Month: June 2016

BCBSAZ will drop Plans

bcbs arizona

BCBSAZ will drop plans in Maricopa and Pinal County that are offered through the Marketplace in 2017.  These are individual health insurance plans for people under 65. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has decided to offer individual and family…

Big Losses for BCBS Arizona

bcbs arizona

Obamacare plans have meant big losses for BCBS Arizona.  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has always been a big player in the individual health insurance market and they probably turned a profit in the past.  But new, sicker customers have…

Home Health Services Covered by Medicare

Home health services covered by Medicare have limitations and rules. I just learned something new from the Medicare Rights Center. Home health services covered by Medicare: Original Medicare will cover certain home health care services through the home health benefit…

Ryan Plan for Medicare is Terrible

ryan plan for medicare

The Ryan plan for Medicare is terrible.  Let me count the ways: As a health insurance broker, I meet people every month who are desperate for Medicare and good health insurance. These are self-employed people, or unemployed people, or people…

Senior Health Insurance Program Funding Cut

senior health insurance plan funding cut

It looks like a nationwide senior health insurance program could be killed by budget cuts in Washington. Kaiser Health News headline reads: Panel Kills Medicare Program That Offers Help On Enrollment, Billing Issues. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or “SHIP,” is…

Medicare Outside the U.S.

medicare outside the U.S.

Can you use Medicare outside the U.S.? NO What if you have a Medicare Advantage plan? Some Medicare Advantage plans will pay for emergency care outside the U.S. Today I talked via Skype to a client who has moved to…

Risk Corridor and Obamacare

senior health insurance plan funding cut

Risk Corridor and Obamacare.  What does this mean? According to a review of medical claims from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association,  new health insurance customers (starting in 2014) had higher rates of diabetes, depression and high blood pressure than…

Medicare Coverage for Chiropractor Services

medicare coverage for chiropractor services

Medicare coverage for chiropractor services can cause billing problems. That’s because Medicare covers certain services among the many things a chiropractor does for a patient – and the patient could end up with a very big bill she thought would be paid by Medicare.