Archive for the ‘General Medicare’ Category
Friday, March 16th, 2012
Medicare can seem like a very complex program that's hard to understand, but don't be intimidated. Understanding Medicare and the many ways to supplement it with Medigap Insurance isn't hard when you have the right advisor.
Medicare is not going to cover all of your health care needs, but Medicare Supplemental Insurance or Medigap Plans can. These plans come with a variety of different benefits to let you pick and choose the healthcare coverage you expect to need. Fewer benefits may mean lower
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 13th, 2012
Blue Shield of California has a rate change scheduled for March 1, 2012 for Individual & Family California health insurance plans. However, rate increase does not apply to Medicare Supplement Insurance or Medigap Insurance. Blue Shield of California passed on a Medicare Supplement rate change last August and continued to pass on a rate change again for March 1, 2012.
Current Blue Shield of California Medicare Supplement rates are from 2010 and have not been changed nor adjusted. As of today,
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare | No Comments »
Saturday, March 10th, 2012
Last August 1, 2011, Blue Shield of California offered a $20 per month premium discount for 'new-to-Medicare' Supplement enrollees. This discount applies to anyone who is new to Medicare (just enrolled in Part B). Generally this applies to those turning 65 although certain 'late enrollees' can qualify who are over age 65.
The discount is good for one year for eligible applicants and will run until this year. BS of California even decided not to increase rates for Medigap Insurance plans. This
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
Are you worried about having to go the hospital because you’re not sure what Medicare will cover? Do Medicare’s co-insurance, co-pays and deductibles make it hard for you to figure out how much you’d have for take out of your retirement savings for an extended hospital stay?
Medicare’s Part A deductible, which you have to meet before Medicare begins to cover hospitalization, can really take a big bite out of your savings. And, that’s not the end of what Medicare may leave you to pay
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare | No Comments »
Sunday, March 4th, 2012
There are three significant reasons why its better to get a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan or a Medigap plan early in the year. Most companies do their price increases around the middle of the year, so you will ideally sign up for a plan prior to that rate hike. Many companies give you a 12-month rate “lock-in” period, during which you will pay the lower rate. This lets you avoid having to pay the higher rate when the company increases rates this summer.
Statistically, you are more
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Thursday, March 1st, 2012
Is 2012 your year to save on health care? Well, what I mean is will you finally become eligible for Medicare this year? If you’re turning 65, you better ask yourself whether traditional Medicare with a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan or a Medicare Advantage plan is going to help you the more. Usually, you are allowed to enroll when you’re 64 ½ so that by the time you turn 65, your coverage will be ready to take care of you.
You might be wondering why so many people supplement Medicare
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
Medicare can seem like a very complex program that's hard to understand, but don't be intimidated. Understanding Medicare and the many ways to supplement it with Medigap Insurance isn't hard when you have the right advisor.
Medicare is not going to cover all of your health care needs, but Medicare Supplemental Insurance or Medigap Plans can help. These plans come with a variety of different benefits to let you pick and choose the healthcare coverage you expect to need. Fewer benefits may mean
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Saturday, February 25th, 2012
If you are looking to make a change to your Medicare Supplement Insurance coverage in order to save money, it is important to understand the process and timeline for doing so. First of all, there are no annual enrollment periods. You can change your Medigap Insurance at any time of the year.
The Medicare annual enrollment from October 15 to December 7 does not apply to Medigap plans at all. For Medigap plans, open enrollment is the first six months after you turn 65 and have Part B. Open enrollment
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Wouldn’t it be simpler if Medicare would just pay for all of your doctor bills and any charges if you needed to go to the hospital? Trying to understand whether hospital bills are covered under the same benefit period or whether you have to meet Medicare’s Part B deductible to see a doctor can get really confusing.
That's why we don't just give you answers here on our website - we also have Medicare experts ready to explain how Medicare works and how Medicare Supplement Plans work with Medicare
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans, Med Supp Plans | 1 Comment »
Sunday, February 19th, 2012
If you have Original Medicare, you’re probably familiar with Part A and Part B coverage. You may have added a Part D Prescription Drug Plan, too. Did you know you can often get all three with a single Medicare Advantage Plan?
These plans are known as Part C because they offer an alternative to Original Medicare that combines Medicare’s Part A, B and D benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans or MA Plans cover the same health care as Original Medicare, but they frequently add extra benefits.
Some
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans | No Comments »
Thursday, February 16th, 2012
Do you have a Medigap plan to help reduce your out-of-pocket costs wth Medicare? If your answer is yes, you might want to consider adding a Medicare Part D plan to help with your prescription costs. Prescriptions are one of the biggest expenses for seniors.
Medicare's prescription drug program is called Medicare Part D and it is offered by private insurance companies. These companies and the various prescription plans that they make available are approved by Medicare.
Even though the plans
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Monday, February 13th, 2012
Changing your Medicare coverage is often a good idea, particularly if you have had the same plan for several years. New plans come to market and you could miss out on better prices if you don't compare your plan to newer ones. For example, when the new Plan M and Plan N became available in 2010, they became popular for low rates.
When you apply for a new plan, never cancel your old plan until the new one is approved. I recommend waiting until you receive your policy and new insurance card before
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Friday, February 10th, 2012
The types of plans that help you add to your Medicare coverage changed in 2010 and some of Medicare’s rules changed in 2011, but how you shop for Medicare Supplement Insurance remains the same. You still need a lot of comparison-shopping to get the best value in Medicare Supplement Plans.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to use Medicare Advantage Plans, Medigap Plans and Prescription Drug Plans to pay for many of your health care needs. Each of these options comes with different
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
If you’re looking for a Medicare plan that will cover your prescriptions, you have two options. You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or add a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan to your traditional Medicare.
According to a 2008 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, almost one-third of U.S. seniors (ages 57 to 85) are taking five or more prescriptions. Having one of these plans would help millions of seniors buying medications to maintain or improve their health.
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans | No Comments »
Saturday, February 4th, 2012
Hospital bills, prescription medicines, and other medical expenses are a bigger problem during retirement when your income is reduced. That's also the time when health care bills tend to increase, but that bad timing doesn't have to completely drain your savings. One very popular option for senior health care is known as Medicare Supplement Insurance or Medigap Insurance. It comes in the form of 10 benefit packages that help out with hospital stays and doctor visits.
Recently, Anthem Blue
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
Medicare Advantage plans are another way to get Medicare benefits. This alternative is offered by private insurance companies and these insurers usually add more benefits than you can get with traditional Medicare. However, if the provider network, or anything else about the plan's rules, doesn't meet with your complete satisfaction, you can switch back to original Medicare from January 1 to February 14. Since you'll be giving up the prescription drug coverage that typically is included in Medicare
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans | No Comments »
Saturday, January 28th, 2012
All of us have to face the reality that sooner or later our health could deteriorate. Even after you have Medicare, it's coverage is not complete enough to secure your future if you need to see a doctor often or you have to stay in the hospital. Medicare contains gaps in coverage for both doctor and hospital expenses.
It leaves you to pay for 20 percent of your doctor bills and requires you to pay for a lot of hospital care. In 2012, you need to spend $1,156 to meet the Part A deductible
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Medicare Advantage plans can expand on traditional Medicare coverage to help with dental, hearing and vision services without even raising your monthly premiums. That's because Medicare Advantage plans are subsidized by the federal government.
These plans do have some restrictions, though. With the exception of emergency situations, Medicare Advantage plans require you to get services through their network of providers. There's usually no coverage when you go outside of the network. Needing a
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans | No Comments »
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
Medicare Advantage plans are another way to receive Medicare benefits. They replace traditional Medicare Part A and B benefits with coverage through a private insurance company that adds on prescription drug coverage, like a Part D plan. Most Advantage plans add coverage beyond Medicare to help with dental services, eyeglasses and hearing aids.
One of the big selling points behind the growth in Medicare Advantage plans’ enrollment is the low premiums. In some areas, plans are available that
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans | No Comments »
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Medicare deductibles, along with co-insurance and co-pay charges, can add up to thousands of dollars in medical debt, but Medicare is not your only option. Both Medicare Advantage Plans and Medigap Insurance can expand on the benefits available through traditional Medicare. Your health status may impact those choices, though.
As with conventional health insurance, insurers are permitted to decline applications for Medigap Plans if the applicant has a pre-existing condition. There are certain periods
| Continue reading this entry » Posted in General Medicare, Med Advantage Plans, Med Supp Plans | No Comments »
