Glad I'm Old But Need To Be Older

[mightyboosh]

I went to the pharmacy with a couple of prescriptions today and when I took out the plastic to pay she said, 'It's free now you're sixty.' Whoohoo, free pills for me now.
Problem is, I'll have to wait until I'm 65 for a free bus pass. I'm just going to sit here and wait lest I get run over by said bus in the meantime and therefore lose out.
Who needs youthful vigour and good looks when you can get free stuff like that.
I need to shop for more beige now.

 

[neely]

Consider yourself lucky, my meds aren't fee and neither is public transportation. I do get a discount but very little is free other than wrinkles.

 

[ReallySleepy]

Sounds like Britain is quite generous toward the elderly ("senior", formerly called "old"). And that is after years of "Conservative" rule. Your "Conservatives" are apparently just as wishy-washy as their counterparts in Norway.

In my own socialist Norway, old people get discounts and percentages, but, luckily, few things are free.

 

[verna davies]

I went to the pharmacy with a couple of prescriptions today and when I took out the plastic to pay she said, 'It's free now you're sixty.' Whoohoo, free pills for me now.
Problem is, I'll have to wait until I'm 65 for a free bus pass. I'm just going to sit here and wait lest I get run over by said bus in the meantime and therefore lose out.
Who needs youthful vigour and good looks when you can get free stuff like that.
I need to shop for more beige now.

You will not have to pay for your tv licence when you are 75 . Now that's something to look forward to.

 

[Winchester]

Kudos on your free stuff!

Around here, we get discounts on things, but that's about it. Nothing free. When Rick turned 60, we started getting a 10% discount on our vet bills and on some other services. Sometimes it does pay to be a little older, I guess.

We're lucky that we're on prescription meds that don't cost an arm and a leg; even without insurance, we could probably afford to pay for them. For now anyway.

 

[di and bob]

Since my insurance quadrupled in the last few years, I just don't go in with a 6500.00 deductable, I can't afford it.I do get my prescription toothpaste free though! (WHEW!!) I guess you have to shop around too, free at Walmart, almost 20.00 at U Save, !!?? Thank goodness for Blue Cross/Blue Shield paying for a pap and a mammo every year. I'm just too afraid not to have insurance, cancer or a broken hip could bankrupt you.
It is kinda nice getting discounts at most restaurants now, and I wait to shop at my local grocery store and Orschelns for the discount day, it all adds up. I'm not even embarrassed anymore to ask for the discount, I figured I earned it!

 

[mightyboosh]

We pay for our 'free' health service through general taxation of course but I've often wondered what the cost of medical insurance is in the US. Maybe someone could enlighten me.

 

[di and bob]

It really depends if you can get it through your employer, or don't make hardly any money and can get help from the government. My husband is retired from the Railroad and it is VERY good with it's benefits. It covers a lot of eye care and dental too. Also you start retirement at 60 years old, including social security benefits. Then there is the middle class, like me, who when their husband retired lost the insurance from his employment and am now waiting for 65 years old to start Medicare, which covers much once again. In the meantime, since all this government help for the poor, my insurance went from 200.00 a month with a 0 deductible, to 800.00 a month with a 6500.00 deductible, all since 'Obamacare' came into effect. I only make 1600.00/month! But since I am married I have to take my husband's retirement into it, and we are like 200.00 dollars over the 'limit' to receive help. All this has been with the same Blue Cross Blue Shield co. Here in my state we only have ONE insurance Company to choose from right now, so until something changes, I am paying half my income for health insurance. And believe me, I have checked into everything I can.Most other companies that say they can insure me in my state are not accepted ny our hospitals and doctors.