Medicare Benefit Period
Medicare beneficiaries who are admitted to a hospital for care are covered under Medicare Part A, which covers inpatient care, hospice care, nursing home care, and home health care. Some patients may be covered for additional care with a supplemental Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan, which offers more extensive coverage than Original Medicare. However, Medicare […]
Does Medicare Cover Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a form of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) in which the practitioner uses tiny needles inserted into the patient’s skin to offer pain relief and other health benefits. Acupuncture is typically categorized as alternative medicine, rather than medically necessary care, so it may not be covered by all health insurers. An initial visit will take around an […]
Medicare Qualified Government Wages
Most public sector employees earn Medicare benefits through payroll taxes. These taxes are applied during each pay cycle and count toward an employee’s eligibility for Medicare. People who have worked for 10 years (or 40 quarters) are eligible for Medicare when they turn 65. Because federal employees have their own retirement systems, they don’t pay taxes for Social […]
Medicare Advantage Plans 2020
Medicare Advantage plans are individual health care plans offered by private insurers that supplement your Original Medicare policy. They are required to include all of the benefits included in Original Medicare and may include additional benefits, such as vision and dental care, prescription drug coverage, and more. Premiums for Medicare Advantage plans (also known as Medicare Part […]
Does Medicare Have Dental Coverage?
Dental health is an important part of your overall well-being, no matter your age or health status. Dental professionals recommend getting a check-up every six months — or even more frequently depending on your gum health. But regular dental visits can cost $100 or more depending on whether you need X-rays and other preventive services. If you’re […]
Myths About Medicare
There’s a lot of misleading information about Medicare out there, and when you’re trying to choose a policy or figure out what your plan covers, it can be hard to sort out the facts from the fiction. When you’re dealing with something as important as your health care — and your wallet — you can’t […]
Is It Mandatory to Sign Up for Medicare at Age 65?
Many Americans look forward to being covered by Medicare when they turn 65. Others have an employer-based health insurance plan and would prefer to delay their enrollment in Medicare by a year or more. While you don’t have to sign up immediately when you turn 65, you might have to pay a penalty or higher premiums, depending […]
Medicare Supplement Plan F
Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, is a supplemental policy option that offers more complete coverage than Original Medicare Parts A & B. Medigap comes in 10 different plans that are standardized in most states, making it easy to compare your choices. One of the most popular Medigap options is Plan F, which offers the most coverage, but also […]
What is a Medicare Cost Plan?
A Medicare Cost Plan is an alternative to a Medicare Advantage or Medigap policy that is only available in some counties in the U.S. Like Medicare Advantage, it is designed to offer more benefits than Original Medicare, but is most common in rural areas where a Medicare Advantage policy isn’t available or there are fewer coverage options. […]
Medicare Plan N vs. Plan G
In most U.S. states – except for Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin – residents over 65 have 10 Medicare Supplement Insurance plans to choose from. These are plans that offer more benefits than a basic Medicare policy. Because they fill in the “gaps” in Medicare, they’re also known as Medigap coverage. Medigap is standardized from state to state, […]
