help with medicare costs includes paying the Part B premium and, for qualified medicare beneficiaries, the state will pay their co-pays and deductibles.
Help with Medicare Costs
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.
Enbrel Cost with Part D
I have been talking to two people using the drug Enbrel who were shocked and disappointed to learn how expensive Enbrel will be when they get on Medicare and sign up for Part D drug coverage. ENBREL is a prescription medicine…
Your Primary Care Physician
If you are enrolled in an Medicare Advantage plan HMO, your primary care physician is very important.
Obamacare Saves Lives
I was at my doctor’s office recently and, as usual, I got into a discussion about insurance with my Nurse Practitioner. Connie told me she has many new patients because of Obamacare and most of them had not had health…
Your Health Insurance Deductible
What is your health insurance deductible and to which services does it apply?
High Drug Costs
Medicare is a good deal if you are healthy, but for the unlucky 10-15% who have serious problems, healthcare costs and drug costs can add up quickly. Frank is turning 65 in May and had planned to keep working, but…
The Story of Medicare
Written and produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation, The Story of Medicare: A Timeline serves as a visual timeline of Medicare’s history, including the debate that led to its creation in 1965 and subsequent changes.
Changes to Medicare
changes are coming to medicare
Medicare Advantage Networks
Medicare Advantage Networks must be updated according to a new CMS rule
Is Social Security Income Taxed?
Is Social Security income taxed?
Social Security Explained
Social Security Explained
Medicare Billing Mistakes
I have spent the last week in freezing Connecticut helping my 87-year old friend figure out her medical bills. I wrote about Julie in December when I discovered her retiree Medicare supplement plan had been changed to a Medicare Advantage…
Good News Obamacare Story
I received an email from a client who got covered as of January 1, 2015. Donna has been self-employed for many years and didn’t think she could afford health insurance. Because of Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act), Donna got coverage…
Health Insurance Sign-up Extension
Don’t have health insurance? Will you pay a penalty when you do your taxes? For those who were unaware or did not understand the implications of the fee for not enrolling in coverage, CMS will provide consumers with an opportunity…
Health Insurance Deadline Extension?
Health Insurance deadline extension has been proposed – and it should not be for everybody.
Part D mistake
When selecting a Medicare Advantage plan with Part D (drug coverage), it is important to check all of a person’s prescriptions to be sure they are covered by the plan and what the co-pay will be. I thought I had…
Medicare Advantage in Tucson
Who were the winners and losers from the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?
Generic Drug Prices Going Up
Dr David Belk writes an interesting blog, TrueCostofHealthcare.org. He has recently written about generic drug prices going up over the past year. He writes: Nearly half of the generic listings surveyed (607 in total) went up in price- many way…
Turning 65 and Medicare
How you enroll in Medicare depends on your current situation related to Social Security.
Who is enrolling in Medicare Advantage?
An article in Kaiser Health News says: The majority of people who signed up for Medicare Advantage plans in recent years were switching out of the traditional Medicare program, according to a recent study. The findings contradict the popular belief…
New Advantage Plan New Referrals
I got a phone message on Friday evening from a very upset client who said her doctor’s office told her they were having problems with her new Medicare Advantage plan.
Retiree Health Plans Moving to Medicare Advantage
Retiree health benefits are pretty rare these days, but I have two friends and two relatives who worked for big companies that offer benefits to supplement Medicare for their retirees. These people are in their 70’s and 80’s and have each been moved from Medicare to Medicare Advantage plans – and not one of them understood what that meant.
You still have time to do something if your plan has been cancelled.
People affected by a Medicare Advantage plan cancellation who did not take action during the Open Enrollment Period can get a “special election period” (SEP) to make a move in early 2015.
Why is Part D so complicated?
Even someone with a masters degree cannot understand Medicare Part D and how to choose the best plan.
Medicare Open Enrollment in Tucson
This year’s Medicare Open Enrollment in Tucson is….. crazy. Crazy with so many people losing their plan, or losing their doctor from their plan network.
Medicare Advantage Network Chaos
As a broker, I think there is Medicare Advantage network chaos in Tucson. My head is spinning trying to remember which doctors are no longer with which plans. But my clients don’t seem very concerned about their Medicare Advantage plan being cancelled,…