Increasingly, Medicare Advantage plans are serving more Medicare beneficiaries than ever. More than 22 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in 2019, a full 34% of those eligible for the health insurance program. This MedicareWire report offers a brief overview of the Medicare Advantage program for plan year 2020, based on its […]
Good News for Medicare Supplement Buyers: Open Enrollment Is Not For You
As October approaches, like clockwork the Medicare commercials begin on TV. As if Medicare isn’t confusing enough already, none of us need the bombardment of hype from insurance marketing organizations, like AARP. Nevertheless, it’s here and will be with us until early December. One area of confusion for many seniors has to do with the […]
Review Your Coverage: Take Advantage of Medicare’s 2020 Open Enrollment Period
Things happen and things change including your health and sometimes your health plan as well. Take advantage of the 2020 Medicare Annual Election Period (“Open Enrollment”) to review your current coverage and make sure it is still what you need from your health plan. The Annual Election Period (AEP) is October 15 to December 7. […]
2020 Part D Premiums, Deductibles & Donut Hole Changes
When first implemented in 2006, Medicare Part D plans had a built-in gap in coverage. During this coverage gap (aka, “Donut Hole”) drug plans paid nothing toward the cost of your medications. But that’s no longer the case. In 2012, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) implemented a phase-in of discounts for beneficiaries in the Coverage […]
9 Services Medicare Does Not Cover that Most Seniors Need
As we age most of us need eye care, dental work, foot care, hearing aids, and additional medical care, but Medicare generally won’t pay for any of these health services. And if you need extensive long-term care, Medicare only covers you for a limited amount of time and under very specific circumstances. Here’s a look […]
Is It Time for HHS & Medicare to Approve Marijuana for Medical Purposes?
I’m a non-user, but several good friends are. I really didn’t understand how smoking weed helped them with their chronic conditions until I broached the subject. What I learned is that they don’t use pot to “get high,” they use it as an alternative to potentially dangerous anti-anxiety and pain killer medications. This really opened […]
Does Medicare Cover Dental for Seniors
In this MedicareWire blog post we tackle one of the most common questions we get, “does Medicare pay for my dental care?” Dental Care for Seniors without Insurance Yes, some Medicare Advantage plans do offer dental coverage. Yes, Medicare does cover oral surgery and treatment associated with medically necessary healthcare, due to another health condition […]