Medicare Is Not The Same As Medicaid
If you are approaching retirement, you may worry about paying for medical expenses once you leave the workforce. The good news is the United States has a health insurance program for individuals 65 and older. [...]
What You Should Know About the Medicare Tax
You may have seen the Medicare tax listed on your paycheck stubs or on your income tax return filings and wondered what it is. To learn more about what it is and what it pays [...]
Does Medicare Cover Prescription Weight Loss Drugs?
Americans have a growing appetite for prescription drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, they are now exploding in popularity as a weight loss treatment. Evidence is mounting [...]
How No Surprises Act May Help With Unexpected Medical Bills
The No Surprises Act is a federal law enacted to protect patients from unexpected medical bills incurred on or after January 1, 2022. It aims to address the issue of surprise medical billing, which can occur when [...]
On Medicare? What You’ll Pay for Now That the PHE Has Ended
The Biden administration officially ended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023. Certain policies that were implemented in early 2020 during the public health emergency will now expire. As a result, seniors are among those [...]
Does Medicare Pay for Assisted Living?
Assisted living facilities support older adults with daily living while fostering their independence. Individuals who do not require round-the-clock nursing but need help with everyday activities like bathing, housekeeping, medications, and meal preparation can benefit from [...]
Will Medicare Pay for Housekeeping Services?
Medicare is federal health insurance for people over 65, some younger people with disabilities, and those with end-stage renal disease. Coverage of housekeeping services under Medicare can depend on several factors. Is There Coverage for [...]
Medicare Will Now Cover Medically Necessary Dental Care
In November 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare coverage will be expanded to include medically necessary dental services. This change in Medicare rules will allow people with life-threatening conditions [...]
Getting Medicare Food Benefits
As people age, accessing healthy meals can become more challenging. According to Feeding America, one in five older adults was food-insecure in 2020. Some older adults struggle with affording healthy foods, whereas others have difficulty going [...]
Can You Appeal When a Hospital Considers You an Outpatient?
A hospital’s classification of you as inpatient or outpatient can significantly affect Medicare’s coverage, shaping how much you pay for services and whether your coverage includes care in a skilled nursing facility. Medicare Part A pays for [...]
What Is a Medicare Summary Notice?
Every three months, those with original Medicare receive a claims statement called a Medicare Summary Notice. As Medicare.gov explains, this notification describes all the services or supplies that providers or suppliers attributed to Medicare during the preceding [...]
5 Reasons for Seniors to Celebrate in 2023
It has been a tumultuous few years. Amid a continuing pandemic, tense midterm elections, and a war in Ukraine, we have grappled with more than our fair share of grim news. However, with the new [...]
Does Medicare Cover the Cost of Getting a Second Opinion?
You may be nervous about whether Medicare will cover a second opinion if you wish to confirm whether a medical treatment or surgery is right for you. Given the cost of doctor visits today, the [...]
Medicare Advantage: New Bill May Speed Up Your Access to Care
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you — along with roughly 28 million others who rely on this type of coverage — may soon have an easier time obtaining necessary medical care. Currently, patients [...]
Congress Fixes Some, But Not All, Medicare Enrollment Problems
Tucked in the federal spending bill that passed at the end of December 2020 are some changes aimed at simplifying Medicare enrollment and addressing coverage gaps. But Congress chose not to address the biggest problem. [...]
What to Look for When Choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan
As Medicare premiums rise, a Medicare Advantage plan can seem like an attractive option. But if you are considering switching from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to know what to look [...]
Medicare May Not Cover the Coronavirus Vaccine After All
While Medicare would cover a coronavirus vaccine approved through normal channels, if the Food and Drug Administration approves the vaccine through an emergency use authorization (EUA), Medicare will not cover it unless the government acts. As [...]
Medicare Beneficiaries May Be Eligible for an Extra 100 days of Skilled Nursing Coverage Due to Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for nursing homes and their residents. Aside from the tragically disproportionate loss of life, care for surviving residents has been delayed or interrupted due to infection, facility lockdowns or [...]
Medicare Open Enrollment Starts October 15: Is It Time to Change Plans?
Medicare's Open Enrollment Period, during which you can freely enroll in or switch plans, runs from October 15 to December 7. Now is the time to start shopping around to see whether your current choices [...]
Beware Medicare’s Penalties for Late Enrollment
People generally become eligible for Medicare at age 65, when they can receive benefits under Part A (hospital coverage), Part B (medical coverage) and Part D (prescription drug coverage). But Medicare doesn’t want you to delay enrollment. If only [...]
Medicare Preventive Services: What’s Free and What Isn’t?
When we’re young we believe that we’re invincible, which makes it harder to admit as we age that our bodies naturally need more care. Normal aging affects the heart, bones and joints, so preventive care [...]
Can You Transfer Your Medicare and Medicaid Plans When You Move to Another State?
If you plan to move states, can you take your Medicare or Medicaid plans with you? The answer depends on whether you have original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or Medicaid. Medicare If you have original Medicare [...]
Will Medicare Cover a Coronavirus Vaccine?
With the coronavirus pandemic responsible for more than a hundred thousand deaths and disrupting life across the United States, the only way for the country to return to normal is an effective vaccine. When a [...]
When Buying a Medigap Policy, It Really Pays to Shop Around
Medigap policies that supplement Medicare’s basic coverage can cost vastly different amounts, depending on the company selling the policy, according to a new study. The findings highlight the importance of shopping around before purchasing a policy. [...]
Medicare is Expanding Telehealth Services During Coronavirus Pandemic
As part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government is broadly expanding coverage of Medicare telehealth services to beneficiaries and relaxing HIPAA enforcement. This will give doctors the ability to provide more [...]
Medicare and Medicaid Will Cover Coronavirus Testing
With coronavirus dominating news coverage and creating alarm, it is important to know that Medicare and Medicaid will cover tests for the virus. The department of Health and Human Services has designated the test for [...]
Movement Grows to Add Dental Coverage to Medicare
Medicare does not offer much in the way of dental benefits. To get dental coverage, you need to purchase separate and often costly dental insurance or sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan that includes [...]
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D)
Medicare offers a federally subsidized drug program for seniors, in which private health insurers offer limited insurance coverage of prescription drugs to elderly and disabled Medicare recipients. The drug benefit is available only through insurers [...]
Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) Plans
If you have Medicare Parts A and B, you can join a Medicare Advantage plan. Under Medicare Advantage beneficiaries may choose from a number of private health plans, which include the following: Health maintenance organization [...]
Medicare Part B
Medicare Part B basically covers "outpatient" care: office visits to medical specialists, ambulance transportation, diagnostic tests performed in a doctor's office or in a hospital on an outpatient basis, physician visits while the patient is [...]
Medicare Part A: Hospital Coverage
Medicare Part A covers institutional care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, as well as certain care given by home health agencies and care provided in hospices. Any person who has reached age 65 and who is [...]
Switching Medicare Plans If You Move
If you are over 65 and preparing to move to another county or state, be sure to add "check Medicare plan" to your to-do list. You need to make sure your Medicare plan will still [...]
Turning 65? What You Need to Know about Signing up for Medicare
The first of the 78 million baby boomers turned 65 on January 1, 2011, and some 10,000 boomers a day will reportedly reach that milestone between now and 2030. If you are about to turn [...]