It is Time to Review Your Medicare Advantage Options!
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment – October 15 through December 7! During this window of time you have the opportunity, if needed, to change your Medicare Advantage Plan or your Prescription Drug Plan. Ask yourself: How has my current plan been performing for me this past year? Will/has my situation or needs change(d)? What is new…
What is Dual Complete?
Dual Complete is a subsidized program under Medicare Advantage plans and requires you to have both Medicare and Medicaid. To qualify for Medicare, you must be 65 years old or have a permanent disability for more than 2 years. To qualify for Medicaid, you must meet your state’s income limits. (Below I provide approximate qualifications…
Prescription Drug Prices Can Now Be Negotiated by Medicare
Thanks to the recently passed Build Back Better plan, prescription drug pricing will be lower for EVERYONE on Medicare. Regardless of your political affiliation, this is a big help to seniors, saving them a lot of money. How will it work? Next year, the government will pick 10 drugs and negotiate to obtain a…
How to Pay Less for Prescription Drugs with Medicare and GoodRX
As we age, so does our likelihood of needing prescription drugs. The older we get, the greater the chance we’ll need more than one or two. According to the latest update (July 2021) from Merck Manual, “almost 90% of older adults regularly take at least 1 prescription drug, almost 80% regularly take at least…
Enrolling in Medicare: What You Need to Know and How a Broker Can Help
What is Medicare? Medicare is a government funded healthcare program designed to provide special coverage for people meeting certain criteria – you must be 65 years or older, or if you are younger than 65, you must have certain disabilities, or have End-Stage Renal Disease. The two components of Medicare are Part A, your hospital…
If You Have Medicare, Is Your Vision Care Covered?
This is a question I hear often from individuals start enrolling in Medicare. They are typically leaving a work plan and they have heard they need to get a vision plan because Medicare doesn’t cover vision care services. How can that be? Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, offers limited vision coverage, and…
What You Need to Know: VA Benefits and Medicare Advantage Plans
I am a Veteran on Medicare and have full VA health care benefits with TRI Care for Life, should I get into a Medicare Advantage Plan to get the extra benefits? In the past, the general recommendation was to NOT sign up for an Advantage Plan. Advantage Plans, when you have full VA…
Can You Save on Your Medicare Part B Premium with a Refund?
There is a commercial promoting a refund on your Medicare Part B premium, and it’s raising questions with many folks. The commercial states you’ll receive up to $148.00 credit, if you sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan that offers you a number of extra benefits. While the spot has been running for about a…
What Will Outpatient Procedures Cost You with Medicare Plan B?
I meet with many folks who are very healthy. They hardly go to the doctor and they’re very comfortable with their plans because they never use them. But many of them do not know what happens when an accident or a sudden chest pain requires a visit to an emergency room. If you end up…
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Care and Medicare
What is skilled nursing facility care? Skilled nursing care refers to any patient care, treatment, or therapy that can only be performed safely and effectively by licensed nurses. It is post hospital care provided at a skilled nursing facility certified by Medicare. This could be a hospital or independent nursing home. Care includes, though not…