Husband retired and I'm 8 years younger/ Insurance ?

I am so emotionally exhausted from trying to work through all this insurance business. My husband was a Teamster truck driver and worked till his full retirement age. He's been retired since January 1st. I spent untold hours on the computer and the phone trying to help him to pick the right supplemental insurance policy and drug plan. Got that all done. Now comes me.

I'm only 57. When he retired we were told he could keep me insured with Central States through his union for $240 a month that would be taken out of his pension check. This is just for major medical. No eye or dental coverage. I lost that when he retired. I was OK with it. Hubby thought he had done all the right things to get me signed up but it is all so confusing.

His first pension check came and there was no deduction for my heath insurance and I had not gotten any new cards in the mail. He called and talked to someone who said she'd send out the forms for me to apply for the insurance. They came and he filled them out and mailed them in the same day. Two weeks later we still haven't gotten anything.

Hubby calls again. This time he gets a woman who tells him he HAS to fill out the COBRA paperwork and say we don't want that before she can give us a bill for the other insurance that we want. Who knew? He is confused so he puts me on the phone. I could tell the lady was exasperated at having to explain anything to me. I was trying to tell her we don't want the COBRA insurance and she wouldn't let me finish a sentence. She kept yelling, I know, I know ........ and then I said well I don't know. You have to explain it all to me. She was not nice. She did tell me we had to fill out the COBRA papers saying we don't want it and then she can give us a bill for what we do want. She just kept saying it over and over like I'm deaf or something. She was really upset when I told her we had pitched the papers thinking we didn't need it and then she said she'd mail out more papers. I could tell she was not happy to be doing it though. It made me cry. I felt so stupid and confused and it all seems so easy for her but hard for me. I think all the emotion of trying to make all these decisions about Medicare and Medicare supplements and drug plans and now getting me insured.........well, it's been stressful and difficult. When the papers come we'll fill out we don't want the COBRA insurance and mail them back in and pray this lady sends us what we want so I know I have insurance.

Why does it all have to be so hard. Why can't someone walk you through retirement and tell you what you need to do 1,2,3 etc. and hold your hand. All this is important and you have to make the right choices. One thing hubby did right was select he wants me to be able to get his pension if he dies. He has to have more taken out of his pension check for me to get that but I'm glad he did. I will need it if something happens to him. It pays to really pay attention to these papers when they come in the mail and read all the fine print and ask questions if you don't understand what you're signing.

I guess I'm just stressed and exhausted from the whole process. At least his pension checks are coming on time and so is his social security checks. I'm glad for that.

They named it right...........RETIRED. I'm not only TIRED..........I'm RE-Tired. ha ha ha

I hope some of my rant helps someone else to get through the process a bit easier. Glad to have a place to vent and share ideas and experiences.

Brenda