Open Enrollment for Medicare Ends Soon

Many health insurance plans have what is called an “open enrollment” period. It is the time when people can make changes to their health plans. The end of the open enrollment period for Medicare is coming up fast! Medicare is a public form of health insurance. It covers people who are age 65 or older. It also covers people (of any age) who have End Stage Renal Disease. Medicare also covers people who are younger than age 65 and who have certain types of disabilities. There are four different parts to Medicare. Part A is “Hospital Insurance”. It covers inpatient … Continue reading

How the Candidates Compare on Medicare – Obama/Biden

The first debate of the 2012 Presidential Election is over. It is vital that everyone become an informed voter, and understand exactly how each candidate stands on important issues. Here is some information to help you understand what Obama and Romney plan to do with Medicare. As we get closer to the election, you are going to hear a whole lot of misinformation about exactly what each candidate is intending to do. This is the Insurance blog, so I am going to focus on what the Obama/Biden plan is for Medicare. (I already covered information about the Romney/Ryan plan in … Continue reading

How the Candidates Compare on Medicare – Romney/Ryan

The first debate of the 2012 Presidential Election is over. It is vital that everyone become an informed voter, and understand exactly how each candidate stands on important issues. Here is some information to help you understand what Obama and Romney plan to do with Medicare. As we get closer to the election, you are going to hear a whole lot of misinformation about exactly what each candidate is intending to do. This is the Insurance blog, so I am going to focus on what the Romney/Ryan plan is for Medicare. (Another blog will have information about the Obama/Biden plan … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week in Review – July 15 – 21, 2012

Once a week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you an easy way to “ketchup” on the blogs that have been posted here in the past seven days. There could be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear. What did you miss? Governor Jay Nixon Vetoes Law Denying Birth Control Coverage Missouri Governor Jay Nixon vetoed a bill that would have allowed health insurers to opt-out of covering birth control even if the employer and employee wanted it to be covered. Missouri already has a law that allows employers or workers opt-out of birth control coverage if it … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week in Review – June 24 – 30, 2012

Once a week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you a fast way to “ketchup” on all the blogs that were posted here in the past seven days. There can be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear. What did you miss? A Brief Comparison of Health Care Plans Obama’s plan includes coverage for adults and children who have a pre-existing condition. Romney’s plan includes coverage for people who have a pre-existing condition – but only if they have had continuous health insurance coverage. The Insurance Podcast Roundup went up on June 25, 2012. This week, I’d like … Continue reading

Still No Luck With Medicare Part B

In January of 2012, my husband decided to sign up for Medicare Part B. He is eligible for it, and he turned in all the necessary paperwork on time. However, he still hasn’t received coverage. It seems that someone at Social Security lost his forms, and now, he is expected to make up for their incompetency. Medicare is a public health insurance program that is offered to people who are age 65 or older. It is also for people who are disabled. My husband is in his thirties and is legally blind. This means the government considers him to be … Continue reading

Applying for Medicare Part B – An Update

Earlier this year, my husband applied for Medicare Part B. He contacted Social Security, and was sent an application to fill out and return. He filled out, and mailed, that application in March. Yesterday, he got a letter that said he had missed the deadline for this year. Obviously, something was wrong! Most of the time, people who are eligible for Medicare receive Part A and Part B at the same time. To make a long story short, that is not how things happened for my husband. He is not age 65 or older, but is receiving Medicare because he … Continue reading

Medicare Limits Cancer Treatment Options

It can be really scary to be diagnosed with cancer. Treatment can include either medications or a chemotherapy drip. Which treatment is given should be decided by the person and his or her doctor. People who use Medicare, however, are finding that their insurer is making that decision for them. No one wants to hear their doctor say that they have been diagnosed with a form of cancer. It is scary, and the treatment can be extremely expensive. Those who have a good health insurance plan often find that they still get stuck paying many medical bills out of pocket. … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week in Review – April 29 – May 5, 2012

Every week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review quickly goes over all of the blogs that were posted in the past seven days. There can be anywhere between twelve and fourteen different blogs that appear here weekly. What did you miss? This is an easy way to “ketchup” on everything. Ohio Requires Insurance Coverage for Exotic Animals Ohio now requires owners of exotic animals to purchase a certain amount of liability insurance coverage for each animal they own. They also have to prove that they are providing proper care for the animals, and that they have good fences. The Insurance … Continue reading

107 People Charged with Medicare Fraud in Latest Crackdown

Federal officials in Washington just finished what they are calling a “nationwide takedown” of medical professionals who have been charged with Medicare fraud. This time, 107 people have been accused of fraudulently billing Medicare for a total of almost half a billion dollars. This is the latest effort to reduce Medicare fraud in order to keep the cost of Medicare manageable. In September of 2011, the federal government strengthened the insurance fraud laws. The changes increased the length of prison terms for people who commit insurance fraud. It added additional people to the strike force teams. New technology started being … Continue reading