Monday, March 19, 2018
A: Say goodbye to physical, occupational and speech therapy caps on Medicare services. Until President Trump signed the budget deal in February, people on Medicare were subject to arbitrary limits on the amount of therapy services that Medicare was willin ...
Monday, March 5, 2018
A: Unless you work in the health care field or have taken care of your own or someone else’s medical bills, you probably don’t understand the difference. Think about it – both are federal programs created in 1965 and both start with M-E-D-I. No wonder people are confused!
Monday, February 26, 2018
A: You will be dropped from your Part D plan if you have not paid your premium within their grace period. Plans can set their own grace period, but it must be at least two months long. You can check out your plan’s grace period in the “Annual ...
Monday, February 19, 2018
A: Medicare will cover the flu shot whether you are on Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you are on Original Medicare, your flu shot will not cost you anything as long as you go to a doctor or pharmacist that accepts M ...
Monday, February 12, 2018
A: Let’s assume you are not working and you have already signed up for Part A and Part B. If you or your spouse re-enters the workforce and lands a job with employer health coverage, you may decide you really don’t need your employer plan and ...
Monday, February 5, 2018
A: That’s a timely question - February is American Heart Month. And it’s an important question since heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country. The answer is yes, Medicare does offer cardiovascular screenings. Take advantage ...
Monday, January 29, 2018
A: Most people have worked long enough to qualify for premium-free Part A hospital insurance. If you or your spouse have paid FICA taxes for at least 40 quarters (ten years), you will not be required to pay a monthly premium for Part A once you start your ...
Monday, January 22, 2018
A: Think of it as your chance to do what you should have done during your Initial Enrollment Period. You can sign up for Part A and Part B during the annual General Enrollment Period (GEP) if you did not take care of that when you first became eligible fo ...
Monday, January 15, 2018
A: Those of you who regret your decision to join a Medicare Advantage plan have a limited amount of time to change your mind. You have an opportunity to return to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) if you take action during the annual Medicare Advantage ...
Monday, January 8, 2018
A: The 2017 and 2018 amounts are shown in the chart below. Part A 2017 2018 Hospital Deductible $1,316 $1,340 Hospital Copayment $329/day for days 61-90; $658/day for days 91-150; $335/day for days 61 ...