One of the keys to success in life is impeccable timing. When your timing is on point, your jokes will elicit uproarious laughter. But if your timing is off, your friend will be confused as to why you only just sent them a birthday present months after the fact. But it's no laughing matter when you make a mistake with Medicare enrollment period timing.  Medicare participants who don’t enroll during the period they should face difficulties with their benefits later on. New enrollees might experience delays in coverage or end up paying expensive penalties. Current beneficiaries might miss out on [...]

  How long did it take to find a doctor you liked and who accepted your Medicare plan? For many seniors, this process can be a lengthy ordeal! Often, you invest quite a bit of time and effort to find the perfect physician for your needs. But do you know what to do if your doctor drops your Medicare plan? Few seniors are aware that medical groups, as well as individual practitioners, can change their accepted insurance plans at any time. Changes to the insurance carriers your doctors work with can be upsetting, especially when you’re attached to your physician or [...]

Late last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) authorized several important rule changes for the 2023 Medicare enrollment periods. Do you know what to expect?  Understanding the details behind Medicare enrollment can be the difference between timely care and inconvenient delays. Luckily, the changes are easy to understand and help make Medicare coverage more comprehensive than before. Here’s what you need to know. Changes to the Initial Enrollment Period The Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is tailored to seniors who are turning 65, thus reaching the Medicare threshold. If you’re reaching this milestone, and don’t have health insurance [...]

  If you have Medicare Part D for prescription drug coverage, you can look forward to significant changes in 2024. As challenging as understanding any changes to Medicare can be, the Part D update is worth learning more about. You may not have realized, but the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included provisions to control the cost of your prescription drugs. Specifically, the Act caps Part D participants' out-of-pocket prescription costs, requiring Medicare and drug manufacturers to shoulder more of the financial burden. Change isn’t always good, but these are welcome news! In 2024, the result will be that most [...]

More seniors than ever are working past 65, and as a result, the healthcare coverage landscape is changing. While many seniors choose to enroll in Medicare when they turn 65, others like their employer-provided plan better. About 26% of the American workforce is between 65 and 74 years old—a trend that isn’t going anywhere. So, if you’re currently working past retirement age or are planning to, how should you select health coverage for yourself and your spouse? What are my options if I have employer-provided healthcare? If you’re over 65 and are covered by employer-provided health insurance, you have the [...]

We all wish the healthcare system was perfect. No one wants to deal with a doctor making the wrong recommendation, unpleasant or unsafe hospital conditions, the wrong prescription, or inappropriate treatment.  Unfortunately, the reality is that these issues do happen. And when they do, you may feel that letting someone know is important. You might need your care to be readdressed or want an explanation for why you need to switch doctors or pharmacies. The closure of knowing someone hears your negative experience, and to hopefully prevent the situation from happening again, is also healing. So when your Medicare experience [...]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care was in an obvious crisis. In addition to healthcare workers navigating how to treat patients in overwhelmed hospitals and perform needed operations within the strictures of quarantine, many people found themselves without health insurance and access to care.  In response to the public health emergency, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The act required states to continually enroll beneficiaries until the end of the COVID-19 emergency—if they wanted to keep their funding. The primary goal was to give Medicare-eligible Americans in crisis access to medical care. They also wanted to remove the [...]

Are you dealing with chronic pain? If so, you likely feel frustrated, angry, and possibly, hopeless. Not to mention the constant discomfort you’re facing can lead to anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, chronic pain keeps many seniors from enjoying their lives to the fullest.  While there’s often not a perfect solution to this problem, there are ways to manage and alleviate your pain—even without medication. Reducing stress, exercising regularly, changing your diet, and eliminating smoking and drinking can all improve your health. But there may be yet another way: acupuncture.  Acupuncture has entered the mainstream in recent years as a major [...]

Your medical care is comprised of many moving parts, and some aren’t even technically considered medical treatment. They’re actually seen as add-ons called ancillary services. Insurance like Medicare is built to provide healthcare treatment, but sometimes understanding your coverage can be tricky, especially when dealing with these associated resources. For example, say your friend falls and breaks her wrist. She has an initial visit with a doctor who treats her injury. But she also may have an ambulance ride to the hospital, wound care services to prevent infection, a series of x-rays and an inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation program. She [...]

Winter is turning into spring, which means longer days, blooming trees, wildlife coming out of hibernation, and of course, Medicare OEP!  Medicare has a few types of enrollment periods each year, and they can be a bit confusing to navigate. If you’re wondering what Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is and what action you might need to take, you’re in the right place! Today, we’ll cover the basics of OEP and what you need to know.   What is Medicare OEP? OEP runs every year from January 1st through March 31st. If you’re on Medicare Advantage, this is the time of year [...]