I have this long, holiday weekend earmarked for a lot of things. I have gotten a few done. The pool is open and semi blue. I have gotten some drown-proofing lessons for the puppygirls accomplished. While Etta has some form issues, Maggie swims like a dogfish. She attacks the water with gusto. Bonsai! Puppy flop! Splash!
Part of our obligation for our ‘free’ conference was to do our homework. This week I ‘read’ chapter 2 of the text with my free version of NaturalReader. Some of the pronunciations are way off but it keeps it entertaining. I did need to follow along in the book. If you need to read higher level text and cannot follow along visually, the free version may try your ‘pay tee aunts’. [You can read Sue’s review of NaturalReader compared to KNFB Reader starting on her page Battle of the Apps: Part 2.]
NaturalReader does advertise a ‘professional’ version for $99. I just am not sure what profession! [If you want to read more about this app & do a search, you’ll find it as NaturalReader ‘all one word’ and Natural Reader ‘space between the words’. Usually, Natural Reader ‘space between the words’ refers to a text-to-speech reader for Windows 10. ]
Since I will be needing it in about a month, I filled in the forms for my Medicare supplemental program through the retirement system. I am still researching what to do about health insurance for my husband. The local hospital system wants $1100 a month for their ‘good’ plan. My retirement system would cover a spouse for $1000 a month. However, the lovely lady at the retirement system’s insurance office suggested COBRA. I could get 18 months of insurance for my husband for about $800 a month. Maybe enough time for some sort of miracle to occur in American health insurance? That would be nice.
COBRA will cover you if your insurance plan was through a company with 20 or more employees and if you were covered the day before the qualifying event – such as taking disability retirement because of vision loss or pretty much any other reason you lost your health care through an employer. Termination for “gross misconduct” is not included so if you want cheaper health insurance, behave yourself!
I was told my soon-to-be-former employer is obligated to send me information immediately upon my retirement. There can be no lapse in coverage so the few days it may take to get him signed up will be covered. The plan will be the one the school districts offers and we are supposed to be able to get it for 18 months.
Savings as compared to the hospital insurance plan? Approximately $5,400.
Just passing on that little bit of information. If you have the health insurance and have been worried about how your spouse will be covered, COBRA is not necessarily a great option but it may be better than the alternatives.
Also, check the Marketplace. If you make less than $64,900, there are discounts available there. Find an ‘insurance navigator’ to help.
Not exactly about age related macular degeneration but I would say health insurance is a problem that can keep us awake at night, especially when we need to leave a job unexpectedly. Hope this info will give you another avenue of inquiry.
That is it for now. I have an evaluation report to write. Let’s hear it for ‘catch-up’ days!
Written May 26th, 2018