Tag: HICAP
A Few Pointers To Help Save Money And Avoid The Strain Of Medicare Enrollment
By Susan Jaffe | Kaiser Health News | Oct. 17, 2017 | This article also ran in 
and 
Older or disabled Americans with Medicare coverage have probably 
noticed an uptick in mail solicitations from health insurance companies, which can mean only one thing: It’s time for the annual Medicare open enrollment.
Most beneficiaries have from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 to decide which of dozens of private plans offer the best drug coverage for 2018 or whether it’s better to leave traditional Medicare and get a drug and medical combo policy called Medicare Advantage.
Some tips for the novice and reminders for those who have been here before can make the process a little easier. [Continued at Kaiser Health News, USA Today and The Washington Post]
…Buying Supplemental Insurance Can Be Hard For Younger Medicare Beneficiaries
By Susan Jaffe | February 3, 2016 | Kaiser Health News in collaboration with Money magazine
Danny Thompson’s kidneys have failed and he needs a transplant but in some ways, he’s lucky: Both of his sons want to give him one of theirs, and his Medicare coverage will take care of most his expenses.
Danny Thompson (Heidi de Marco/KHN)
Yet the 53-year-old Californian is facing another daunting obstacle: He doesn’t
have the money for his share of the medical bills and follow-up drugs, and he can’t buy supplemental insurance to help cover his costs.
“It’s frustrating to be in the shape I’m in,” said Thompson, who depends on dialysis instead of his kidneys to cleanse his blood. “My plan is to get a transplant so I can go back to work.”
Almost one in four Medicare beneficiaries has such a policy, known as Medigap, which is sold by private insurance companies. It can help pay for costs Medicare doesn’t cover, including the 20 percent coinsurance required for medical expenses, including certain drugs, plus deductibles and co-payments. Those expenses have no out-of-pocket limit for beneficiaries.
This KHN story also ran on Money.
Federal law requires companies to sell Medigap plans to any Medicare beneficiary aged 65 or older within six months of signing up for Part B, which covers doctor visits and other outpatient services. If they sign up during this guaranteed open enrollment, they cannot be charged higher premiums due to their medical conditions.
But Congress left it to states to determine whether Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million people younger than 65 years old who qualify for Medicare because of a disability. [Continued in Kaiser Health News or Money magazine.]…