I have received several inquiries these past few days as New York State followed the updated CDC guidelines and announced that anyone over the age of 65 is now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. (This was one day after announcing that those over 75 were eligible, and that the 65-74 age group was probably […]
This year’s Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 through December 7) was a busy time and we are grateful for the scores of individuals and couples who permitted our team of agent advisors to help with their 2021 Part C Medicare Advantage or Part D Prescription drug plan selection. (The December 7 deadline did not […]
[This page is best viewed in landscape mode] On November 6, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2021 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs. Medicare Part A Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, and some home health care services. […]
Unlike some common vaccines, like those for the flu, hepatitis B and pneumonia, shingles shots are not covered under Original Medicare Parts A or B. Medicare coverage for the two commercially available shingles vaccines, Shingrix and Zostavax, is provided only if you are enrolled in a stand-alone Part D drug plan or a Medicare Advantage […]
Are you going to be eligible for Medicare in the near future? Have you been enrolled in Medicare for awhile and want to better understand what it offers? Do you have a family member you help with Medicare issues? If you answered yes, then “Medicare 101” is for you. This no sales-pitch educational webinar, led […]
Medicare Supplement Plan G, also called Medigap, coverage is very similar to Plan F. It offers great value for beneficiaries who are willing to pay a small annual deductible. After that, Plan G provides full coverage for all of the gaps in Medicare. It pays for your hospital deductible, copays and coinsurance. It also covers […]
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 […]
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 […]
Plan F, you would pay the 20% share until your total deductible and co-payments reach the limit, $2,340 in 2020. What is the Medigap High F Plan? This plan provides the same benefits as standard Plan F after a $2,340 (2020) deductible has been met. The standard Plan F is a Medigap policy that pays […]