MedicareBob

This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 through 75 in Georgetown, South Carolina (zip code 29442). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

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Medicare Supplement Plan N is also called Medigap Plan N. Medicare Supplement Plan N is a great option for people that want the benefits of having a Medicare Supplement Plan, however want to keep a lower monthly premium.

Since the Medicare Supplement Plan N has a lower premium than the Plan F and G, it does cover less. There are only 4 out of pocket costs that the Plan N requires you to pay compared to the Plan F or Plan G. 

1. The Part B Deductible (The deductible for 2019 is $185.00)

2. Up to a $20.00 primary/specialist copay. You will not be billed this at the time of service but sent a bill in the mail

3. $50.00 ER copay. If you are admitted to the hospital, that $50.00 fee will be waived. Again, if you do have to pay this, you will not pay it at the time of service. You will receive a bill in the mail from the hospital. 

4. Part B Excess charges and this is when the doctors are allowed to charge and additional 15% over and above what Medicare has approved. (NOTE: Part B Excess charges are not allowed in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

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If you defer your Medicare and start it after you turn 65, for example you were still working and had coverage through your employer or your spouse was still working and you had coverage through their employer, to avoid any future penalty you must prove that you had creditable coverage through you or your spouse’s employer. 

There is a form that you can get from Social Security to have your employer fill out that proves that you had creditable coverage and were still working. After this form is filled out and given to Social Security, you can apply for Medicare Part B and get your Medicare Supplement coverage underway. 

However, there is an extra step when it comes to your Medicare Part D for your medications. When you sign up for your Part D drug plan, around 3 weeks later when you get your policy there will include a form that can be somewhat intimidating. It will state that you will have a penalty on your premium because you started your Medicare Part D late unless you have creditable coverage. The form requires that you fill it out and attest or basically promise that you’ve had creditable coverage through your employer. Send it back to your Part D carrier and you should be good to go. There is no proof required, simply attest that you had coverage through yours or your spouse’s employer. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

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This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 through 75 in Whitmire, South Carolina (zip code 29178). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber

Medicare Part A and B does NOT cover transportation. Some Medicare Advantage Plans will cover a certain number of rides per year to take you to the doctor, hospital or other medical facilities but that is an additional benefit. There is also a very limited scope of what you can use those services for. 

However, that may change in the future. Uber and Lyft are pitching an idea to Medicare and CMS (Center for Medicare Services) that they should be able to provide transportation as part of Medicare benefits or additional Medicare Advantage Plan benefits. Nothing has been set in stone but it’s a win-win situation for all parties. Uber and Lyft get government funding so they get paid and you are able to have transportation provided to you and it’s covered under your healthcare. The idea is that Medicare beneficiaries are provided a certain benefit amount ($1000 for example) a year and they can use that towards a ride from Uber or Lyft. As we said, nothing is set in stone but it is a very exciting idea that we hope gains some traction. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber

This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 through 75 in Great Falls, South Carolina (zip code 29055). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber

Medicare does not cover acupuncture, therefore none of the Medicare Supplements will cover acupuncture. Medicare is the decision maker in Medicare Supplement coverage because Medicare is the primary coverage between the two. If Medicare doesn’t cover the service, the Medicare Supplements can not cover the service. Always be sure to consult your doctor or Medicare before having a service done to avoid any unnecessary bills or charges.  

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w 

It is a well-known fact that it is almost impossible to find a decent dental, vision or hearing (DVH) plan after the age of 65 and it is imperative to have this type of coverage, especially after the age of 65. These are some statistics from the National Institute of Dental Research Joint Dental Report 2009 and EyeCareAmerica.org. Just to give you an idea of how badly people need DVH coverage: 

· 92% of adults 20 to 64 have had dental problems in their permanent teeth.

· 26% of adults 20 to 64 have untreated decay.

· Only 57% of the total population have dental coverage.

· “Lack of insurance” is the most commonly cited reason for not visiting the dentist.

· 62% of adult population in the United States uses prescriptive eyewear, only 48% have a vision exam every year or less.

· The number of visually impaired people likely will double by 2030 according to VisionWatch.

· 1 out of 4 children have vision problems.

· Men are more likely than women to report having hearing loss.

· Among adults aged 70 or older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than one in three (30%) has ever used them. Even fewer adults aged 20 to 69 (approximately 16%) who could benefit from wearing hearing aids have ever used them.

DVH coverage is important because it can prevent unforeseen situations that are painful, inconvenient and expensive. It’s imperative to protect yourself! Medicare does not cover these services, however with this coverage in such high demand, the insurance carriers have finally started hearing the cries for care and are delivering. 

Manhattan Life Group has released a plan that combines coverage for all three into one combination plan. Some of the plan highlights are listed below: 

· Choose your dentist or service provider – NO NETWORKS

· Competitive Family Rates (Includes maximum of 3 children)

· Offered to individuals ages 18 – 85

· $1,000 - $1,500 policy year benefit option available

· Allows you to pay usual and customary

· Guaranteed Issue. You do not have to medically qualify to purchase this plan.

· Guaranteed renewable for life. You can not be dropped for using the plan frequently. 

This plan can be written to Individuals or any individual in a group and added to group bill, you can add one dental policy to any existing CUL group bill, the “Effective Date” of a policy will be the policy date stated on the policy schedule page. It is not the date the application signed. Coverage begins on effective date and it is portable so you can use it anywhere. 

The biggest reason that this plan is such a favorite is because they do not limit your benefit per service. Many companies out there will provide a $1,500 benefit towards dental, vision or hearing but they will place a restriction on it. For example, they will only allow you to spend $250 a year on vision or $600 a year on hearing aids. The plan with Manhattan Life, they will not limit your benefit. If you want to use the full $1,500 that year towards dental care, you can. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare or our other DVH plans, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber

This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 and 70 in Clarendon County, South Carolina (zip code 29001). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber

This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 and 70 in Ashburn, Virginia (zip code 20147). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber