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Meet Gerry
Meet Gerry
Gerry shares part of his retirement story and how his Aetna Medicare Advantage plan fits into his life.
Gerald O’Hare
Aetna Medicare Advantage member
“My name is Gerry O’Hare and I live in West Deptford, New Jersey. I grew up in this area I know this area very well. I’m a Vietnam veteran. I went to college on the GI bill and I became a teacher. I taught elementary grades and in the middle school grades, in different school districts in the state of New Jersey.
When I retired, they gave me a choice of what health care company I would use, and they gave me a chart. And it was a really interesting chart, because on one side, it had the names of the companies, and as you look towards the right it was the different areas of healthcare that that company covered. Well, Aetna had all the sections covered and I’ve been happy with Aetna ever since.
I have a hearing loss from the war, and I wear hearing aids. If I’m on the telephone I may miss half of what’s being told to me. When the nurse called me, she told me that Aetna has this Healthy Home Visit Program and that they would like to come to my house, and talk to me, check my medication. I’d much rather have someone come to my house - this way I can hear everything, I can express myself.
We talked about losing weight which is always a problem for me because I like to eat and I’m diabetic. So, she says well you’re what they call insulin resistant and I really didn’t know about the different types of foods that I should eat or should not eat. They taught me how to read the labels it was a real learning experience for me. And I did lose 50 pounds - clothes are a little big now and I’m very pleased with the Healthy Home visits.
I was recommended to walk by the Aetna nurse, but because I had diabetes, I have to take care of my feet. So, I go to a podiatrist, they told me in the office well if you have diabetes then your insurance company will help you get shoes. Because if I go barefoot around the house, I could step on something and not realize it and get an infection. So, I applied for these boots that I like, and Aetna did help me with that.
Part of staying healthy is having a good social life and meeting different people. I find that that type of activity keeps me sharp, it keeps me alert. I have four children and I have three grandchildren. I want to spend as much time with my grandchildren as I can. I want them to remember me as a healthy person. Aetna has helped me with that, and I’m really happy about that.”
Joining Aetna was the “best decision”
Philip Manes: My name is Philip Manes. I’m retired and came here three years ago…And we’re just living the dream now.
I got married pretty late in life. Getting married and had a baby at my age was the best. My daughter is fifteen. I like to see her grow up. Working out in the gym and playing golf, I just try and do as much as I can outdoors. I gotta keep myself active in order to be able to spend that time with my daughter, cause I wanna do it for as long as I possibly can.
I chose Aetna, it was very hard because as you get older, nobody like change. But then after you get into it and you see how much Aetna cares, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Aetna called me, they said that they would like to have a couple of nurses come in and speak with me. They came in and they gave me a physical. And then when that was done we had some conversations. They were excellent, they wrote everything down that I had talked about. I feel Aetna is very caring to the people that are on Social Security. They follow up all the time to see if I’m okay, I even got phone calls to see how I was feeling. That’s big.
And they had my doctors, which was very important, because I’ve had my doctor for ten years. And I’m glad that I changed, because now with Aetna I’ve got everything that I could ever ask for. And they think more of me personally, and not just a number.
It was a hard decision but looking back now and where I’m at right now, it was the best decision. I’m very happy with Aetna.
Joining Aetna was the “best decision”
“I feel Aetna is very caring to the people that are on Social Security, and I knew I could go back to my old insurance if I wasn’t happy. But looking back now, it was the best decision.”
- Phillip Manes, Aetna Medicare Advantage Member
You can keep your doctors
You can keep your doctors
Hear from the Hodges about the many ways that Aetna joins them and works with the doctors they already have.
Philip: My name is Philip Hodge. I worked for General Motors for forty six years. I’m thankful for the job that I had, that I was able to provide for my family, take care of them, send them to school and do all the other nice things that people want to do for their families.
Catharine: So I was telling my husband I said you know I think we’re going to go on Aetna because I liked it. I wasn’t sure if all my doctors were in there, but I made a choice that if all of my husband’s doctors were in there, because you know he has diabetes, I’ll just go ahead if I have to and change doctors. But when I got there, every one of the doctors was on there.
Philip: And then we had an Aetna meeting. The Aetna representatives—they went pretty much from A to Z and we made the final decision that was it.
Catharine: So we just went right to Aetna.
Catharine: Being 60 and 70 now is not like being 60 and 70 back during my mother’s time. Being healthy, like you know I can go in my garden and work. I can take care of myself and I can help with my grandchildren. I can take care of my husband. We go on cruises.
Philip: We do have relatives in Florida but we also like Florida. We had considered moving but she didn’t want to leave the children.
Catharine: I’m not gonna leave.
Philip: But the idea of coverage is great. Because one time when we were there we were in the bed sleeping in the middle of the night and something bit me and I had to go to the hospital.
When you’re sick away from home, something happens. You know, you don’t have your family doctor or your local hospital and you’re in a strange place and that’s comforting to know that atlas you have insurance to go to someplace, you know, where you can get help.
Catherine: So I want to tell anybody that wants to go Aetna. We’re here and we’re glad that we’re here.
Philip: I have diabetes. And through the Aetna program they supply all of my medical supplies such as my blood meter, my test strips that I use for the meter, my lancets, all of this is free of charge for me which makes a big difference.
Lowering health care costs
Mary Turner: My girlfriends and I, we go listen to people and bands. I have a good friend, that’s a Willy Johnson impersonator, and he’s got a friend that sounds like Willie Nelson so we go listen to the Willies really.
I’ve got Elvis impersonators too and I’ve watched Elvis ever since I was like four years old.
My sister was a big Elvis fan. She had all his records and everything and I’ll never forget when I went and saw Elvis for the first time. I couldn’t even walk up and ask for tickets. I paid 15 cents to see it and it was called “Love me Tender”.
I was part of the generation of women lived, men or women we were all equal and worked at General Motors Assembly. I went to work there in 1973. I was 23 years old and I had to take care of my son and I didn’t get child support so the insurance that I had, I had to pay full price for my office visits and if I went to specialist it was 400 dollars so of course I did not go to specialists too much [laugh].
With Aetna, every time your visit is about 20 dollars but if you go to a specialist it’s 25 dollars. The doctors are great. They’ve really been very sensitive, very thoughtful. They take care of me real well.
Everybody I’ve ever talked to with Aetna has always helped me.
I guess it’s be good to people. [Crying] Excuse me, and treat them like I want to be treated. I’ve been very fortunate with my health and I retired at 51. I just enjoy my retirement. If I want to do that I do, if I don’t, I don’t.
Can I show you my drinking cup [laugh]? Aetna is really good. I always take this where I go and I let people see that I’ve got insurance.
Lowering health care costs
Listen to Mary, as she shares how Aetna lowered her health care costs and helps her continue to make the most of retirement.
Managing high blood pressure
Managing high blood pressure
Hear from John as he shares how Aetna doctors helped him manage his blood pressure to ensure a heathy and active retirement.
John – Aetna Medicare Advantage member since August, 2016
“The company that I originally started with was Harrison Radiator, which was a division of General Motors. We took pride in what we did. We were making all the heating and air conditioning units for the General Motors cars, and in fact, I spotted several cars where my sticker was put on one of the heaters that was in the car, so I knew that was a job I did and I was very proud of that.”
[John loves a good joke]
“The plant at Harrison Radiator was a smaller plant and it was a lot like family. There were tricks that people played on one another. I would just say with grease and things like that and gloves and maybe in a sandwich.”
[But his real love is for cars]
“When I was a kid, I built model cars and I loved draw automobiles. I did want to be an auto designer and originally when I was thinking about going to college, I did want to go to General Motors Institute and study car design.”
[So Aetna ensured he’s always in the driver’s seat]
“When you join up with Aetna, first they have a doctor, which they hire to assign and come over and give you an initial physical to see what kind of help you might need with your medications or your overall health. He took my blood pressure. The blood pressure was abnormally high, so when he saw my medication that I was on he said I really think I should get ahold of your doctor, and if it wasn’t for the Aetna physician, I may not have the results that I have. I have to watch my diet specifically now because I am diabetic. Walking was the exercise that I always liked to do and that’s an important part of being healthy.”
[And we’re with him every step of the way]
“Aetna has been a big blessing in providing us with really excellent health care. They’ve encouraged us to take advantage of a lot of the programs that they have and we’ve done that. It’s been just a wonderful service to have. I would have to say a word that describes my relationship with Aetna would be excellence.”
[Drive on, John]