Frequently Asked Questions About Medicare

Almost every American over the age of 65 is covered by Medicare, or will be after they retire. However, there are a lot of aspects about this massive health insurance program that are not well understood by many people. With that in mind, here are a few things Americans often don’t know about Medicare and what you should know about each. Continue reading “Frequently Asked Questions About Medicare” »

What You Need To Know About The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period

Annual Disenrollment Period

If you missed the opportunity to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan during the Oct. 15-Dec. 7 Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP), you have another chance to do so during the current Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP), which begins Jan. 1st, and will continue until Feb. 14th. Continue reading “What You Need To Know About The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period” »

Are Nursing Homes Covered By Medicare?

It’s estimated that 70% of seniors 65 and over will need some type of long-term care in their lifetime, and that includes nursing home stays. Now if you’re eligible for Medicare, you might assume that if you wind up in a nursing home, your costs will mostly be covered. But actually, that’s not true. Unfortunately, there are a lot of services traditional Medicare doesn’t cover, and nursing home care is one of them. If you really want to protect yourself from this potentially colossal expense, then you’ll need to consider investing in long-term care insurance. Continue reading “Are Nursing Homes Covered By Medicare?” »

12 Medicare Facts All Seniors Should Know

Medicare provides insurance coverage to 56 million Americans, yet many people don’t know everything they should know about this valuable program. Here are 12 important facts about Medicare that can help you make the most of your Medicare benefits. Continue reading “12 Medicare Facts All Seniors Should Know” »

Retirement Expenses Most People Underestimate

When we think about retirement, many of us are wired to assume that our costs will naturally drop as a result of no longer working. But we may be overestimating the extent to which that might happen. While it’s true that some expenses, like commuting, go down in retirement, others are, in fact, likely to climb. Here are five in particular that tend to catch retirees off guard.

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5 Things You Should Know About Social Security

If you’re a long way from retirement, knowing the ins and outs of Social Security might not seem particularly important. However, your Social Security benefits should play a key part in your retirement planning process — and you can’t factor in your Social Security benefits if you don’t understand how they work. The result will be a retirement plan that’s either overly optimistic or overly pessimistic.

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What You Need To Know: MEDICARE vs. MEDICAID

Understanding Medicare vs. Medicaid for maximum benefits

Medicare and Medicaid can be confusing, partly because the names sound so similar. But they’re two very different government healthcare programs. Medicare focuses on adults age 65 and older and Medicaid focuses on low-income individuals and families. The benefits, costs, and eligibility requirements are different for each program. Neither program has automatic enrollment so it’s important to understand what each one offers. Knowing which to apply for helps maximize your healthcare benefits.
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7 Tips To Help Cut Your Prescription Drug Costs

Soaring drug prices have grabbed headlines over the past couple of years, including the skyrocketing cost of an AIDs drug from $13.50 to $750, EpiPen’s massive hike, the spike in insulin costs, and the escalation of the costs of other lifesaving treatments. In these days of sky-high drug costs, Medicare recipients, particularly the 90% on a fixed income, are looking to get their prescription drug costs under control.

So, if you have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, what can you do to get your costs under control? Here are some tips for “what if” situations.
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