Writers have a saying often attributed to American novelist Philip Roth: Everything is material.
Therefore, I’ll say that in honor of November being National Home Care Month and National Family Caregivers Month, I’m finding my parents a new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.
This is as fun as it sounds.
We have been working on this for weeks, starting in October, when my mom handed me mail from Anthem and asked, “Is this important?”
It was. Anthem will not offer a Medicare prescription drug plan in my parents’ county next year. As the one who handles my parents’ paperwork, from insurance to banking, this now became my problem.
My parents, sister and I huddled up. We approached this project with the efficiency and scouting prowess of an NCAA Division I football coaching staff preparing for a big season — just without the tailgating, bye weeks, halftime bands, or any other fun.
“We will NOT transition to a Medicare Advantage plan,” I told my parents, while secretly tallying the industry friends who would never speak to me again if they knew I’d suggested Medicare Advantage. Seriously — your faces flashed before my eyes.
ChatGPT devised a week-by-week plan to meet the Dec. 7 enrollment deadline. Like an athletic trainer, ChatGPT added, “Work the problem! One task at a time! Take breaks! Stay hydrated!”
You know it’s serious when artificial intelligence recommends Gatorade.
During my after-hours relationship with Medicare.gov, I entered my parents’ prescription drugs and got the initial list of 12 plans for Los Angeles County in 2026. We narrowed that list to five semi-finalists that seemed the best fits for my parents. I entered more detailed Rx info into each plan and printed out spreadsheets of deductibles, in-network pharmacies, monthly premiums.
I also called a timeout to deal with the mystery of my dad having two Medicare numbers. (Medicare reissued his number due to suspicions of number theft.)
After more family huddling, I had two finalist plans per parent. Next, I’ll call each plan to confirm deductibles and premiums, ask about prescription tiers and copays, confirm preferred pharmacies. ChatGPT estimated that talking through each plan will take 15 to 30 minutes per parent.
All this work is stark evidence that while modern medicine and medtech have prolonged our lives, caregiving solutions and support haven’t kept pace.
New July research from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving said 63 million Americans are now family caregivers, a 45% increase in the last decade. One in four adults in this country performs regular caregiving duties, and caregivers “are taking on more complex responsibilities, often at the expense of their own health and financial security,” that report said.
A 2023 AARP report said caregivers provided 36 billion hours of care in 2021, worth an estimated $600 billion.
Among caregivers of working age, 70% hold down jobs in addition to caregiving. That’s me, and I’m lucky: I can apply what I learn about Medicare at my day job to the Rx work I do at night and on weekends. Not every caregiver is so fortunate.
During National Home Care Month, I thank you for the work you do to enable my parents to age in place.
And for National Family Caregivers Month — in a perfect world, here’s where I’d offer a list of wise takeaways. I’d make a clever reference to leaving everything out on the field. But with caregiving, we’re not in a perfect world.
So to other tired souls running multiple households: I see you. You matter, too.
Take a breather if you can. Stand up, stretch, hydrate — and know you’re doing so much, even when it doesn’t feel like enough.
