Folks on Medicare who take brand drugs may get some relief in 2014, when some big names go generic. I don’t know exactly when these drugs will be available in generic form, but anyone who takes these drugs needs to…
Annual Notice of Change coming soon. Pay attention!
Everyone enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan will be receiving, by the end of September, a package of information called the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). The ANOC is full of details you don’t care…
Turning 65 this fall? Hold off on enrolling in Part D.
I’ve been talking to a number of people who are turning 65 in November and December. Most of them want to get a Medicare supplement and then a stand-alone Part D plan. But I’m not sure what Part D plan…
Obamacare and Medicare
The word is starting to get out about Obamacare and the requirement that everyone sign up for health insurance through their state marketplace. I’ve gotten calls and email from clients who are on Medicare and are wondering if they need…
More Doctors are Participating in Medicare
The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a report on “Access to Physicians’ Services for Medicare Beneficiaries”, which shows that physician participation in Medicare is growing. Among the key points: The percentage of all office-based physicians who report…
Do you see the doctor or the Physician’s Assistant?
Are there enough primary care doctors in Tucson? Do you see the doctor or the Physician’s Assistant? In Arizona, Nurse Practitioners are not required to work under a physician. Medicare may soon be encouraging the use of Nurse Practitioners (NP)…