April 22, 2023 Every Earth Day weekend, the NYS Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails New York host Canal Clean Sweep, a weekend of spring clean-ups on sections of the Canalway Trail. On April 22, Dan and his team of volunteers will meet at Lions Park in Niskayuna, NY at 10:00 am and for two […]
If you are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and have limited income you may be able to get assistance with your health care costs through a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) If eligible, you will receive help paying the Medicare Part B premium, (currently $164.90) and automatically get Extra Help, the federal program that […]
2023 Medicare “Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount” to Part B and Part D Premiums The 2023 standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $164.90. However, it seems from the number of client calls we have received this week many will be charged an additional Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) for Parts B and D […]
Medicare’s 2023 Open Enrollment Period, also known as the Annual Enrollment Period, concluded on December 7. Since there are three other Enrollment Periods (Initial, General and Special) it is no surprise that when we hear about a fifth Enrollment Period – this one begins on January 1 and ends March 31 – we shake our […]
Recently I’ve been hearing conflicting stories on whether COVID-19 over-the-counter test kits are covered by Medicare and, if so, what card should members present for billing. (Previously, we could order kits free of charge through the federal government but that has ended.) And so I went in to my local CVS (my drug plan’s preferred […]
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, from October 15th through December 7th, is when Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in or change their Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plan to take effect January 1. Some Important Tips to Consider if you are now enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plan: Yes, […]
Once Original Medicare approves a claim, it will deduct from its approved amount that which you are responsible for and pay the difference directly to the provider. That amount you are responsible for; the Part A deductible, the Part B deductible and Part B 20% co-share is often paid through the purchase of a secondary […]
Well, just as we are finishing up the annual federal and carrier Medicare Advantage and Part D certifications for 2023, the US House and Senate passed a bill (H.R. 5376 titled Inflation Reduction Act of 2022) which includes some important changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Some of these changes take effect […]
One in every three Medicare beneficiaries has diabetes, and over 3.3 million Medicare beneficiaries use one or more of the common forms of insulin. On January 26, Benita Lee from GoodRx Health published a detailed analysis comparing the costs of 28 brand and generic insulins. GoodRx research shows shows that the average retail price for […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has set the premium amounts for Medicare Part A and Part B for the calendar year 2022. 2022 Medicare Part B Premiums The 2022 standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $170.10, a $21.60 increase from the $148.50 standard amount for 2021. 2022 Medicare […]