My wife and I were divorced after 11 years of marriage, I screwed that up, literally. The nafter ~30 years we got back together. Big problem she lost a kidney and now is on dialysis. Want to remarry her(high school sweetheart, and best woman I've ever found). Some one told me better talk with a lawyer before doing the marriage, luckily I did. With her being single and on Medicare, she pays next to nothing for her dialysis supplies. If we married it puts her in a different 'bracket' and we would never be able to afford it. We're together but without the piece of paper. At least we can still afford to eat this way.

 

Don't you qualify for Medicare at age 65? That's what everything I've read says is the normal qualification age.

http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-04-2011/medicare-eligibility.html

Unless politicians try to raise it. I hope I'm close enough that any changes they make won't affect me.

OMG see the mind is the first to go. Yes, 65 and not 66 for medicare so you want to start getting a handle on it at about 64.5 years old. I also have to be honest as my wife Kathy was the one who did and still sees to all of that stuff. She even chose the supplemental plan. I will also say while I was never an AARP fan they do come in handy for things. I do know and I am sure many have seen the commercials on TV regarding if you want to change your medicare. There is a window each year when you can make changes, for example medicare has parts as in A, B, C and D. If you want to make any change it must be done during a window. October 15 to December 7 is the window for changes after you start your initial medicare.

Anyway, yes, my bad as you enroll in medicare at age 65 and not age 66.

Ron

 

My wife and I were divorced after 11 years of marriage, I screwed that up, literally. The nafter ~30 years we got back together. Big problem she lost a kidney and now is on dialysis. Want to remarry her(high school sweetheart, and best woman I've ever found). Some one told me better talk with a lawyer before doing the marriage, luckily I did. With her being single and on Medicare, she pays next to nothing for her dialysis supplies. If we married it puts her in a different 'bracket' and we would never be able to afford it. We're together but without the piece of paper. At least we can still afford to eat this way.

Great story, shortbus... for some of us marriage is far more than just a legal contract...

 

My wife and I were divorced after 11 years of marriage, I screwed that up, literally. The nafter ~30 years we got back together. Big problem she lost a kidney and now is on dialysis. Want to remarry her(high school sweetheart, and best woman I've ever found). Some one told me better talk with a lawyer before doing the marriage, luckily I did. With her being single and on Medicare, she pays next to nothing for her dialysis supplies. If we married it puts her in a different 'bracket' and we would never be able to afford it. We're together but without the piece of paper. At least we can still afford to eat this way.

That is another thing people need to be aware of. Really amazing how many little things like that are waiting in the wind to bite the butt! Marrige when it comes to taxes or exactly what shortbus discovered and fortunately in time. That whole marriage thing is just BS anyway. The government likes to punish success and marriage. Go figure huh?

Ron

 

That is another thing people need to be aware of. Really amazing how many little things like that are waiting in the wind to bite the butt! Marrige when it comes to taxes or exactly what shortbus discovered and fortunately in time. That whole marriage thing is just BS anyway. The government likes to punish success and marriage. Go figure huh?

Ron

There is one nice government reward for being married, if one spouse is the wage earner and one stays home (or earns less than half of the other. SOcial security pays a Spousal Benefit - each month - even if your spouse never worked (and you don't have to be dead for her to collect). It is 50% of the working spouse's benefit. Even more perks, it is 50% of the full 65-year-old benefit, even if the working spouse takes retirement at 62. There are limits because you have to show you were married more than 15 years and some clause about second (or more) marriages.

 

There is one nice government reward for being married, if one spouse is the wage earner and one stays home (or earns less than half of the other. SOcial security pays a Spousal Benefit - each month - even if your spouse never worked (and you don't have to be dead for her to collect). It is 50% of the working spouse's benefit. Even more perks, it is 50% of the full 65-year-old benefit, even if the working spouse takes retirement at 62. There are limits because you have to show you were married more than 15 years and some clause about second (or more) marriages.

Where do you claim this! Does it apply to SSI as well?

 

Where do you claim this! Does it apply to SSI as well?

No on SSI.
I was just at a retirement planning class at work and the guy from Fidelity was explaining. It shows up on the social security website when you sign in and put real values for you and your wife into the boxes.

 

There is one nice government reward for being married, if one spouse is the wage earner and one stays home (or earns less than half of the other. SOcial security pays a Spousal Benefit - each month - even if your spouse never worked (and you don't have to be dead for her to collect). It is 50% of the working spouse's benefit. Even more perks, it is 50% of the full 65-year-old benefit, even if the working spouse takes retirement at 62. There are limits because you have to show you were married more than 15 years and some clause about second (or more) marriages.

Gopher, thanks for that. I have a friend in NC which seems to fit that. I will pass it along to her.

Ron

 

Thread closed on request of TS.