 65 to be eligible for Medicare and stop paying outrageous insurance premiums. Unfortunately, Medicare does not solve all medical cost problems.

I would check if your state has any Medical assistance / Medicaid program you might qualify for. My sister had a company health insurance that did not provide enough coverage especially for medication. Even though she was working, because her income was so low she was able to qualify for medical assistance.

Check with your state / county assistance offices. Many states have a service called “211” . By dialing 211, those in need of assistance can be referred to appropriate agencies and community organizations.

Laurie

Laurie, there’s a catch to being on Medicaid. I’m in Pennsylvania in Hud Section 8 Housing. My health is a nightmare, my finances are rock bottom. This is a high rise building with 100 apartments. It was originally built for the elderly in 1976. As times changed, so did the requirements. At first, you had to be 65 or older, then laws changed and you qualified if you were medically handicapped and less than 65. Then it was lowered to above 42 I believe and handicapped. Income is also factored in and any resources you may own. Your income determines the amount you’ll pay. The income limits are high enough almost anyone 42 or above and handicapped will qualify. I’ll turn 80 next year, if I live long enough. My income is just Social Security. I had to laugh when I filled out the application. Low income amount was way above me, Very low income level was still above my income, Critically low level was still $3000 above me. Am I poor, yep, but I have my own apartment and pay only 30% of my adjusted income for rent. The state pays for the rest of my rent. My utilities are also included except phone and TV connection.

Because I am so poor and sickly with many major health problems including my entire spine. I smashed two different windshields with my forehead compressing my spine. My neck, between the shoulder blades snd lower lumbar discs are all screwed up. Since my body is such a mess with many heart, kidney and blood troubles, I’m on our Medicaid program including food stamps. I pay no medical bills, pay $1.30 per prescription and living off other people’s generosity. But I started working in 1952 at age 9 and retired in 2006 at 62.

So my advice to you is prepare to live a life that is very restricted if you want the government to help you. There’s help out here for you but it comes with many restrictions. If you’re ready for the government to control your life, tell you what you can or cannot do, pack your bags, nothing else. You can start a new life and apply for your state’s Medicaid or equivalent system as a Handicapped applicant under 65.

I’ve tried that and because I live with my son and his family and don’t have a child under 18 I don’t qualify. They said I make too much for food stamps. I got food stamps years ago because my son and I lived with my parents and he was 17. $120.00 a month. I gave it to my mother to help buy groceries. He moved out and I no longer qualify. NC wants your family to pay if you live with them. I can’t afford to live alone or roommates because housing has gone up too much. So I’m stuck. If NC had elected to expand Medicaid I wouldn’t have this problem. But they didn’t and a few hospitals have gone out of business because of it.

I’m from PA, moved to NC in 1983. I make too much money for anything ($12.25/hour) unless I was on my own. I got married in 1987 and had a great paying job. My husband was killed in a car wreck when I was 38. A year later computers took over my job. No life insurance. I was 18 with a baby living with my parents when my dad took a better job in NC. One of the worst states for taxes on things I’ve ever lived in. You pay tax on your car when you buy it. Then you pay taxes on it every year. Crazy. Taxes on animals and outrageous state tax. Because the south is supposed to be lower cost of living. For the life of me I don’t see it

Just read your post, interesting. 2019 was the turning point for me, from decent to disaster to a nightmare. From having precancerous cells beginning to progress into cancer to discovering a rare heart birth defect, a 1 in a million defect that’s trying yo kill me. To kidneys failing, having 3 heart attacks, losing the use of both legs and arms, to catching Covid 5 times on and on and on it goes. My country is a train out of control ready to crash and burn.

I’ve chatted with others from around the world including Canada and the UK. I’ve learned from them how difficult it can be to get medical help and Covid hasn’t made it any easier. Because of my many rare health problems, I’m trapped in this system till the day I die. Thankfully it may not be much longer as my heart is nearly worn out. I wrote a book and titled it “One Story At A Time!” It tells the stories about the trials and tribulations of people living in my small coal mining community back in the 1800’s. It was just as bad back then as it is today. Sickness, starvation, drought, deaths, just like your story today as well as mine. I hope things work out for you, for me, I’m just waiting for the Grim Reaper to tap me on the shoulder as say, “You’re Next!!!”

That’s the catch, money, you’re not supposed to have much of it to qualify. Dirt poor is an appropriate description. Back in my life, I delivered newspapers, got real sick, turns out I was making $50 a month to much to qualify for Welfare as it was called back then. Be glad you’re not back here in PA, They tax the water you drink and then tax you when your body gets rid of it in the toilet. They tax you to cut a tree down and tax you if you plant another. They tax the gas you use, the cigarettes you smoke and the booze you drink to drown your troubles away. I think the price of a carton of popular cigarettes is over $100 now. They’re always robbing Peter to pay Paul, then saying they need more money. Such is life in PA, be glad for what you have or someone may want to tax it out of existence

You are correct on many points. Things aren't the same as they were. Illness really complicates things. However, prayer really does work and it also helps to have a friendly pawn shop nearby when answers to prayers are slow in coming!

They tax all that here too. Cigerettes aren’t much cheaper. We pay tax on food, clothes, shoes if I recall we didn’t pay those sales taxes in PA

Except for food, they tax just about everything and they still want more. Even the state legislature can’t stop the flood of money needed. That’s because they’re the 2nd largest one in the entire United States. Even the judicial system gets in on it, they get an automatic pay raise every year. It just keeps going on and on and on. Come back to Pa, we need another taxpayer to shell out their hard earned money. That proverbial grass always seems greener in someone else’s yard!!!

Hi JoJo, I am 63 now and was able to get Medicare early due to disability. Have you tried to apply for Social Security Disability? After 2 years of being on SSI your eligible for Medicare. It sure helped me with my ongoing follow-ups after a heart transplant. If you haven't it may take a few tries to get a yes from SS but at least it may help down the road. I actually was very surprised I got it the first try and at the time inwas 58. It will require a statement from a doctor probably but with back issues it sounds possible.