Medicare Insurance Articles
Get Ready to Pay More for Medicare Insurance in 2020
The annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) means that retirees will be getting bigger Social Security retirement benefits in 2020. Before you start celebrating the windfall, however, it’s important to consider two things. One, the increase is only 1.6 percent. Two,...
Medicare & HSAs: What You Need to Know
If you have a health savings account (HSA) and you’re turning 65, beware. Although HSAs are often used for retirement savings purposes, Medicare enrollees cannot contribute to HSAs. Here’s what you need to know about enrolling in Medicare and using your HSA. HSAs –...
How to Qualify for Medicare Low Income Subsidies
Do you need some extra help? Low Income Subsidies (LIS), also called Extra Help, are available to help qualifying Medicare beneficiaries afford the costs of prescription drugs. To qualify for Extra Help, you need to meet the LIS resource limits. The LIS resource...
How to Create a Medicare Drug List
It’s no secret that prescription drugs can get expensive. To ensure that you can afford your medicine, it’s important to pick the right insurance coverage for your unique needs. When comparing Medicare plans, you can do this by creating a drug list in the Medicare...
How to Assess Medicare Part D Drug Plans
As you know, prescription drugs are expensive. If you're over 65 or you have a qualifying condition, however, you can get some help with that. Thanks to Medicare Part D, some of your medications may be paid for. Medicare Part D plans, like any other part of Medicare,...
Buying Medicare When My Spouse Has Insurance: Key Considerations
When you turn 65, you become eligible for Medicare. While many people enroll right away to get their benefits and to avoid late penalties, some people have other insurance options. If your spouse has insurance through work, you may be wondering whether you should stay...
Can You Have Private Insurance and Medicare?
When you turn 65, you age into Medicare. For many people, this is fantastic news. Others, however, may have other coverage that they want to keep. This raises the question – can you have private insurance AND Medicare? In some cases, this is possible. Job-Based or...
10 Questions to Ask Your Insurance Agent Before Choosing a Medicare Insurance Plan
The Medicare Annual Election Period is coming up. Between October 15 and December 7, Medicare beneficiaries can change their enrollment for the following year. This is a great opportunity to make sure you have the right coverage for your needs. Before you choose a...
Learn Your Medicare ABCs
More than 60 million people are enrolled in Medicare. Despite the fact that nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population uses Medicare, there are a lot of misconceptions about it. To clear things up, it’s time to get schooled on the ABCs of Medicare and Medicare...
What You Need to Know About Medicare Election Periods
Medicare beneficiaries have options. While this is a good thing, it can also lead to confusion. Selecting the right plan is a high-stakes decision. Adding to the pressure, beneficiaries can only make decisions during certain periods. To make the right decisions, they...
Health Insurance for Retirees
Health care is one of the biggest expenses retirees face. According to the most recent estimates from Fidelity, the average couple will spend about $285,000 on health care during retirement. Given the high medical costs, it’s clear that selecting the right health...
Low-Income Subsidies for Medicare
Medicare isn’t free. Although many Americans qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A, they still have to pay premiums for the other parts of Medicare, as well as deductibles and copays. All of these out-of-pockets can add up, sometimes with disastrous effects....
Medicare Part D: Understanding Prescription Drug Coverage
Many Americans are struggling to pay for their medications. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average American spends about $1,200 on prescriptions each year. For seniors, who often take multiple prescriptions while living on...
Do Your Clients Have the Electronic Medicare & You Handbook?
Between now and May 31, you can sign up to receive a digital copy of the Medicare & You Handbook. It has all the same information as the traditional paper version, but the electronic format comes with advantages over the physical book. Tell your clients to sign up...
10 Questions to Ask Your Diabetic Clients to Identify the Best Health Plan
There’s a good chance many of your Medicare clients have diabetes. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report from the CDC, the condition impacts 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4 percent of the U.S. population. The rate is even high among senior populations:...
Medicare Scams – Share This with Clients!
Does it seem like half the calls you get are from scammers? You’re not alone. According to data from First Orion, scams calls went from 3.7 percent of all calls in 2017 to 29.2 percent in 2018. This year, scam calls are expected to account for 44.6 percent of all...
New Medicare App
Determining coverage has never been easier. CMS recently released an app that provides coverage information on Medicare. With the What’s Covered app, anyone can search for a service or item and see whether it’s covered under Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B. How Can...
What’s New in Medicare and Social Security for 2019
Many of us are still struggling to remember to write “2019” instead of “2018.” Nevertheless, the new year is well underway. In case you’re still catching up, here’s a look at what’s changing in Medicare and Social Security. Social Security Adjustments The Social...
Can You Deduct Medicare Expenses on Taxes?
Everyone has to pay taxes, but no one wants to pay more than they have to. Whether you’re counting on a big refund or simply want to keep the amount owed to Uncle Sam as low as possible, you need to take every deduction that’s legal. For many people aged 65 or older,...
What Can I Do with My Medicare Insurance During the Open Enrollment Period?
A new year has begun, which means a new coverage period has begun as well. Medicare beneficiaries who selected a new plan during the Annual Election Period, which ran from October 15 to December 7, are now enrolled in their new plan. Medicare beneficiaries who chose...