Author: Denise

Denise Early is an independent insurance broker in Tucson, Arizona. She is interested in policy and the politics of Medicare. She enjoys telling the stories of people she meets and sees herself as an advocate for her clients. She served in the Peace Corps and has a Masters degree in International Management.

Medicare Coverage Mistake

Thousands of people make a serious Medicare coverage mistake because they don’t know the rules.  They think they don’t need to sign up for Part B of Medicare (and pay a premium) because they have COBRA, or a retiree plan,…

Medicare Advantage Disenrollment

medicare advantage disenrollment

For people who are unhappy with their Medicare Advantage plan, there is still a way to get out of it. That is called the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP). The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period runs from January 1 – February 14th. After that,…

Medicare Coverage for Home Infusion

medicare coverage for home infusion

Medicare coverage for home infusion services is a problem for really sick people. Why is there no Medicare coverage for home infusion? I was checking on this because a young woman called me and asked if I could find her…

Medicare Part D Is Rigged System.

Medicare part d is rigged

Medicare Part D is rigged.  It is rigged to rip off seniors. This being the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, I’m checking my clients’ drug lists and I’m finding so many things I don’t like about Part D drug coverage. How…

Big Changes To Medicare Coming Soon

Big changes to Medicare are coming soon – now that Republicans are in charge.  And Social Security is certainly on the table because it makes up 25% of the federal budget. Most voters over 55 favored Donald Trump – and…

Medicare costs are going up in 2017

Medicare costs are going up in 2017.  Most people on Medicare currently pay a Part B premium of $104.90.  That will go up in January to about $109. For people who are new to Medicare, or those who are not…

What is wrong with Medicare Part D

What is wrong with Medicare Part D?  Let me give you an example. I got a call yesterday from a man who is 66 years old.  He is still working and has employer health insurance.  He takes Enbrel, a drug…

Checking in on my Medicare clients

checking in on my medicare clients

I’m checking in on my Medicare clients because the Medicare Open Enrollment Period is coming up. I try to call many of my clients to see if they are happy with their Medicare Advantage plan because this is the time…

Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare Open Enrollment Period

Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15th to December 7th. During the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, people can change their Medicare Advantage plan or their Part D plan. Their new plan begins on January 1, 2017. There are some important changes to…

Medigap Plans for People under 65

medigap plans for people for under 65

Are Medigap plans for people under 65 available in Arizona? Medigap plans for people under 65 are not available in Arizona and  19 other states. An article on kff.org looks at which states require insurance companies to sell Medigap plans…

How much a knee replacement costs

Do you know how much a knee replacement costs?  I received this infographic from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. It looks like Blue Cross Blue Shield negotiates different prices with different providers – and negotiated prices can be a lot…

Politics and Medicare

politics and medicare

Politics and Medicare are featured in a recent NPR story. Here are highlights from the NPR story on politics and Medicare: The challenge for Medicare is not to expand benefits, but to figure out a way to control future cost…

How To Pay Your Medicare Premium

medicare help in 2017

You can pay your Medicare premium in several ways. This info on how to pay your Medicare premium is from the Medicare.gov website: If you get Social Security, Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits, or Civil Service benefits, your Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) premium will…

Medicare Advantage Auto Enrollment

Medicare Advantage auto enrollment

If you are turning 65 and transferring from an individual health plan to Medicare, BEWARE!  You might find yourself the victim of Medicare Advantage auto enrollment. I just read an article in Kaiser Health News that says: With Medicare’s specific…

Lidocaine Patch and Medicare

lidocaine patch and medicare

The most read article in this blog is about the Lidocaine Patch and Medicare Part D plans.  I wrote about this last year when a client called me to complain that she could no longer get the Lidocaine Patch through…

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.