Since 2011, Social Security has lost nearly 11,000 employees, and weekly field office hours have been reduced from 35 to 27. I read about this in LifeHealthPro, a magazine for the insurance industry. The article summarizes a report on Social Security:…
Tag: medicare tucson
Part D: High Risk Drugs You Should Not Use
A client emailed me last week complaining about her Medicare Advantage plan. She said her doctor gave her a prescription for Zolpidem, a sleeping pill, and her Medicare Advantage plan said they won’t pay for it.
Medicare is Big Business for Insurance Companies
Humana and UnitedHealthcare are the biggest players in the Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplement business – and business has been quite good for them.
Turning 65: Do you have your Medicare card?
I had a call the other day from a woman who is turning 65 and wanted to talk to me about her Medicare choices. She said she is working, but is self-employed. She turns 65 in September, just over one month away. I asked her if she has her Medicare card and she said, “Huh? What is that?”
Hospitals Dropped from Medicare Advantage Networks
Health News Florida has an interesting story about a dispute between Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans and a Miami Hospital and doctor network. Medicare Advantage plans must control their costs, and when a doctor group or hospital requires payments that are…
Most Tucson Hospitals Charge Medicare Less Than National Average
Medicare has released information on how much hospitals across the country charge for the most common surgeries. Here are the results for Tucson: Tucson Medical Center: .8 of the national average charge St Joseph Hospital: 1.0 of the national average…
Is your doctor a Medicare participating provider?
If your doctor is not a “participating provider” you might have to pay the bill and get reimbursed by Medicare.
No More Limits on Physical Therapy
A New York Times articles says Medicare has ended limits on how much physical therapy a person can receive. The rules used to be that if a person receiving physical therapy was not improving, Medicare would no longer pay for…
Turning 65: Do you need to enroll in Medicare?
Every day 10,000 American baby-boomers turn 65 . Most will enroll in Medicare, but many will not. Not everyone needs to enroll in Medicare because some people continue working and are covered by their employer’s health insurance. A person who…
Help For Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries
People on Medicare with low income can get help paying their Medicare Part B premium and possibly their Medicare co-pays and deductibles. It all depends on how low their income is.
Medicare Advantage Enrollment: 30% Increase Since Obamacare
More than 14 million Medicare beneficiaries are now enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans, up 30 percent since 2010 in spite of concerns about payment changes enacted in the Affordable Care Act.
How to Choose a Medicare Part D Plan
People who take only a few generic drugs will probably choose the lowest-cost Part D plan. But people who take brand drugs, especially expensive ones, need to do some research using the Medicare.gov Plan Finder.
Help For Low-Income Seniors in Jeopardy
Low-Income seniors will lose Medicare help they receive due to an error of omission in Washington – even though both political parties think the financial assistance program should continue.
Cold Calls to Medicare Beneficiaries are Unethical
Cold calling Medicare beneficiaries is against Medicare rules, but this being a slow time of year for insurance agents, seniors are getting calls that might disturb and/or confuse them.
Medicare & More Blog Has Moved
For four years I wrote about Medicare in a blog that was part of Tucsoncitizen.com. Unfortunately, Gannett, the owner of the Tucsoncitizen.com, decided to shut down that site. I was able to move my 500 blog posts to this site.
Part D Late-Enrollment Penalty
Part D is voluntary, but a penalty is assessed if a person does not enroll when they first get their Medicare. If a person turns 65 and waits five years to enroll in a Part D plan, she will pay a 50% premium penalty.
Working Past 65 and Medicare Part B
In the last few months, I’ve helped four or five people who continued working after they turned 65. Some had kept their employer health insurance while others had enrolled in Medicare. They all had questions, and the answers depended on…
Obamacare and Medicare: Confusion
I received an interesting press release this morning that seems worth sharing. New research finds many seniors wrongly think public health insurance exchanges are replacing Medicare plans. ST. LOUIS, September 17, 2013 – As the nation approaches open enrollment for new public…
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)…
Are Tucson doctors accepting new Medicare patients?
My primary care doctor is not accepting new patients, whether they are on Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or any health insurance. But he is kind of old and his Physician Assistant takes new patients – but I don’t know how much…
Who gets help with Medicare premium and drug costs?
Low-income Medicare beneficiaries get help with their Medicare Part B premium and their prescription drug costs
Working Past 65: Delayed Medicare Enrollment
People can delay enrollment in Medicare Part B if they are working beyond their 65th birthday or are covered by their spouse’s employer health insurance.