If you’re approaching retirement, you may ask yourself, “When does Medicare start?” This article will help you understand when your Medicare benefits will begin. Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) Everyone turning age 65, or getting Medicare benefits due to their Social Security disability status, gets an Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). How long it takes for Medicare […]
Are Medicare Supplement Plans Worth It?
When you’re first eligible for Medicare (Parts A and B), you also have a one-time opportunity to apply for Medicare supplement insurance without having to go through medical underwriting. This benefit, called guaranteed issue rights, is only available once, and the window of opportunity is only 6-months. In this article we’re going to answer an […]
What Gaps in Medicare Mean To You
In dictionaries the word gap means a break, a separation, an incompleteness or deficiency. In Medicare it means the same thing, but it refers specifically to something that is missing from your health insurance coverage. Many seniors make a critical mistake when they buy into government literature that explains how Medicare pays for eighty percent […]
What Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs Mean to You
Out-of-pocket costs are those fees that you have to pay at the doctors office, hospital or pharmacy because they are not covered by your Medicare health insurance. Almost all healthcare plans have these expenses, but they vary according to what type of Medicare plan you choose. Your out-of-pocket costs are a financial risk. As with […]
Is a Medicare MSA Plan Right For You?
MSA stands for Medical Savings Account. It’s a type of health insurance plan that helps you set aside monies in a tax-free savings account to be used on your health care costs. If you’re familiar with Health Savings Accounts outside of Medicare, it’s a similar type of health plan. Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans […]
Tips on Enrolling in Medicare for the First Time
About ten thousand people a day turn 65 in the United States, making them eligible for Medicare health insurance. If you are about to turn 65 you might want to know what being Medicare eligible means to you and how you can best prepare. The most important thing to be aware of is your Initial Enrollment […]
What are Air-Fluidized Beds and Who Needs One?
Anyone that has spent more than a week or two sick or injured in bed knows just how uncomfortable being bedridden can be. Fortunately, there are solutions for patients that need bed sore relief, including air-fluidized beds. Air fluidized beds are therapy beds that provide an ideal healing environment for patients with compromised skin. They […]
Does Medicare Cover Acupuncture?
Years ago I worked in a very high stress job that caused me to have severe headaches. However, the job came with a very unusual perk; We had a full-time acupuncturist on staff. Once a week I had a thirty minute session with Victor for treatments, including massage therapy, acupuncture, acupressure and electro-acupuncture. He helped […]
Does Medicare Cover Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screenings?
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a bulging, weakened area in the wall of the aorta resulting in an abnormal widening (ballooning) that’s in excess of 50 percent of the normal diameter. Most arterial aneurysms form in the abdominal aorta below the kidneys. This is called an infrarenal aneurysm. Aneurysms frequently continue to increase in size […]
What is Medicare?
Medicare is health insurance for U.S. citizens and legal residents ages 65 and older. Benefits are also available to people with certain disabilities, and those with kidney failure (End-Stage Renal Disease) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The federal program was created in 1965 to help seniors pay for their health care expenses. It is the most […]
