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The Annual Enrollment Period is over…But the Open Enrollment Period is now!Wait, what?Confusing, I know. But these enrollment periods provide you with unique options. The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) just ended on December 7th. AEP is the time Medicare beneficiaries have the option to consult with an independent representative and decide if their plan is still the best option for their medical and financial needs. During this time, you may have made changes to Medicare […]

Finding physicians and clinicians to give you the proper care can be really difficult. Are they covered by your Medicare plan? Are they close enough to your house that you don’t have to worry about a long commute? Are they specialized in a particular area of care you need? Lucky for you, you can use the Medicare “physician compare” tool that allows you to find local doctors within a matter of seconds.How do you use […]

What’s the deal with all these healthcare acronyms nowadays? HMO? PPO? HSA? PFFS? Why isn’t there just one type of insurance provider? What does all this mean to you? Well, we’re here to tell you what HMO’s and PPO’s are, what the difference is between them, and what you might gain from choosing either as your healthcare plan in your Medicare Advantage plan.HMOHMO stands for Health Maintenance Organization. An HMO is the Medicare Advantage Plan […]

On November 8, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2020 Medicare rates for premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs.[SOURCE] CMS Press ReleaseMedicare Part B Premiums/DeductiblesMedicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A. Each year the Medicare premiums, deductibles, and copayment rates […]

Double TroubleSometimes, Medicare just isn’t enough to cover medical expenses. It’s a tough situation, but this is the socioeconomic position of many individuals currently in the country. The idea of dual eligibility exists, however, to counteract this in order to make sure people are covered no matter what their background might be. Dual eligibility means that you’re 65 years of age or older as well as meet a certain income minimum for the government to […]

If you’re new to Medicare and just getting started, we want to remind you to know your rights as a Medicare beneficiary. Unfortunately, fraud or illegal practices are not unheard of in this industry and Medigap plans can be confusing. What are they, exactly? A Medigap plan, also called a Supplement Plan, can help pay your extra out-of-pocket costs. Because traditional Medicare does not cover all of your medical expenses, you’ll be responsible for deductibles, […]

Who genuinely likes being told what to do? It’s one thing when you’re a kid; it’s another when it’s your health dictating what you can or cannot do. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries struggle with chronic illnesses or new afflictions on a daily basis. Sometimes these conditions mean leaving the house becomes a battle of its own. Which begs the question, how can you receive medical attention when your illness makes […]

So, you just got word that your doctor is leaving your health plan. What the heck are you supposed to do? Does this mean you have to find a whole new doctor? How is your coverage going to be affected by this? Are you going to need to build trust with ANOTHER new doctor? Well, worry not, because we have some sage wisdom in these trying times. The way we see it, there are 3 […]

Are you worried about finding a doctor who accepts Medicare? Good news! According to a Kaiser Survey in 2015, most primary care doctors still participate in the Medicare program and are accepting new Medicare patients. So, it’s quite likely your current doctor will continue to accept you as a patient when you start on Medicare. But if not, here’s how to go about finding a doctor who accepts Medicare, with no surprise costs. In terms […]

As if Medicare weren’t confusing enough, everywhere you look there are confusing acronyms! These two are particularly important to not confuse because they affect when you can change your plans based on your current enrollment. So, let’s jump right in.AEP is the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs every year from October 15th to December 7th. It is during this time that plan benefits for the upcoming year are announced (read about your Annual Notice of […]