This month I received this wonderful thank you note from Nancy. She had recently relocated and needed to find new doctors along with a Medicare Advantage plan covering those doctors and her medications. Nancy was concerned that she would have to remain on her current plan and wait until the Annual Open Enrollment Period in […]
October 15 through December 7 (Annual Enrollment Period) is when individuals enrolled in Medicare may change their Medicare Advantage or Part D Prescription drug plan selection. This is a good time to share some of the questions I have been receiving in case you, a neighbor or family member missed that deadline: Q: I missed […]
This spring I received calls for help from several veterans who were paying a monthly premium to be enrolled in a MAPD, a Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Plan. These veterans are not eligible for CHAMP or TRICARE, are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and pay the Part B premium. Since these veterans […]
On January 4, 2019 the Wall Street Journal published a powerful article written by Joseph Walker and Christopher Weaver describing how Medicare Part D insurers kept $9.1 billion more in taxpayer funds than they would have had their estimates been accurate from 2006 to 2015. In the WSJ article, the writers do a deep dive […]
What is the Medigap High F Plan? This plan provides the same benefits as standard Plan F after a $2,300 (2019) deductible has been met. The standard Plan F is a Medigap policy that pays the Medicare hospital and medical Parts A and B deductible and co-insurance – the dollars not paid by Original Medicare. Plan F […]
On October 12, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2019 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs. Medicare Part A Deductible Medicare Part A covers covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, and some home health care services. The annual inpatient hospital deductible that […]
This year’s Medicare October 15 through December 7 AEP (Annual Enrollment Period) was a busy time for me and I’m grateful for the scores of individuals and couples who permitted me to help with their 2018 Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage or Part D Prescription drug plan selection. Still, as I am fielding calls for help […]
On November 17, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2018 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs. [Link to press release.] Medicare Part B Premiums The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $134 for 2018, the same amount […]
Only a fraction of the nearly 3 million New York State residents aged 65 and older are enrolled in the state’s pharmaceutical assistance program known as New York EPIC. When I meet with New York Medicare Part D clients, I ask if their individual income is below the $75,000 threshold, $100,000 if married. If so, […]
A few months ago Argie, my Medicare client, called asking whether her Medicare Advantage plan with $0 copay for preventative screening included a recent alternative to a colonoscopy. I hadn’t heard of this procedure and don’t like to guess so we both did some research. We learned, yes, since Medicare recognized this new screening as […]