This is timely as I retired effective 1 July 2023; State of Alabama, Department of Labor. At the time I was covered completely through Blue Cross Blue Shield - Medical, Prescription, Dental, and Vision for less than $100 per month as I had over 28 years of service, which accounted for the low monthly cost.

Since I had turned 65 back in June of 2023, those two weeks that I worked past the age of 65 reduced my Insurance cost after retirement significantly, well, at least the Part C and Part D. Through Medicare, Part A has no charge as has been mentioned while Part B is automatically deducted from my SS Direct Deposit and since I can't have one without the other, I do essentially 'pay' for both. In my case $164.90; this now covered Part A and Part B. Here's the fortunate circumstance in my scenario - my BCBS immediately transformed into United Healthcare to cover Part C and Part D and since I worked two weeks past my 65th birthday, that cost dropped from what would have been slightly over $300 per month down to $23 per month and became my coverage for doctor visits, Dental, and Vision. That $23 is automatically deducted from State Retirement Direct Deposit.

A little background as 2023 became a long, strange trip of a year for me beyond simply retiring. Circa Christmas of 2022, I developed symptoms of what would be diagnosed as an enlarged prostate. Long story short, I wound up with a catheter (inserted where you never want one inserted ) for 7 weeks give or take before Thulium laser reduction of the prostate surgery basically rolled the clock back 40 years for me. To paraphrase George Carlin, I'm now able to drink all the beer I want and break up a Kent with a Micronite filter again. Regardless, that's what prompted me to call it an (I T career) effective July first. Then, on November 4, 2023, I got married to a wonderful lady who owns her own home along with 4 1/4 rural acres outside of town; we'd been engaged just shy of two years and met at work. She's more than happy to support my Mopar addiction, and even encouraged me to build any size garage I want on the site of an old, dilapidated barn just off the house proper. The only rule is no yard art.

The key, in a nutshell - at least for me - appears to be that I worked past the magical age of 65.

Hope this helps, and apologies if I got too wordy...