A busy day, but a rant regardless

Crushed

Iris L. wrote:

Crushed wrote:

Lills wrote:

I wanted to turn off DWs Medicare .  

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For what reason would a person want to "turn off" Medicare? 

 Personally, I can think of no reason to turn off my Medicare.  

Iris

 

 

Meet IRMAA  This is the enhanced monthly payment for medicare part B.

 

Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount

 

 

 

 

The Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) is an amount you may pay in addition to your Part B or Part D premium if your income is above a certain level. The Social Security Administration (SSA) sets four income brackets that determine your (or you and your spouse's)

 

 IRMAA.
 

Now realize that DW's expenses are 150,000 a year and every penny we take out of her IRA is ordinary income and we have to pay IRMAA on it.  We are fully insured under the FEHB and pay premiums. So we get very little from Medicare part b but it costs $300 a month EACH  


File joint tax return   $222,000 up to $276,000 $  297.00  per month  EACH

  

Iris L.

Crushed wrote:

 

 

Meet IRMAA  

 

 

 

The Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) is an amount you may pay in addition to your Part B or Part D premium if your income is above a certain level. (Italics added)

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Good to know. Baring winning the lottery, I doubt that my income will ever get above the level to meet IRMAA, which I had never heard of before.  

Iris

  

abc123

Hi Ed, I’m glad you finally got it all taken care of of. I changed banks right when covid started because of poor service.  It seems like everything is getting more complicated these days. 

Are you going to have surgery? Let us know, you’ll definitely be in my prayers.

Ed1937

abc123 wrote:

Are you going to have surgery? Let us know, you’ll definitely be in my prayers.

I think there's a good chance that I will have surgery, but I'll do everything I can to make it without surgery. I have things to do. Thanks.

 

French

@crushed

Yes, it is exactly « mandat de protection future ». It’s what I found the easiest and the most respectful. 

Here we can also have « tutelle », «  curatelle » or « habilitation familiale « . I found they doesn’t respect the person’s will.  My partner was still able to express what he wants. I wouldn’t have like to set up a tutelle because it’s as taking power on him. So we did this mandat. It’s also quite quickly set up. For the 3 others, the judge is seized and consults the whole family. It can take a long time.

It’s quite new (2007) but few people do that because notaries doesn’t propose. Ours told us it was its first and he accepted because he knew us well. They are not used to control people finances every year. You can also do this mandat under private signature. But then you are controlled by another family member and my partner didn’t want to put his family in the loop. I also preferred the notary. The latter can also be of good advice.

French

I was thinking that everything was complicated here, but Reading your posts (and not understanding everything because of acronyms) I begin to think it’s everywhere . The devil is always in the details and some people like to go looking for it.

ButterflyWings

Ed, I'm so glad it worked out. I hope your daughter feels better soon!

aod, first of all, I am very sorry for your loss. As hard as it is living with DH these days, I know I will miss him when he is gone. I pray that you will continue to heal and grow after caregiving. As for your post...you made me laugh out loud remembering our last experience with Passport Control. I too, had visions of being taken to jail as the agent made me step away and literally started mocking and badgering my husband, quizzing him on the 3rd amendment to the US Constitution, to prove his citizenship (??) He was a real a-hole, and almost made us miss our flight, while DH started to get huffy and who knows where it might have ended up. Even after I kept telling the guy he has Alzheimers, he has dementia and we couldn't be separated (which, yeah, went over really well with DH). At the time it was not funny at all. What an obnoxious abuse of power. Fortunately, a young woman supervisor stepped in and took us both aside, when I explained he had AD and the other agent was provoking him and had threatened me if I didn't step back. She processed us together and quickly cleared us to board or we'd still be in Belgium I fear!

As for the banks, things worked out OK at Chase but yes, they insisted on their own DPOA doc. But the small credit union which accepted (a different LO's) DPOA, took the liberty of adding me as a signer but not an owner on an account the LO wanted to name me as sole beneficiary on, or owner. I didn't know the difference (until it mattered a year later after death) so they just made an executive decision that kept more control for them I believe. That credit union also neglected to update the beneficiary designation from her long deceased husband to me, and then would not honor the Will or Trust docs after death. 

I had to pay the burial expenses and many more estate items up front and then reimburse myself a year later after they FINALLY released the funds to me once I got a judge's order. At that point they were all sweetness and light, and wanted me to keep the funds in their credit union, just change the account to my name (which they'd refused to do for an entire year when I was more than willing, and all legal documentation confirmed that would have been in order). No thank you! I'm with you, Ed. If a bank or other business makes things harder than necessary...vote with your feet.

The Social Security Rep Payee process was easy. Like everyone said, they refused the POA but accepted the Dr.'s letter confirming diagnosis, my ID, (and maybe our marriage license to verify the relationship? something like that). They required proof of a bank account with his name on it and direct deposited his check there from then on. I can pay bills via online banking although my name is on that account too, as POA I think. 

This is making me recall how many hoops I had to jump through in the last 2+ years, but also that some things really are getting accomplished (although it seems like I am still so far behind on so many important matters). Onward! Tomorrow is another day. 

aod326

It's true Butterfly - sometimes we need to remind ourselves of everything we HAVE done. I've often said that, while I would never wish dementia on anyone, ever, I hope that at some point I get the opportunity to use all this stuff I've learned!