We're on Medicare Advantage, and not only are our rates higher but copays, etc., are higher... MUCH higher. A scan that was free as a service to elders, is now going to cost me $350 for my hubby to get. And that's just one example. We never before had to pay for ambulance but so far this year, thanks to hubby, I've had to pay $225 for each of 4 trips to the ER. And that's not even counting the mounting hospital costs I'm seeing in the online account.

Because he's so much more fragile, cardio-pulmonary wise than I am, I tend NOT to do anything other than office visits to get my pain med renewed. I finally gave in when my best friend around the corner called the ambulance on me 2 weeks ago when I thought I'd broken my knee. Turned out to be torn ligaments, cracked up and broken arthritis, and water on the knee... with a knee swollen to about 5 times normal size. I argued then that I couldn't afford another ambulance/ER trip, but I couldn't put any weight on the knee whatsoever... and it did scare me to think I might have broken it.

Between that and the ever increasing cost of groceries, I honestly don't know how we're going to stay alive in this world for long. Of course, that's probably what this admin wants... kill off all us old people. We're just useless eaters, anyway, right? /snark Never mind how long we've worked or what we did in our career... or for our neighborhoods, and society in general. We're old now, so we don't count. At least, that's what I feel coming from the nation these days.

I'm not an older American, but I know I'm making the climb. I thought this era, when I was a kid, was going to be one where magic and technology would be indistinguishable from each other. Now it's "Oh god, I need to go grocery shopping" and "Oh no, whatever you do, don't do something where you would need to go to the hospital"

Now that I've got time to play around with cooking and baking (and I LOVE doing that!), I can't afford the ingredients I'd like to use. Off brand items are generally okay... but not great, especially when you're trying out a new recipe. Like you, I thought it would be a fairly easy, non-stressed existence by the time I hit 70. Worked my butt off since I was 14, looking forward to doing things I never had time for during my work life. Instead, everything gets jacked higher and higher every week it seems, and my body is fragile enough to break easily, so that impacts my activity level, as well. I know Life isn't fair (of course), but I DID think there'd be some internal reward and satisfaction during the downhill slide of the years. Thank goodness for my cats... they lift the spirit during the most worrying of times for me. And they don't care if my hair's not brushed, or if I'm wearing the same T-shirt as I had on yesterday. They just love me unconditionally. That makes up for a lot of disappointment in today's times.

Of course, it would be wonderful if that idiot excuse that calls himself "king" or president, or whatever, would just keep his mouth shut and stop threatening us, the world, and the entire planet. One can only live with terror and nightmares for so long... just by existing, he's cutting short a LOT of people's existence.