Thank you Medicare. (Don't read if your health insurance is lacking)

[question everything]

5. Have no idea what these letters mean

Started with private plan Medicare Part B which covers doctors visits also Medicine - Part D, I suppose.

Then a couple of years ago they had to change to Medicare Advantage which means the private insurance is now Medicare. Used to be that when the Medicare would pay, say, for hospital stay, the rest would be covered by the private insurance and with our copay. Now Medicare is out of it.

For example, for years ago spouse had a knee replacement surgery. The hospital for three days charge was $42,000,, Medicare paid $13,000, private insurance $1,100 and our co pay was $200.

Even then I wondered, on these pages, whether the hospital really needs $42,000, how come it can survive with $15,000.