While studying Medicare & You 2021: The official U.S. government Medicare handbook to look for changes coming in the new year (which you can download here), the MedicareWire staff began noticing language and diagrams that it felt would bias readers. In fact, once you start looking for it, you can see that the handbook is […]
2021 Medicare Open Enrollment: A Guide to Dates, Costs and Eligibility
Everything you need to know about Medicare’s Annual Election Period (AEP) dates, costs, eligibility, and opportunities to change your Medicare insurance coverage this Fall. What’s in this 2021 Medicare AEP guide? When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2021 Coverage? How to Enroll in a New Medicare Plan for 2021 Medicare Eligibility How to Enroll in […]
Top 9 Advantages and Disadvantages of Medicare Advantage Plans
If you are about to make plan election choices for yourself or a loved one, you might find yourself asking what are the advantages and disadvantages of Medicare Advantage plans? In this MedicareWire article, we’re going to look at Medicare Advantage (MA) from a financial and usability point of view. Here’s why. As we age […]
Why Medicare Advantage Plans are Bad: 7 Top Complaints
One of the most common questions we get here at MedicareWire is, “are Medicare Advantage plans bad?” In my experience, this question comes up because people ask their friends, neighbors, and healthcare providers about Medicare plans, and that brings up the horror stories and a litany of reasons why Medicare Advantage plans are bad. But, […]
Brand New Day vs. 5-Star Kaiser Medicare Advantage in California
Medicare Advantage plans expanded into dozens of new counties for the 2021 plan year. With the expansion in plans also came the news that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) increased the maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) limit from $6,700 to $7,550 per year. However, several companies, including Brand New Day, a Medicare Advantage prescription […]
Does Medicare Cover the Shingles Vaccine?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 out of 3 people in the United States will contract shingles in their lives. While many only get it once, some people contract it multiple times. The rates of incidence have been increasing over the years and no one knows exactly why. Shingles can impact anyone, young or old. […]
Does Medicare Cover Physical Therapy After An Accident or Surgery?
Does Medicare Cover Physical Therapy? If you’re covered by Medicare and have an illness or injury that requires physical therapy, you may wonder, “what does Medicare cover?” More specifically, you’ll likely want to know does Medicare cover physical therapy? In this article, we will look at Medicare coverage for physical therapy and guide you through the […]
Does Medicare Cover Eye Exams for Seniors?
Does Medicare Cover Eye Exams? With Original Medicare, you have coverage for all of the routine checkups and preventative care you need. But what about your eyes? If you are wondering if your medicare benefits cover visits to the eye doctor, you might be surprised by the answer: Original Medicare doesn’t cover routine eye exams […]
Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids for Seniors Who Need Hearing Assistance?
Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids? If you’re someone who’s hard of hearing and in need of financial assistance, you’ve probably asked yourself this. After all, hearing aids can be expensive. They require the devices themselves, costly batteries, proper fitment, and it helps to have them covered. Below, we’ll get into Medicare’s coverage of hearing aids, […]
Does Medicare Cover Chiropractic Care for Seniors?
Does Medicare cover chiropractic costs? If you’ve recently injured your back or are struggling with chronic pain, you might find it helpful to go to a chiropractor and receive spinal adjustments. This procedure is useful, but sessions can add up if you’re paying out of pocket. When you’re on Medicare, individual chiropractic costs are covered, but only […]
What is the Average Cost of Supplemental Insurance for Medicare?
How Much Does Supplemental Medicare Insurance Cost? One of the most frequent questions we get is, “What is the average cost of supplemental health insurance for seniors?” Medigap, also known as Medicare supplement insurance, is a group of standardized plans that help cover the gaps in Original Medicare health insurance. And, unfortunately, stating an average […]
How to Move a Parent with Dementia to Assisted Living
People with dementia often have a hard time comprehending the world around them. They forget easily, so when they are told they will be moving, they don’t remember. As the process begins, they wonder what is going on and become frightened. If you’ve been trying to figure out How to Move a Parent with Dementia […]
Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care at Home?
What Is Hospice Care at Home Many people wish to spend their final days at home, not in a hospital or assisted living facility. To do that, they need an increasing amount of medical care as they approach their time to pass. While some care may be provided by home health care aides, there’s some […]
How to Protect Your Assets from Nursing Homes
Nursing homes are expensive with an average cost in the United States of $7,698 per month (2020 average). Most people cannot afford this expense, but they are in desperate need of the services provided by nursing homes (long-term care facilities). When finances are not put into place for nursing home care, assets can be at […]
How to Qualify for Home Health Care & Get Financial Assistance
As people age, their risk of becoming injured or ill increases, and hospital stays may not always be the best solution for recovery. Being able to be at home for healing is much more comfortable, which can speed up the time it takes to recover. The only issue is that having home health care can […]
