Currently, many of America’s seniors are choosing to live at home with their adult children, to save on medical costs. More and more seniors need and use Medicare supplement insurance plans to maintain their health.

Medical supplemental insurance, also know as Medigap, aims to cover holes in the original Medicare. Medigap is made up of various plans that can cover co-pay, co-insurance, and deductibles. Together, the plans will give seniors 100 percent coverage. Medical supplement plans and Medigap are not to be confused with Medicare Advantage.

Navigating Medigap’s supplemental plans, can be confusing to seniors. This is where a dedicated insurance agent can help. Insurance agents should understand the policies, what they mean, how they work, how to price them out to benefit a senior’s coverage, and when to apply for coverage and not miss out on enrollment in the plan.

Selling Medicare supplement insurance is a brilliant plan that can grow the business base exponentially, if agents choose to educate clients and potential clients. Inform clients about modifications to Medigap, before enrolling:

The Medigap insurance plan was modified adding more choices
Plan K/Plan L covers 50 percent and 75 percent, respectively, of Hospice part A co-insurance as a basic benefit

For Plans K, L and N, seniors must pay a portion of the co-insurance/co-payments of Part B, which means they receive lower premiums

If current coverage ends at 65, send your medical policy application before the enrollment period, to be provided with continuous coverage.

Being proactive when selling Medicare supplement insurance ensures a healthy business base for your agency.

Medicare supplement leads, whether they are exclusive or not, require some fact checking first. For example, a fair number of lead generation companies suggest they are offering real-time leads, but in reality, they are only selling information garnered from a generic health insurance form. Anyone over 65 that fills out an online form is fair game and considered to be a lead. And while they technically are leads, they may not be leads looking for Medicare supplement quotes.

Many online lead generation companies claim they offer real-time Medicare supplement leads, and some even go as far as to claim they are exclusive leads. How does one sort through all the claims and make a determination about their veracity? And how are the leads generated?

To effectively build a thriving insurance company, working with a lead generation company can help to navigate these questions. Such a company provides leads using a dedicated Medicare supplement insurance form, which specifically asks if the individual is looking for Medicare supplements, if they are looking for Medicare Advantage or Medigap, and if they are already covered by Medicare Parts A & B. Those receiving these leads know right away that these potential customers are quite serious about buying Medicare supplements and calling them is easy with the information provided.

Another important point to consider is how the lead generation company gathers their leads. Interested parties should check to see if the company garners their Medigap, Medicare or Medicare Advantage leads the same way they generate health insurance leads. If they do blanket marketing (search and email marketing) for people wanting “health” insurance, this is an ineffective strategy that will likely generate dud leads. Health insurance is not the same thing as Medicare supplement insurance.

The most desirable tools in an agent’s arsenal are Medicare supplement leads from a lead generation company that uses a dedicated Medicare form. Anything else is a waste of time and money.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive life insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Think TV commercials. If you’ve ever watched a great show on Hulu and had it interrupted every ten minutes with the same commercial, over and over, you know the true definition of irritation.

If you over-promote a product, your presence can become annoying and delete-worthy. Instead, make it a point to send your promotions to the right crowd in a timely manner. Avoid promoting Medicare supplement insurance to the 20-something crowd, for instance.

Pay attention to what and where you are marketing, and give your customers plenty of time between postings to respond to you.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

“You’d think that with the number of people turning 65 in the nation that they would be aware of what they need to do to get Medicare and how it will affect them. Interestingly enough, there are a great number of people who don’t have a clue what they need to do to get Medicare. This is largely due to all the confusing and conflicting information floating around in the market about what they need to do and when they need to do it. I’ve had many seniors call about various ads and flyers they’ve received in the mail, most of which have inaccurate information in them,” stated Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

The problem with all the conflicting information about Medicare and how to apply for it, etc., is that it’s ultimately so confusing that many people try and ignore it and don’t realize how important it is to have Medicare coverage. This may be dangerous in more ways than one if they don’t have Medicare when they need it the most; when something happens and they need medical help.

“Keep in mind that Medicare policies by themselves are not enough to cover everything and that in order to fill in the ‘gaps,’ seniors need to have Medicare supplements. This is the only way they will be covered for the things they need,” commented Cantu.

If the primary problem is that the options are not clear about what to choose, this is the time to contact a Medicare insurance agent and start asking questions. Things just recently changed in regard to the type of plans and Medicare supplements that are sold to the public, and there is definitely a whole lot of new plans, plans that no longer exist, items that are no longer covered, and other changes that people need to know about in order to make an informed decision before they choose what plans they think will work for them.

Choosing the best Medicare policy and Medicare supplements to fill in the gaps is a bit of an art; and art that a Medicare insurance agent is very good at. “Their advice is free, their knowledge second to none, and their dedication to helping seniors is quite evident when you call for advice and guidance,” said Cantu.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit http://www.gomedigap.com.

“If you are not getting Social Security benefits, then before you turn 65, you need to apply for Medicare. It is not, contrary to popular opinion, an automatic enrolment,” indicated Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. The preliminary enrollment period for Medicare actually begins three months before a person turns 65 and includes their birth month and end three months after that month. While that may sounds confusing, it is easily clarified by contacting a local Medicare health insurance agent.

“If by chance you are still working, and in this day and age that is far more common that it used to be, you may not need to enroll in Part B when you hit age 65. Here is how that works. If your employer has over 20 workers and offers group insurance that you are participating in, your primary medical cover is your work health insurance. That then means Medicare would play a secondary role,” Cantu explained.

Ultimately, that would mean being able to delay enrolling in Part B until (if and when) employer coverage is lost. “Basically, that avoids duplication of Part B cover and paying Part B premiums. However, don’t assume anything here. Always check if that is the right thing to do, as things in health care are changing so rapidly these days, it’s easy to miss something,” he added.

What if a person does not qualify for Medicare because they did not work the required number of years at a company that offered Medicare covered employment? In cases like that, the worker may opt to buy into Medicare. For example, Part A’s 2010 monthly premium would be about $461 if there were less than 30 quarters of Medicare covered work. For those who had 30 to 39 quarters covered, they would pay roughly $254 a month. For Part B cover, the monthly payments would start at $96.40 and could go as high as $353.60; something that is solely dependent on Medicare means testing.

“There are a number of other ins and outs that you would need to know when dealing with initial enrollment periods versus general open enrollment and how penalties may be assessed for delaying enrollment in Part B for every year they delay enrolling. Typically, these issues are things that are best discussed either in person or on the phone, and I’d be happy to help anyone who has questions,” suggested Cantu.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit http://www.gomedigap.com.

Most people associate hospices with caring, quite, dignified palliative care for those who need assistance and who would otherwise be alone and in pain and fear. Hospice care, as we mentioned in another article, is a right under the Medicare program and many people have cheered at this inclusion. It’s a nod in the right direction for our society as a whole; demonstrating that we respect and honor those who will pass on before us, and that they deserve hospice care.

If people actually knew that hospices are now the targets of scams and fraudulent schemes, they would be angered beyond reason. That is what is happening, largely because while many only see the façade of the hospice – the caring ministers and nurses – the hospices these days are owned by big business and big business functions best on big profits.

What’s the scam? The scam is that money is being made hand over fist through Medicare reimbursements for people who are not dying and who don’t qualify for the Medicare Hospice Benefit. What is even worse is when this kind of fraud is the cause of patients and families not getting treatments they may need that could improve their lives. This has to stop.

Check out some of the stories online where big business hospice companies have handed out some mega-settlement money to divert attention from the fact that their hospices admit and readmit non-terminal patients and then fraudulently bills Medicare (and Medicaid). Here is one classic example: Odyssey Hospice, a huge national hospice company, paid out $12.9 million in 2006 for this type of fraud and then – well, they kept right on doing business they way they always had.

If you want another example, take the one of SouthernCare who coughed up $25 million in 2009 thanks to a whistleblower lawsuit. Both of these large companies paid their fines, but apparently nothing changed. It’s a fact that hospices are mega business opportunities. It’s a fact that many have revenues that top $600 million a year. It’s also a fact that they are making money on the backs of innocent people.

Are you aware of Medicare hospice fraud? If you are, it’s time to speak out and do something about it. The dignity of the dying is crucial and the future of the Medicare hospice benefit hangs in the balance with fraud continuing to strip the system of dollars that could be used for the benefit of the patients and not big business.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Anytime something changes, whether it’s how your bank processes your checks or when your health care plans change, like with Medicare, it tends to throw people for a loop. Makes sense; after all when you get used to doing something one way, suddenly finding out it’s now different is disconcerting.

This is particularly true with Medicare supplement plans. For those of you with the older plans, you had other choices and other plans eliminated at the beginning of June 2010. The ones eliminated were the Medigap plans you bought from a private insurance carrier. Good news: basic Medicare and prescription drug coverage has not been affected. So what do you have now? There are 12 variations of Medicare supplement plans A through to L; that’s Plan A to Plan L.

Here’s what you need to know as a quick reference. Plans E,H,I and J no longer exist, but if you had any one of those plans when they were eliminated, you got to keep them if that is what you wanted to do. If there was another plan that suited your needs much better, then perhaps you switched to one of the newer ones. By now, you will have a good idea of whether or not the switch was a good idea, or you may be planning to switch at the next open enrollment period.

By the first of June, you were also able to buy two new plans, M and N, which effectively offered expanded coverage. Plan F is still being sold or in other words, it’s still alive and kicking, so you can certainly look for it when you make any changes to your Medicare plans.

In all the confusion of the changes, a great many people missed out on what some of the other important changes were and may not realize that things they had before might no longer exist. For instance, preventive care and at-home recovery benefits were deleted from all supplement policies because they were not being used very much. This is something to consider overall for Medicare and other medical services; if you want them, use them or lose them.

Plan G offers 100% coverage for excess charges as opposed to the previous 80% coverage and you will find a new hospice benefit added to all of the plans with the exception of Plans K and L (they already have hospice benefits). The “new” hospice benefit offers cost sharing for all Part A eligible hospice and respite care expenses. Medicare has cover for inpatient respite care for up to five days, less your co-pay amount of 5% of the daily benefit. The hospice benefit picks up the 5% co-pay.

The best overall news in case you missed it has to do with the two new Medigap plans, M and N. They are set up give beneficiaries lower estimated premiums and higher cost sharing responsibilities. In Plan M you will find it includes 50% coverage of Medicare Part A deductible, but doesn’t cover Medicare Part B deductible. Plan N offers 100% coverage of Part A deductible, but zero cover for Part B deductible. Cover for the B deductible is now subject to a new co-pay arrangement.

Are there more changes you may need to be aware of for the coming year? Oh definitely, but it’s best to just call your local Medigap insurance agent and start asking questions. They know right away the things that you will need to know to make an informed health insurance purchase.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

This would certainly generate a whole lot of interesting competition in relation to the policies offered. But the question is, how will this whole scenario with large private insurance companies, and enormous lobby groups (like the AARP), pan out? While competition is nice to a certain extent, there are going to be private insurance companies that would not be so thrilled having to compete with non-profit health insurance cooperatives. That means they would have to lower their prices to get customers – and what? Hike them again after a year?

The bottom line is stay tuned for more developments as things start to heat up while the House is back in session.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

Just as there are things that are the same in both of the bills, there are a couple of differences that you will want to know about. The bill in the Senate slices and dices the Medicare budget by roughly 500 billion dollars, and that’s a whole lot of money. The House bill includes the Stupak amendment. In essence it bans the use of federal money for supplementing abortions that any health plan offers. This still seems to be under debate, so there is no telling how it will resolve.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

This might give you some pause for thought if you think you can save money by not buying health insurance. It will eventually become more expensive to “not” have it in the form of fines, and realistically, everyone will need medical care at some time in their lives.

There will be government subsidies to assist in paying for health insurance for low and middle income families. Interestingly, there will also no longer be “any” exclusions for pre-existing conditions; a huge bonus for many of the currently uninsured in the US. What this means is that insurance companies will be required to accept any one who applies, despite what medical condition they may have.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

Granted, there are some major differences between the House version of the overhaul of the health care system and the Senate version of the overhaul. However, both the bills do chop payments to private Medicare Advantage plans. This is largely because these are costing the government about 14% more than traditional Medicare.

While there are benefits being given in this upcoming legislation, there are trade-offs on the other side. For instance, the AARP (who advocates for Medicare Advantage cuts – after all it IS an insurance company) predicts it’s like some seniors may see an increase in the premiums; ultimately have their benefits cut; or see some plans shut down.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

What about the advent of the suggested non-profit cooperatives? Will those be dropped like a hot potato and instead favor what the Senate wants, which is not mentioned at all? So much for introducing competition into the health insurance market.

It’s projected that the program– the new health care program– would likely cost about 870 billion, but this is ONLY if there is 500 billion cut from Medicare benefits. Is this really realistic and who came up with those figures?

And finally, if this new proposed health care legislation does go through, just how will it affect the economy and the national debt? If they’re planning on forking out extra goodies to three states, then ultimately it’s the taxpayers that have to ante up. Give the matter some thought, because this last question is quite contentious.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

For instance, can the provision that a citizen who doesn’t buy private health insurance has to pay a fine and may be put in jail be enforced? Many civil rights attorneys don’t think so. What do you think?

What about the three states listed in the bills that are to receive special provisions and concessions? Are they constitutional and legal? Many people don’t think so and are labeling these concessions as pork barreling. Not much of a surprise when it comes to politicians. Stay tuned, there will be more coming out in the following days, weeks and months.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

In addition, in 2010 there will be 15 different Medicare Advantage plans. Call them Medicare Health options. Whatever you do choose to call them, if you haven’t had the training like your local health insurance broker, these new plans will throw you for a loop.

2010 will also bring with it some very significant changes in Medicare Supplement options. For this and other reasons, you really need to talk to a highly skilled health insurance professional to sort out what will work for you and your family.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

A lot can happen in a year when you realize that changes are already happening; some welcome and some not appreciated that much. A person’s health can also change drastically in a year and this is why you need to know what types of policies are available for you and your family.

Waiting until the final days of open enrollment doesn’t really benefit a senior who needs to have a Medicare plan that suits them, as once they discover what they’re used to is no longer available, they have difficulty adjusting to new options.

Knowing those options in advance takes the pressure off a senior to decide on the last day of open enrollment what they want. Deciding something as major as health care coverage in a panic will not give them the kind of coverage they want or need.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

This new method of charging for self-administered drugs is part of the changes coming in 2010 and beyond in Medicare. This shifts the price tag from the federal government back on to seniors. There are others services that are also being disallowed such as pelvic and breast exams, and pap smears if they are done outside the time period Medicare has set as a federal regulation.

Couple this with a relatively recent report from the government that is now suggesting that women don’t get mammograms until they are 50 rather than the current 40, and you will see for yourself that the government is trying to cut costs by reducing services to seniors.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

Here is how that works. If Medicare itself will not pay out on a claim for medical service, then the supplemental insurance policy does not either. Why? The supplement won’t pay out because that is what it does; it “supplements” the cost of medical services approved by Medicare. Make sure you know what is and is not covered in your Medicare plan before you find out later you have to pay for something out-of-pocket when you least expected it.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

A lot can happen in a year when you realize that changes are already happening; some welcome and some not appreciated that much. A person’s health can also change drastically in a year and this is why you need to know what types of policies are available for you and your family.

Waiting until the final days of open enrollment doesn’t really benefit a senior who needs to have a Medicare plan that suits them, as once they discover what they’re used to is no longer available, they have difficulty adjusting to new options.

Knowing those options in advance takes the pressure off a senior to decide on the last day of open enrollment what they want. Deciding something as major as health care coverage in a panic will not give them the kind of coverage they want or need.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

This new method of charging for self-administered drugs is part of the changes coming in 2010 and beyond in Medicare. This shifts the price tag from the federal government back on to seniors. There are others services that are also being disallowed such as pelvic and breast exams, and pap smears if they are done outside the time period Medicare has set as a federal regulation.

Couple this with a relatively recent report from the government that is now suggesting that women don’t get mammograms until they are 50 rather than the current 40, and you will see for yourself that the government is trying to cut costs by reducing services to seniors.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com

Here is how that works. If Medicare itself will not pay out on a claim for medical service, then the supplemental insurance policy does not either. Why? The supplement won’t pay out because that is what it does; it “supplements” the cost of medical services approved by Medicare. Make sure you know what is and is not covered in your Medicare plan before you find out later you have to pay for something out-of-pocket when you least expected it.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

“The baseline fear that most American seniors have when it comes to the health care reform bill is that ‘their’ health care program, Medicare, will be raided to pay for younger workers without insurance and their families,” explained said Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

The number and depth of some of the cuts does indeed cause a great deal of concern right across the board, to those who will lose services and to those providing services. “One thing seems to have been missed in the overall general angst of change – the new law actually benefits many Medicare policyholders, but that doesn’t get mentioned much. It’s a sort of ‘give with one hand and take with the other’ kind of trade that may even out in the wash later,” Cantu commented.

The changes and cuts are being brought in slowly, and with good reason – it’s an election year. That is why the cuts start next year and come into play gradually. This year, as an incentive of sorts, over 3 million seniors get $250 each for the Medicare prescription donut hole coverage gap. Mostly the gaps run over $1,000, so this is politely called a down payment for the future in some circles. In others it’s called a bribe.
All across the US many seniors are marshaling their votes and waiting to see what happens next. They are a powerful voice that could change the way the government looks at election time. The changes to Medicare are slated to cover over 46 million seniors and disabled individuals.

“Many public perceptions of the coming changes have stuck despite the fact that some of the changes will be beneficial for those using the Medicare program,” observed Cantu. The most famous one centered on “death panels,” implying that the changes would cost people their lives rather than assist them with their health care. Change is always disruptive at first until the full implications of the changes hit home.

“If seniors are uncertain about what the future holds for them in terms of benefits under Medicare, it’s best to call a Medicare health insurance agent and start asking questions about the changes to come. Knowledge is power and being informed will help ease fears,” added Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

With the introduction of the new plans (M and N) to Medicare in June 2010, four others will be exiting stage left – plans E,H,I and J. While this may cause some panic among seniors, it may help to know that the new plans actually offer more benefits than the older plans. “However, you can certainly keep what you have when M and N come in, but the problem with that will be the premiums will gradually increase as the pool of people covered shrinks. You may honestly be better off and save money by checking out M and N,” said Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

Medigap policies are sold to supplement Medicare’s basic coverage, or in other words, they fill in “gaps” in the original Medicare. For instance, some of the more common policies cover deductibles and co-insurance for things such as outpatient services or long stays in a hospital. Medigap pricing may tend to vary from region to region and according to the age of the policyholder. However, any of the Medigap benefits are all precisely the same everywhere in the US.

“For those enrolling in Medicare for the first time this year, when you choose to do it is the key to what you get. It’s usually more beneficial to get a Medigap policy during open enrollment. During this period of time, insurance companies are required to sell you a policy and they are not allowed to exclude pre-existing conditions or charge higher premiums,” added Cantu.

One thing to remember is that every Medigap plan insures against the risk of high out-of-pocket co-insurance costs on Part A and B. Over and above that, these plans offer increasing levels of coverage, and, higher options. “To be honest, your best bet health wise is to get the most comprehensive coverage you can,” Cantu indicated. “When you buy health insurance, think ahead for the future and assess what your level of risk may be, this will help you choose your coverage,” he said.

Plans E, H, I and J are being dropped because they duplicated coverage and benefits that don’t do what they should really be doing due to changes in Medicare recently. “The example I use most often is that those old plans have a $120/year preventive care benefit, however that predates similar benefits that have been added – for instance, bone-density screenings, pap tests and mammograms,” outlined Cantu.

The introduction of Plans M and N will give seniors more flexibility in how much of the “gaps” are covered and also usher in some pretty significant benefit options. For instance, Plan M will cover 50% of Part A inpatient hospital deductible, but ‘will not’ cover Part B deductible. Plan N will offer 100% coverage for Part A inpatient deductible,” Cantu explained.

“One thing to be on the alert for is the price variations for these new Medicare Plans. In some cases, there may be as much of a difference as up to $500.00,” commented Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. Make it a point to always shop around for prices before buying any Medicare coverage.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

This is a story that we heard from one of our clients. He received a letter in the mail that said one of his claims had been denied by his insurance company. Understandably baffled, the well organized senior took all his documentation to someone for help. He had a complete record of all his medical expenses relating to the claim his insurance company supposedly denied.

When the person he went to for help did some checking around, it turned out the letter stating the insurance company denied his claim was false. His insurance company never got the claim from Medicare. He could even prove that because he had the summary notice that Medicare sent him. The claim got paid and the client saved about $100.

What happened here is that a medical service provider did a totally dishonest thing and sent a bill with false information to a senior citizen to get them to pay money they “did not owe.” This amounts to outright fraud. It’s shocking that someone would go to those lengths to rip elderly people off.

If at any time you get something in the mail that doesn’t make sense, tells you a claim has been denied and you don’t recall the details, or says you need to pay more money out-of-pocket, call a reputable Medicare insurance broker, who will be more than pleased to help you figure out what’s going on. Medicare brokers have extensive knowledge in this area and understand that when you have trouble with something, it is upsetting and confusing.

Don’t automatically pay a denied claim difference. Check the details, check your records and check with the doctor’s office. Make sure you “do” keep records of all your trips to see a doctor, what procedures you may have had done, and any medications you may take. It’s also a good practice to keep any and all notices you get from any insurance company. Help is always at hand just by making a phone call. Don’t become a victim of fraud.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

From the looks of things, under the health care reform bill, insurance companies in 2010 will be banned from dropping people when they get sick and lifetime coverage limits will be gone. Annual limits will be restricted. These things will ultimately help Joe and Josephine Average who have been struggling with their health insurance coverage.

More good news for families indicates that insurers will be barred from excluding children due to pre-existing conditions and those under the age of 26-years-old will still be to stay on their parents’ health plans. Right now, most health plans drop kids when they turn 19 or complete college.

Those who happen to be on Medicare and who fall into what is referred to as the donut hole coverage gap, will actually get a $250 rebate. We’re not sure where the money is coming from to cover this, but it should be interesting to wait and see. The health care reform bill more or less closes the donut hole, which right now starts after $2,700 is shelled out for drugs. Once you hit $6,154, the coverage kicks in again. The difference is quite substantial, some $3,454, and makes one wonder how far a $250 rebate will go in the grander scheme of things.

Those who are pre-Medicare applicants will find themselves with a temporary reinsurance program to help companies keep offering coverage for early retirees between 55 and 64 years old. This however will expire in 2014. And, if you don’t have Medicare or any other kind of insurance to call your own, and have a pre-existing condition, you will be able to get health insurance under the auspices of a new program that ends in 2014, when insurance exchanges start operating.

There seems to be some more good news for Medicare come 2011. According to the health care reform bill, it will provide a 10% bonus payment to primary care doctors and general surgeons. You will be able to get free annual wellness visits and a unique personalized health plan specifically suited to you, and any new health plans will have to cover preventive services at no cost or a minimal fee.

The new Medicaid program for the poor doesn’t kick in until October 2011 and when it does, it lets states offer community based and home care for disabled individuals who would otherwise be in a nursing home.

By the time 2011 rolls around, payments to insurers still offering Medicare Advantage will be frozen at 2010 levels. This is in fact a major reason why many larger insurers will no longer be offering Medicare Advantage. Over time, the payments are to be scaled back and brought more in line with traditional Medicare.

There is more in the works, and the health care reform bill has other built-in timetables that will see other services kick in starting in 2012 and continuing until 2018. It may be interesting to read “ahead” to see what may be in store for your Medicare services. Better to find out now and start asking questions. Knowledge is power when it comes to understanding your Medicare benefits.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The cost for Medicare premiums is less than people were paying before they turned 65, and that is good news. The bad news is that Medicare does not cover all health care costs, but a lot of people tend to forget this point.

Most seniors need supplemental coverage to fill in the gaps for extra money they pay out for things not covered by Medicare. However, there are 12 different Medicare supplement plans – and so many Medicare insurers and HMOs to choose from – that not only is there a lot of variety and different prices, but the various options make it a bit easier to choose what will work for you.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

If this is something that might be in your future, now is the time to start asking about how they work and how to qualify for residence in a home, should they come to your state. Based on Vermont’s example, medical homes not only save money, but are a real benefit for the residents in that they are able to get care they would not otherwise receive.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

You can make a change to your Medicare supplement at any time, but there are a lot of insurance companies that will ask a LOT of medical questions. Depending on the answers you happen to give, you may or may not be able to change plans. So be aware and know what you are asking.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

This is interesting from the point of view of where is the money for the subsidies going to come from in the first place? Right now the nation is struggling to get its national debt under control; while on the other hand they are talking about spending trillions for health care reform. This is definitely food for thought for the discerning health insurance reform advocate.

Here is something else to also ponder – penalizing consumers and companies if they defy government requirements to provide health insurance access to all.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

And what choices would be on the table to pick from or pass by? The options so far would include a new government health insurance plan, health co-ops, and private plans. Of course people will want to know just what the government health insurance plan would entail, as many people tend to think that government run health insurance is a major pain, overpriced and not so efficient.

While the details have not really been fleshed out, it will be interesting to see what develops over the next few months since the passage of this health care reform bill. It’s definitely opened the door for greater things to happen. Now we all have to wait and see if what happens is actually something we can live with in the long-term.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The bill passed by a vote of 220 to 215, and the legislation would extend health insurance to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and enact dramatic changes to the country’s medical system. In addition, the bill would cost $1.2 trillion over the next ten years and mandate most employers to offer health coverage; and prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on a person’s medical history. There’s a public health insurance option in the bill with the alternative of people being able to keep their current plans if they like them.

While this all sounds pretty good, the question becomes how will it all be implemented? Stay tuned for interesting developments in this area.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Every year it’s a very wise move to review all Medicare plans in the family. Certainly this can be done at any time of the year, but it’s even more critical right now since it is open enrollment time until December 31st, 2009. This is when seniors have the option to change their existing Medicare Part D prescription plans and Medicare Part C Advantage plans.

When dealing with Medicare Advantage Plans, make it a point to speak to an expert health insurance broker, as there are a number of changes relating to the Medicare Advantage plans that will directly affect coverage. Currently, many seniors are now scrambling to find other health insurance coverage since Medicare Advantage has been cancelled out from under them.

The open enrollment period lasts six weeks and it’s a good time to evaluate the four parts of Medicare – Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D. Most of the seniors in Medicare have Part A and that provides them with hospitalization and rehab after they get out. Part B includes visits to the physician, some home care services and medical equipment. In some instances, seniors will also have an employer sponsored supplement or a private pay Medigap policy in addition to Parts A and B.

Most seniors are also very familiar with Part D, the fourth plan, because it covers drugs. Part C is the infamous Medicare Advantage program that came into being in 2003. Parts C and D were both created at the same time and actually Medicare Advantage was a dusted off and jacked up combination of the Medicare and Choice programs that had been in existence since 1997. With Medicare Advantage, seniors got the private insurance version of Parts A and B. If they signed on for Part C, then A and B no longer covered them. Now, Medicare coverage is run by private health insurance contracts with various insurance companies.

With all the changes to Medicare coming in 2010 and the cancellation of Medicare Advantage, it’s time to speak to a knowledgeable Medicare health insurance agent and find out what’s new for the future, who it will benefit, how it will benefit them, and how to get signed up.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a fact that most seniors have limited resources and need to watch their spending carefully. Nowhere is that more apparent than when it comes to health care needs. The way it works in the U.S. right now is that when a person turns 65, they become eligible for Medicare.

Medicare Part A is the hospital insurance portion and seniors get this free if the individual or spouse has 40 or more quarters of Medicare-covered employment. The rest of the medical insurance part, which is Medicare Part B, is for individuals who enroll at 65, and it’s fairly minimal; for example Medicare Part B was an average cost of $96.40 for 2009.

What these figures mean is that the cost for Medicare premiums is less than people were paying before they turned 65, and that is good news. The bad news is that Medicare does not cover all health care costs, which isn’t exactly new, but a lot of people forget this point.

Most seniors definitely need supplemental coverage to fill in the gaps for extra money they pay out for things not covered by Medicare. While that may sound depressing, there are 12 different Medicare supplement plans and so many Medicare insurers and HMOs to choose from, that not only is there a lot of variety and different prices, it’s sometimes tough to figure out which way to go. Just because something is good for one person, does not make it good for another.

Seniors can definitely control the costs of their health insurance coverage by keeping up-to-date on the latest information that relates to their plans and by making it a point to speak to an expert health insurance agent. They will do best by talking to an agent that sells what they need, not just someone who has many things they are able to sell.

It’s time consuming for seniors to find plans that suit their budgets, but this is definitely a doable proposition with the right health insurance agent that works with seniors one-on-one and finds them what suits their needs. If more seniors got together and became a powerful voice for Medicare insurance they could count on and afford, silver power would be a new word in health care circles when it came to Medicare.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It appears that the current administration in Washington will be launching a 3-year medical home program that may be an option for qualified Medicare beneficiaries in states that are participating in this program. What it boils down to is those who do qualify will live in Medicare housing where they will be seen on a regular basis by primary care doctors and other health care providers. Those other providers would possibly include social workers, therapists and nurse practitioners.

This is initially a pilot program to see if all goes well and to assess if Medicare recipients do get a high level of care offered to them. Overall though, the main reason behind this pilot program is to ideally reduce costs. Evidently the new program will offer access to things like dietitians and physical therapists, something not usually covered by the “original” Medicare. So this program may just be a step in the right direction and be a benefit to Medicare recipients who need these kinds of specialized services.

What is happening right now is that if a senior is on Medicare and needs a service that isn’t covered under their plan, they have two choices – either pay for the service out-of-pocket or buy Medicare supplemental insurance. Generally speaking, it’s a smart move for seniors to have Medicare supplemental insurance so they are covered for things they may need. Buying this later often becomes more expensive.

To make this new program work, it seems that Medicare will be joining hands with Medicaid, state and federal health care programs, and private insurers in states that will offer the medical home program. For instance, Vermont already has a medical care home model in operation. By all reports, it seems to be doing what it was created to do, provide “uniform standards for advanced primary care.” It’s not just Vermont that has implemented this kind of a model either; so have Maine, Colorado and Massachusetts.

Never before has Medicare taken part in something this big and different. It breaks all the traditional rules and blazes some new trails. In addition to this it will be the first time that private insurance companies and primary care physicians will actually be on the same page when it comes to compensation. Of interest is that Vermont doctors get an extra patient bonus of $1.20 to $2.39 a patient, per month, to look after their care and get a further bonus if a patient’s health improves based on certain criteria.

If you’re making plans for the future, now is the time to call about making changes to your Medigap plans or improve your Medicare coverage. It is open enrollment until December 31, 2009.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

One thing you should definitely know right up front is that open enrollment for Medicare Part D started November 15th and runs right through to December 31st every year. You may or may not know this however, that Medicare supplements do not have an open enrollment period. The only open enrollment you make take advantage of is the one that relates to Medicare Part D drug coverage, period. The reason this is so important to know and remember is because a large portion of the senior population think open enrollment is for Medicare supplement plans. This is not the case.

This isn’t to say that you can’t attempt to make a change to your Medicare supplement at any time, but having said that, there are a lot of companies that will ask medical questions. The answers you give to those questions may either allow you to change plans or not, as the case may be.

Here is another area of confusion now, and likely in the foreseeable future, Medicare supplements are also called Medigap policies and they are identical by plan. So what that really means is that if you want to buy plan J from AARP, you will get precisely the same benefits with a plan J offered by American Progressive. In other words, it doesn’t matter where you buy the plan, it is the same plan.

The only thing that does tend to change is the premiums the various companies charge. Sure, you could shop for the cheapest deal, but you will want to know you are dealing with a company with a good reputation for honoring their claims. Just because the ads you get in your mailbox say company X is the biggest and best and is really aggressive about chasing your business, does not mean they “are” the best. So be wary.

The interesting thing here is that when you look in your stuffed mailbox, the ads you see are strictly regulated by the Center for Medicare Services. That may be all well and good, but that still does not help you sort out some very confusing and misleading ads. Remember this as well, that just because your banker or best friend has a plan that works for them, does not mean it is suited to your particular circumstances. Ask questions and don’t stop until you get answers that make sense, and get a plan based on your needs, health and budget.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s enough for you to have to get your act together to manage a move from one state to another. The list of things to do is endless and often the last thing that gets dealt with is what to do with your health insurance. What you have in one state might not fit what you need in your new home. The timing for premium payments may change – etc. and the list goes on.

Health insurance has at times been compared to a can of worms. Open the lid and you know for sure things will be all over the place. This is easy enough to sort out by talking to a health insurance agent that knows their stuff. The difficult part is usually trying to figure out the opt in and opt out provisions.

Right now, and this may change depending on what state you are in – so check this out, you are able to opt into Medicare supplements between November 15th of the prior year and December 31st. At that time you’ll be locked in until the next opt out period. This isn’t quite as simple as it sounds, so make sure you ask about this. It’s not simple because there are a lot of exceptions to the rules.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s no laughing matter when you go to use your health insurance benefits and find out you don’t have what you thought you did. In fact, it’s often a nasty shock to the system and to your wallet.

This more than anything points out one essential thing we all should be doing – reading the fine print on our health insurance contracts, supplements, plans or whatever you want to call them. Whatever you do choose to call them, make sure when you search for Medicare or Medicare supplement insurance that you have a list of questions you want answered.

While it might seem as exciting as watching paint dry, reading the fine print will tell you precisely what is covered and what isn’t. In other words, you won’t find out about it later when you’re in a situation where you thought you had coverage – and didn’t. If you’re opting for a Medicare supplement, know what you need versus what you might get.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The second reason you are paying more for drugs is because that is how drug companies survive, by selling drugs and making a profit. Now normally they are continually developing drugs for the marketplace. Lately there are fewer drugs in the development pipeline and that means you pay higher prices so the drug companies can stay in business. That money out of your pocket also goes to drug research in the hopes that the companies will find another blockbuster drug and stay in business.

The bottom line is if you want to save some bucks on your health care expenses, then buy generic drugs.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

This is the time to speak to a local Medicare insurance agent and find out what 2010 will bring in terms of changes to Medicare and Medigap insurance. Knowing what to expect now will allow you to make an informed decision about what will best work for you when the slated Medicare insurance changes take place in June 2010.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The tax will likely not go over well with those who have to pay it, but it’s obvious that something needs to be done to assist seniors in the absence of the cost of living adjustment.

The theory is seniors will spend it on health care needs that include medications and topping off their Medicare supplements for better health coverage. This economic boost for seniors will be a welcome relief as Medicare Part B costs will increase as much as 9% in 2010, with Part D costs increasing about 11.1% for 2010.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

To say that this shortfall in funding for seniors will cause problems is a major understatement. Most seniors spend their money on health care costs – things like prescription drugs and their Medicare insurance premiums.

Since the cost of Medicare insurance premiums is predicted to rise again next year by at least 9%, the extra funds coming from Congress should help seniors handle the rising cost of Medicare.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

If health problems exist and an individual has been unable to get Medicare supplement plans, there is hope in the form of guaranteed issue periods. These periods are federally mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and apply to “all” Medicare enrollees. What this specifically means is that the guaranteed issue period lets people apply for a plan without being denied coverage, charging more for any health condition, and excluding any pre-existing conditions.

As a stand-alone product, Medicare pays for roughly 80% of most covered services. This would mean an individual or family would then be responsible for the other 20% of the expenses that are not covered. While this 20% might not sound like much, it definitely adds up if the hospital bill is for things like strokes, heart attacks or cancer. Basically any major medical event will run the meter up and leave many people in a desperate situation financially. For seniors on a limited budget, this is not good news. This is why seniors need to be supplementing Medicare with Medicare supplements. It’s essential.

One reason why it is essential for those over 65 to supplement their Medicare is the fact that anyone needing health insurance needs to consider the monthly premium rate. The coverage itself is standardized, so that means what someone pays for it is critical. Shopping around for better rates makes sense and in the meantime if the insurance company that sold the Medicare supplement plans goes under, those left in the dust are allowed to sign up for a new plan under the guaranteed issue period.

Consider any value added benefits and other possible discounts when sourcing Medicare health insurance. Not a lot of people realize that some insurance outfits offer additional benefits as an attractive value-added part of their plan. If a company offers something worthwhile and it would be used, then it might be the place to buy Medicare insurance.

Take into consideration that waiting might not be a smart idea when it comes to getting Medicare supplements simply because a person might not be able to qualify for it later. Private companies have control over who they accept onto their plans and while some have more lenient underwriting guidelines, they may deny coverage.

The bottom line is shop around, ask questions and read the fine print in any policy purchased. It only makes good sense to know what the policy covers and does not cover.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a fairly straightforward difference between Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and it basically boils down to the majority of an individual’s health care expenses is covered by Medicare. For example, Medicare part A will cover inpatient care at places like a hospice, skilled nursing facility or a hospital.

Medicare part B takes care of doctors and outpatient services, while part D handles prescription drugs. One thing to remember is that parts B and D mean paying a premium. While it looks like Medicare covers a whole lot, it doesn’t cover everything. This is where Medicare supplements or Medicare Advantage steps in if a person or family wants 100% of their health care covered.

If a person opts to buy Medicare supplements, they are purchasing a “gap” policy that fills in the holes in the original Medicare plan, usually referred to as a Medigap policy. With these particular policies, there are various levels of coverage in 12 different plans with alphabet designations A through L. Each one of these letters provides a different kind of supplemental health coverage and the prices are unique, based on the different levels.

Medigap health insurance is offered by private health insurance companies and there is a monthly premium to be paid. Usually the premium is dictated by the level of coverage, age of the insured and their zip code. As with many other things in life, these plans usually have a price increase yearly.

With the Medicare supplement policies there are usually open enrollment periods and a person is able to get guaranteed enrollment. If an application is not made during the open enrollment period, the usual health insurance underwriting routine applies.

Medicare supplements are additional coverage. Medicare Advantage is replacement coverage. To file a claim under a Medicare supplement policy, a person must file a claim with Medicare and the supplemental insurance company. In the case of Medicare Advantage, the claim is processed by the policy provider.

Medicare Advantage also currently provides many choices such as a PPO, FFS or HMO and right now plans are available to suit an individual’s personal preferences and what is still being marketed in the applicable zip code. All this will change when Medicare Advantage is no longer offered in 2010. Now is the time to speak to a local Medicare health insurance provider to find out what other alternatives will be available to replace Medicare Advantage.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

For those of you that don’t know what Medicare supplementary plans are, they are meant to bridge the gap between the policy coverage of the original Medicare and the actual bill, when it arrives in the mail later.This “gapping” became necessary when it was discovered that the original Medicare plan didn’t pay for every medical service actually needed, and you were dealing with a medical disaster.

If you stop to think about that explanation, it will make a great deal of sense to find out that there is more than one “gap” between the original plan and your bill. In order to do something about that gap, you do need to have Medicare to begin with, and then supplement it with other plans to fill the gaps. This analogy is a bit like filling teeth in that the dentist takes the existing original tooth and fills in the gaps with supplemental material to make it whole again.

Notice the use of the term “gap” and it will come as no surprise that the plans to fill in the original Medicare are referred to as Medigap policies. Medigap policies are run by private insurance companies who sell them to the public for varying prices. While the plans themselves are standardized, meaning they are the same in every state, the prices tend to be different depending on what the insurance company wishes to charge for them.

Despite the fact that Medigap policies are controlled by private health insurance companies, they still must have common rules to be followed when it comes to actually selling the Medigap policies. First and foremost is there are only 12 standard policies running from plan A to L. Each of their policies has its own set of benefits as well.

What is often not clearly understood by many people is that most of the Medigap policies give consumers the basic benefits of plans A and B, and in addition to the basic benefits, they also have their own advantages.

The 12 plans (A-L) have been around since 1992, but now there may be two “new” plans introduced in June 2010, plans M and N. The main feature of these two plans will be that they are supposedly going to provide lower premium rates as an alternative to the existing Medicare Supplement plans. While it isn’t entirely clear what M and N may offer, it is predicted that they should sell well because of the lower premiums.
With any change in Medicare or Medicare supplements, make sure you take the time to read each policy you decide to buy so you “know” just precisely what health coverage you actually have.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Whether or not this will truly come to pass depends a great deal on what happens in Congress over the remainder of the year and into the first part of 2010. However, having said that, the Social Security Administration has already served notice that is won’t be giving recipients a cost of living adjustment in 2010.

For the first time in 35 years there will be no cost of living adjustment, simply because there has been no inflation; a shocking bit of information by itself, but when combined with the news that seniors will not get the adjustment, the news becomes dismaying and financially upsetting for seniors. This is one of the reasons why Washington may step in and try and make a difference.

The truth here is that any extra money that seniors may have is going to buy prescription drugs and pay for Medicare and Medicare supplements, both of which have increased in cost quite substantially. In light of that particular revelation, politicians have seen a chance to make a difference and are lobbying for extra funds to be given to seniors in 2010.

This “supplement” of sorts won’t come without a cost of roughly $14 billion, which makes one wonder where on Earth the money will come from during this recession. Apparently it will be gleaned from slapping Social Security payroll taxes on earnings between $250,000 and $359,000 a year. Currently workers only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,800 of their incomes.

While it’s obvious that this tax will not go over well with the people who have to pay it, it’s equally as obvious that something needs to be done to assist seniors in 2010, thanks to the absence of the cost of living adjustment. The theory behind the supplement payment is that seniors will spend it and help stimulate the economy.

There is no doubt seniors will spend it, and likely spend it on health care needs that would include medications and topping off their Medicare supplements for better health coverage. If you follow the news, you’ll likely appreciate that this kind of an economic boost for seniors will be a welcome relief as Medicare Part B costs are slated to increase as much as 9% in 2010 with Part D costs following along with an increase of about 11.1% for next year.

This extra help for seniors is timely and in light of bailouts for banks and other businesses, it only seems fair to provide funds for those most in need of decent health coverage.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

When the Patient Self-Determination Act was passed, keeping down the costs at the end of a person’s life was a Medicare and government issue. This is directly due to the fact that the largest part of a person’s medical expenses tends to come at the end of life. This act mandates that health care providers, nursing homes and hospitals tell patients about health care powers of attorney and make them aware of living wills.
One of the latest proposals, in keeping with the drive to change the health care system, is a proposal that doctors must talk to patients about end-of-life issues and to outline handling advanced health care directives and hospice care offered under the auspices of Medicare. This is startling because it means physicians will be cast in the roll of pseudo-lawyers discussing legal issues that affect their patients.
The interesting part of this proposed change is that if it’s passed as currently written, those same pseudo-lawyers, dressed as doctors, would make money from the government providing Medicare patients with end-of-life consulting every five years. This has the potential to happen more often if a person is diagnosed with a terminal condition. Also, this end-of-life consultation wouldn’t be offered to those covered under “other” health plans. As yet, no one has explained why that would be the case.
This proposal is rife with unanswered questions, not the least of which is who would train the doctors and how would seniors with dementia or other forms of cognitive impairment be informed about these “directives”? Obviously there are other dangling questions that concern America’s seniors when it comes to their health insurance coverage. Concerns that for the most part seem to be going by the wayside as the country struggles with the massive debt load it is carrying, and tries to handle an out-of-control health system before it falls flat on its face from overuse and abuse.

What do all the changes in 2010 in Medicare and Medicare supplements really mean? This is a question that seems to have no direct answer at the moment. Only time will tell how the coming changes to Medicare will affect American seniors.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Medical homes seem to be a radical idea that no one wants to discuss and the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (Center for Medicine) has some concerns about the concept. While they agree that there needs to be cost cutting measures to get a grip on Medicare expenses, they aren’t too enthralled with the idea of medical homes.

These “homes” are way, way back in the health care reform bill in the inevitable fine print. What the text proposes is the establishment of a medical home pilot program for disabled persons and for seniors. It seems the idea would mean providing a medical home for every person during the long process of America moving to a wellness based system, instead of remaining with the current sickness based model.

This idea begs the question of what would happen to Medicare, Medicare supplements and a whole host of other scary questions that people can’t really wrap their minds around. On the surface the idea sounds like a great one, with the homes being operated by nurse practitioners and doctors’ assistants who would use evidence based medicine.

These individuals would hand out treatment to those in the home, but without the supervision of a doctor. There is also a question of what precisely does the term “treatment” mean – handing out medications or performing other medical procedures? How would these costs be absorbed and by whom? What the Center for Medicine is wary of is the imposition of “one-size fits-all” medicine handed out by only partially trained medical staff to cut corners and save the government and private insurance carriers some money.

Here’s where Medicare comes into the picture. The proposed pilot program would be aimed at Medicare patients with a high medical risk score, and/or those needing constant treatment or supervision. This type of patient requires the care of a physician, not just a nurse. And herein lies the concern of many seniors on Medicare and the Center for Medicine. This will put the proposal into perspective sharply. Right now there are roughly 22 million individuals eligible for the proposed medical home program.

The logistics of a program of this nature are staggering and one wonders if the government has any clear concept of what that would mean in terms of trying to set it up. To contemplate caring for 22 million people with just nurses and doctors’ assistants is a sobering thought. More to the point, how will this really save Medicare and the health system any money?

Think about that for a minute and the realization will dawn that someone will need to pay for this kind of care and if it’s not the government and insurance carriers, then it would be private individuals. Seniors on

Medicare and Medicare supplements barely have the kind of money to afford what they have now, how would they afford a medical care home?

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a fact that one in every five Americans is a senior. Come 2050 this will be one in four. If you take the time to do some math, you can see where this market will continually burgeon until even greater numbers of seniors are on Medicare. This is important news for insurance companies and the health system because seniors these days are living far longer than they did before – thanks to the marvels of new technology.

Wave one of the baby boomers will hit the marketplace in roughly a year and a half if they were born in the 20 year period after the end of WWII. The next wave will hit in approximately 2025. Medicare as we know it today will look nothing like it used to with the advent of all these new people becoming eligible to receive benefits. This also begs the question of just how the health system will cope with such an enormous influx of older people needing more care. Think of how expensive that is going to be. Given the state of the economy today, this might be viewed as a touch and go situation at best.

Keep in mind that seniors in the 21st century are leap years ahead of their predecessors. They’re alert, politically aware, highly motivated, intelligent and quite involved in advocating for their future. They’re prepared to take on the government and fight for what they perceive to be their right to adequate health care. They’re also far more financially secure than generations before them and they continue to generate revenue by way of annuities, pensions, social security, jobs (yes, seniors are indeed working past the age of 65) and investments.

Part of the reason that today’s seniors are far more aware of what is going on around them than ever before is that virtually one out of every five over the age of 65 is now online. Just about half of the seniors in the 65 to 75 year old bracket use the WWW. Those over 75 have also taken the plunge into exploring global connectivity.

If seniors are online, what do you suppose they are currently looking for as they surf? If you guessed they were trying to get information on Medicare, health insurance and Medicaid, you’d have just won the prize at the county fair. What a golden opportunity for brokers or agents that specialize in these forms of health insurance, as research reveals these same Internet savvy seniors are also starting their health insurance purchases online now as well.

If you’re prepared for the future and ready to serve the baby boomers as they become eligible for Medicare, etc. then you won’t have any trouble finding customers. In fact, they’ll likely be coming to you first. Make sure you have a highly interactive and easy to use website that has all the information seniors need and provides excellent service.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

One hand of the government says they are not going to raise taxes to fix Medicare. The other hand says the plan to reform Medicare will cost more because Medicare needs to change. So, which is the real story and what is the real definition of the word subsidy? Is it true that Medicare and Medicaid are the reasons the economy is so out of whack or is it the other way around?

Ostensibly a subsidy is a grant of public money that assists a private operator in serving the public or it is any financial assistance given by one person to another. The fact is that the government subsidizes Medicare and Medicaid, and what the government does not subsidize comes out of the pockets of seniors. Based on what many seniors hear in the nationwide town hall meetings, they feel that too much change will spell problems for them.

Seniors do not want “less” medical care and would be happy to keep what they have right now, and they most certainly do not want to pay more out-of-pocket for what they are currently getting. While it may all boil down to a matter of perception, the fact is that if changes are made to Medicare and Medicaid and Medicare supplements, it is virtually inevitable that costs will increase. It’s the nature of the beast.

Most frightening of all to seniors on limited budgets, even if they do have a comfortable income, is the fact that they feel the government is beginning to offload the increasing costs of Medicare and Medicare supplements to the one part of the population who can least afford it. Some have even been heard to say they feel they are being put out to pasture by the government’s rush to trim senior health care because their lives are shorter at that age.

Without going off the deep end on this subject, it would be best if seniors took the time to really make themselves familiar with the issues before making up their minds. Ask the tough questions, see what the answers are and then make an informed decision. There is no doubt that the cost of revamping Medicare is going to be tremendous and that it can’t be done until the economy is in better shape than it is right now.

There are still a number of unanswered questions relating to the high birth rate in the U.S. and how that impacts the health system, as well as questions about the immigrant population who moved here to take advantage of health care services. How will those costs be factored into a new health system without taking from Peter to care for Paul?

While things need to change in order to provide care for all, the question still remains: How will that be done and where will the money come from to accomplish it? In the meantime, don’t jump to conclusions until the whole picture becomes clear, as there may be more to understand before making up your mind that the government is out to “get” seniors. This may not be the case and like many items we have already heard about, it might only be “suggestions” to see the response.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The major problem with Medicare and all the various deductibles is that it is extremely confusing trying to figure out which portion of Medicare – Part A and Part B – has which deductible kick in and when. For the record, Medicare part A offers hospital coverage, and part B provides medical coverage. If there is no Medicare supplement insurance involved then when the calendar year starts and a patient visits their doctor they would pay a deductible of roughly $150.

If this same person had to go to hospital and spent three days there, they would get in the mail a part A deductible bill of approximately $1,000. If for some reason the same patient had to return to the hospital for another short stay a few months later, they would once again get a part A deductible bill in the mail for the same amount as their first stay. At this point many seniors throw up their hands and wonder what is happening and why they are getting two bills in the mail.

The reason there were two deductibles in one year under Medicare part A is because the deductible is charged for a benefit period, and a benefit period starts the day a person goes to a hospital or other nursing institution.

The period typically ends when the patient hasn’t gotten hospital care for 60 days in a row. If that period ends and another trip to the hospital is required, this is classified as a new benefit period. On the other hand, Medicare part B only has the one deductible a calendar year.

If Medigap supplement insurance was in play in this scenario, then it would likely have covered the out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare part A and part B deductibles. At one time there was the option to consider the benefits of a Medicare Advantage plan. Unfortunately, this plan will no longer be offered in 2010.
Medicare isn’t always the easiest health care insurance to understand, but with a little due diligence and digging, most of the answers are readily available. Granted they may be confusing at first, but if seniors take the time to speak to a local Medicare insurance agent, they will have the answers immediately. A local Medicare agent will know the plans and benefits intimately and if budget is a concern, he will be able to tailor Medicare supplement insurance to go with Medicare that is affordable and actually delivers what it promises to deliver.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Luckily, Medicare is a whole lot easier to understand than many people think. There are portions of their various policies that leave something to be desired in the comprehension and plain English department, but suffice it to say that for the most part, what someone needs to know is easy to find out and easy to understand.

There is a handbook available from Medicare if the spirit moves a person to ask for it. However, it is confusing at best and leaves readers with the vague feeling they missed something, and they usually did. To really narrow the focus of what is definitely needed for Medicare, do some pre-planning and have the various options selected by March.

Make critical decisions like going with an HMO as opposed to private insurance or a PPO. Perhaps an existing retirement plan offers health benefits after the age of 65. These are things that need to be taken into consideration when selecting Medicare plans and Medicare supplement insurance.

Other decisions that need to be made include deciding if it makes sense to take part A, which is free, and part B that is paid out of social security. Something that needs to be perfectly clear about part A is that it picks up 80 percent of the costs of a hospital stay, but it does not cover the doctors treating a patient during that stay. Alternatively, part B offers doctor/surgeon/specialist coverage that handles 80 percent of physician visits, lab tests, surgeons and other specialists. This is usually the plan that most seniors will use.

A smart move for seniors is to take advantage of open enrollment. This is when three months prior to the senior’s birthday and three months after it, they are considered to be in open enrollment. This is useful information because during this period of time there is no health underwriting with insurance companies.
HMO’s can definitely deny coverage based on the health of an individual. However, insurance companies cannot, not if the person is in open enrollment. This is a golden opportunity to take advantage of if one’s health isn’t that great.

Depending on what state a senior resides in, they may wind up paying between $100 and $175 for Medicare supplements. In other states there is the option to choose plan F or plan J which would mean no deductibles, co-pays and the Medicare supplement insurance would pay the remaining balance of the medical bills. It’s best to check with a licensed Medicare insurance broker who will be able to outline what plans are available in various states and their costs before making any decisions about what Medicare plan and Medicare supplements are needed.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Medicare is not the ‘be all-end all’ and all encompassing insurance program than many elderly Americans seem to think it is; far from it to be precise. It will not and cannot take care of all their medical needs. It was never designed as a program to handle every medical need a person has. It was initially designed to take care of life’s medical crisis moments such as heart attacks and things like seriously broken bones.

Unfortunately, Medicare somehow became the magic panacea to cure everyone’s aches, pains and illnesses when they got older. That meant that buying Medicare supplements didn’t make much sense to older people because they already had Medicare coverage. Many of them opted to not get Medicare supplements because the cost seemed out of line. This mistaken impression needs to be corrected before too many seniors realize their mistake later when they desperately need medical care they cannot get with Medicare.

If the elderly do not understand the differences between Medicare and Medicare supplements they will find themselves faced with medical bills later in life that they not only didn’t expect to have, but will have no way to be able to pay them. This isn’t to say the Medicare is flawed, but it should be noted that it does have limited coverage, and it’s the consumer’s responsibility to know what Medicare does provide and what it doesn’t. Having said that, often seniors need help understanding Medicare supplement insurance from their families, and also need to know where they can find pricing for Medicare supplement coverage that suits their budgets.

If you’re helping your older relatives understand the complicated tangle of Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance, make sure to explain to them why having this extra coverage is crucial for their medical care; that they need the extra coverage now to cover care needed later.

There are four levels of Medicare that you need to know about, and each of them deal with medical coverage differently. For instance, Medicare part A pays overnight hospital expenses; part B handles routine doctor’s fees/tests; part C is optional coverage in that if you have part A, B or Medicare Advantage part C (which will be phased out in 2010) you are eligible for part D (prescription drug coverage). With the changes to Medicare coming in 2010, it makes sense to have a heart-to-heart talk with a local Medicare insurance agent who will be able to outline more in-depth what the coming changes are and what they may mean to you.

Every part of Medicare has a variety of deductibles and limits in place that once reached will mean your Medicare coverage is exhausted. These limits and deductibles change now and then, so keeping up-to-date with the changes will provide you with the peace of mind that your elderly family member is fully covered in any event. Don’t hesitate to contact a local Medicare insurance agent and discuss what you need for your senior family member. They are there to help you.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

In a hundred words or less, Medigap (Medicare supplement insurance) is offered to the public through private insurance companies in order to fill in the “gaps” in Medicare coverage. This is because Medicare does not offer coverage for “everything” and most people find they need a bit extra to get the coverage they need.

In an attempt to make things relatively simple, the government dictated that Medigap policy carriers are only allowed to offer precise plans the government approved. Those policies are Medicare supplement Plans A through Plan L. Every company that sells Medicare supplements is selling the exact same policies; there are no differences between insurance companies on policy content. What does differ however, is the price charged for Medicare supplement insurance. This definitely does change from company to company, which means if you do some shopping around, you may be able to save yourself some money.

To put this another way, if you buy a Plan A Medicare supplement insurance policy from XX insurance company, it will be an exact match to a Plan A policy bought at insurance company AA. One thing that you really do need to do before you choose which Medicare supplements suits your needs is to compare not only the plans, but also compare the companies that offer you that kind of insurance. Sure you can get quotes online, but make sure they are from different types of insurance companies.

Pay close attention to what you are reading while you are online, as there are insurance companies whose methodology on selling health insurance dictates how they price their Medicare supplements. Next, closely examine each plan for the benefits you will receive. There will be some plans that have benefits that you will never use and therefore it won’t make any sense to buy them. This is one good way to save money, by choosing a plan you know without a doubt you will use and not shelling out money for unused benefits.
Remember, that the step where you do your benefit comparisons is crucial so that you know precisely what you are getting when you make your decision to buy a Medicare supplement. This is where it makes the most sense to call a local Medicare insurance agent and ask some pertinent questions about coverage.
Your life is unique to you and no one else can tell you what would suit you the best except you. This is why you need to ask questions and narrow your search parameters down to get the best possible combination of policies that deliver the coverage you need – minus the benefits you wouldn’t use.

Talking to a local Medicare insurance agent is a major step in understanding the community you live in, what the realities are for you as a healthcare consumer using networks and other information you will need to tailor a plan for your needs.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

While Big Pharma hasn’t really been a good and trusted friend to the Medicare system because they traditionally charged outrageous prices for their drugs, the time has come for drug manufacturers to set aside their agenda of making money from those who can least afford it and make a significant difference to the community at large. Those receiving Medicare will clearly benefit from lower drug costs.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Certainly lower drug prices will mean a big break for seniors on Medicare and who have Medigap coverage and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Being a senior and living on a budget is difficult enough these days in a recession. Trying to budget Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance premiums is even more arduous.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a landmark announcement, that seniors will be able to take advantage of lower prescription drug costs in the near future. The behind story has to do with the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP) working a deal with Big Pharma to implement the cuts. What this means for those 65 years of age and older is significant assistance meeting their Medicare prescription drug costs.

This is serendipity as a survey was just released indicating seniors would have to save some serious money in their retirement funds to make all the projected health costs for the future. This news has added a ray of hope by lowering Medicare prescription drug costs for seniors. It couldn’t come at a better time when there are also some significant changes coming to the Medicare and Medigap plans in 2010.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

What options are there if you want to save a lot of money to make sure you have good coverage later in life? Plan your retirement and what kind of health care benefits you will need very early in partnership with a qualified, knowledgeable insurance agent. There are a lot of options out there and working as a team with your agent, will help you find one that will suit your situation.

Be smart and save aggressively, work longer hours for the extra money and take care of yourself to reduce the number of problems that might crop up in later life.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

While it may sound like it’s way out of line, the truth of the matter is that health care usually represents 12% to 14% of expenses for seniors. It’s going to be tough to save that kind of money for the future. You could always decide to take a chance and go for a lower amount, but that depends on how you feel about taking risks with your health. Having a 50/50 chance of having enough money to manage is quite risky. It’s a tough decision at 65 when you thought you had enough money to have a decent retirement.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Why would you want to do this? The costs of health care in this country are continuing to get more expensive every year. It’s inevitable, sort of like the sun rising each day. Even if Medicare and Medicaid do have lower premiums when the change in programs comes in 2010, you’ll need more money to make your increased health care costs. Yes, even with lower costs for premiums and lower costs for medications thanks to a new program introduced by Big Pharma that will reduce the cost of drugs for seniors by about 50%, health care costs increase at twice the rate of general inflation.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

If the Medicare policy an individual has is working well for them and they don’t really have any major problems, there isn’t much of a percentage in switching policies. However, if that same person has had nothing but problems with the coverage not being what they want, the service the insurance company offers and the rates are too high – it may be time to think about switching to another policy.

Although anyone may change their policy if that is what they want to do, it is not a “right” and it really needs to be done while an individual is in their six-month open enrollment period.

Before pulling the plug on one policy, it only makes good sense to shop around first and speak to a qualified insurance broker about the changes that might make sense to suit a changing lifestyle. Make sure the benefits between what exists now and what is under consideration are thoroughly compared. One of the first things to check is the rates to see if the new company is offering lower ones.

Comparing policies is the easy part, because Medicare is the same right across the nation, it won’t matter what state it’s purchased in. However, it will matter which insurance broker has the better price. Right now there are still 12 plans on offer, with the letters A through L. Again, all these plans are the same as well, so all a person needs to do is find a price that suits their budget.

If, after doing some price comparisons, the decision is made to switch carriers, don’t make the mistake of canceling the existing plan until its certain the new company will accept the business. There will likely be the usual gamut of health questions and the poking about in one’s medical background first. Keep in mind the new company does not have to accept new business if they find anything that concerns them. If they do accept the new business, then the old policy may be canceled.

A quick tip here for those who aren’t sure they want to keep a new policy after all. There is a 30-day period to decide if the switch to the new policy fits the bill. This is referred to as the “free look” period, and it starts when a person gets their new Medicare supplement policy.

For those who have had their first policy for a period of less than six months, the new insurance broker might insist on a six month wait for coverage on pre-existing conditions. On the other hand, if the policy was in effect for more than six months, any new ones will have the same coverage with no waiting period.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

There is a fairly common tendency for people to lump Medicare and Medigap insurance together, but they are actually two different plans that do two different things. So it’s best to know the differences before trying to select what is needed for coverage.

Medicare insurance is a government-sponsored program that a person is eligible for when they reach 65 years of age or have Medicare due to a disability. All of the coverage is standardized, in other words, it’s all the same for each individual, unless they want to change something. This is where the differences come into play. If a person wants to add something to the basic Medicare insurance, they need to buy Medicare supplement insurance.

Of course, if the standardized version of Medicare suits a person’s circumstances, there is no need to get Medicare supplement insurance. That is as rare as hen’s teeth though, as most people need their health benefits tailored to meet their circumstances. So, the deal is that Medicare supplements do just that – supplement the main Medicare program. Don’t get confused here by the term Medicare supplement insurance, as it’s just another term for Medigap, simply because it fills in the “gaps” the main program leaves open.

The usual difficulty becomes what Medigap plan will work the best, and provides the greatest coverage. This isn’t something that a lot of people like to try and do on their own because they find it too confusing. This is where an expert insurance broker comes into the picture. Find a broker with a sterling track record to assist with making the right choices for each person that requires coverage. Finding one that truly understands all the ramifications of each different situation is precisely the answer to a Medicare insurance shopper’s prayers.
Be aware that when requesting quotes for various options, the results will overwhelm the inbox on the computer, or the snail mailbox. This of course means hours of comparison work and this is where most people opt to speak to a trusted insurance broker to help them whittle down their extensive choices. It’s best to deal with brokers who have a large number of insurance companies on board, because this will ultimately provide everyone with what they need.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s quite the landmark announcement to say the least, that seniors will be able to take advantage of lower prescription drug costs in the near future. This thanks to a recent announcement by President Obama. The behind the scenes story has to do with the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP) working a deal with Big Pharma to implement the cuts. What this means for seniors (those 65 years of age and older) is significant assistance meeting their Medicare prescription drug costs.

Just recently, a survey was released that indicated seniors would have to do some serious revamping of their retirement funds to make all the projected health costs for the future. This newest announcement has added a ray of hope to that scenario by lowering Medicare prescription drug costs for seniors. It couldn’t come at a better time when there are also some significant changes coming to the Medicare and Medigap plans in 2010.

Comprehensive health care reform, while a large task, may be accomplished in small steps, like this one. Certainly it will mean a significant break for seniors who are on Medicare and have Medigap coverage and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Being a senior and living on a budget is difficult enough these days in a recession. Trying to budget Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance premiums is even more arduous.

The idea behind this announcement is that seniors will likely see their prescription drug expenses cut in half – a compelling and motivating step towards changing the face of health care for older Americans. While Big Pharma has never really been a friend to the Medicare system (largely because of the high costs of drugs), the time has come for everyone to put aside their various agendas and make a difference to the community at large. It goes without saying that Medicare recipients overall will certainly benefit from lower drug costs.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a no brainer that the costs of health care in this country are going to continue to increase. It’s inevitable. So, what that means is even if Medicare and Medicaid do have lower premiums when the change in programs comes in 2010, you’ll need more money to make your increased health care costs at some point in time. Traditionally, health care costs have shot up at twice the rate of general inflation.

While this may seem right off the wall, it actually isn’t given the current state of the economy and the rising costs of getting medical services. If you retire this year you may need up to $378,000 in savings just to meet the demands of your insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. Quite eye opening isn’t it? By the way, this particular figure is for a male; a female’s calculation would have to be even higher simply because they live longer. How high? As high as $450,000. Sound like a lot? Perhaps, but health care usually represents 12% to 14% of expenses for seniors.

Salting away that kind of money might be a tad difficult to ensure you have enough coverage for the rough spots life throws at you. You could of course, shoot for a lower amount and take a risk that you have a 50/50 chance of having enough funds to cover health care bills. It’s a tough decision to face when you hit 65 and think you have things under control.

What happens if some people retire first before becoming eligible for Medicare? Many of them think they can apply for Medicare early, just like they applied for Social Security benefits, but that isn’t the case. What this means is that they will need more money to cover the gap between retirement and their 65th birthday.
So really, what are the options if you want to save that kind of money to ensure you have coverage later in life? Plan your retirement and what kind of health care benefits you will need well in advance with a qualified, knowledgeable insurance agent. There are so many different options available out there, that one should suit your situation.

Make retirement plans early, be smart and save aggressively like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter, work longer hours if you need to for the extra money and take care of yourself to reduce the number of problems that might crop up in later life.

Make it a point to know what Medicare covers, ask questions about Medigap (the insurance companion to Medicare), know how Medicare Part D works to your advantage, check out the prescription drug plan, and ask about long-term care. Knowledge is power and that power will help you redefine what you may need for your future health care needs.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

In other surprising news, Medicare Advantage plans are losing their appeal from the point of view of the government. Well Care and Coventry, two big names in Medicare health insurance, will no longer offer Medicare Advantage as of 2010. They will be totally out of business, as they can’t afford to offer the Medicare Advantage plan any longer. Why? The reason is because the government is reducing funds paid out to companies offering Medicare Advantage.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a lot easier to find out what the real scoop is than to find out at the last minute that what you assumed was the case (that you could possibly get Medicare at age 62, like Social Security) is a myth and you have to wait three more years and pay out a lot of extra money for insurance.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Most often these same people won’t have any problems until one day when they hit the wall regarding something they thought they were covered for, and it turned out that they weren’t. That meant they were forking out bucks for medical care and not happy about it. This could have been avoided if they knew what their policy really covered.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Do the math! For a single senior at age 62, the amount of money they would need to hand out to have health insurance would be up to $10,800 for three years or double that for a couple. Living on Social Security benefits and a pension may not allow people to find that kind of extra money.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

While sourcing other insurance isn’t usually a problem, the price of the insurance, if you’re 65 or over, is another matter altogether. In most instances you’d need the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) or to buy health insurance from a private insurance company. Always ask your local Medicare insurance agent the real facts.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Nope – you can’t do this. You cannot get Medicare and Medicare supplements at the age of 62. Don’t make the mistake of planning your retirement thinking you have those supplements to go along with Social Security. If you do this, you will find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

You are only able to get Medicare and Medicare supplements when you turn 65, no earlier. The problem is people are assuming, without checking, that because they are able to get Social Security at 62, that the same is true for Medicare and Medicare supplements.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The truth of the matter is that any doctor that takes Medicare will accept any standard Medicare supplement insurance, no matter the size health insurance company offering it. This of course implies that there is non-standard Medicare coverage, something that needs to be discussed with a local Medicare health insurance agent.

There is a big difference in how health care operates with Medicare as compared to how it operates prior to age 65. When a person is under 65 and on a company or individual health insurance policy, they have to worry about seeing doctors within that particular insurance providers PPO or HMO network.

Once they have Medicare and a Medicare supplement it changes considerably. Because of the standardization of Medicare supplement plans, they no longer have to worry about whether one insurance provider is going to provide better access to a larger group of doctors; or if a doctor will choose to take one Medicare supplement insurance company’s plan versus another.

If the doctor accepts Medicare supplements he or she will accept a Standard Medicare supplement policy from any insurance company – whether it be a very large company everyone’s heard of or a very small regional insurance company providing Medicare supplements.

A lot of this has to do with the standardization of plans and claims processing by Medicare. What’s great about this is that, once a person has determined which plan they prefer, they may shop the market to determine who is going to give the best rate. This gives the peace of mind that the plan will work the same no matter from which company it was purchased.

So, go figure out which plan is the preferred one and find a reputable Medicare supplement insurance agent who brokers several companies to help people determine which company will provide the best rate for this standardized coverage.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

How many times has an overheard conversation brought up the fact that people think Medicare covers everything, almost and including the kitchen sink? It’s interesting that people seem to regard Medicare as the Super Man of the health insurance industry with far reaching powers. To a certain extent this has a nugget of truth in it, however, Medicare is far from being the “be all, end all” of health insurance.

While Medicare does a yeoman’s job of covering the general populace, they definitely have drawn some lines in the sand that they won’t cross when it comes to coverage. For instance, Medicare does not cover long-term care. This would actually make some sense when the bigger picture is taken into consideration. They could not cover long-term care due to the nature of the enormous expenses involved.

Medicare also only partially covers preventative care, as there is a limit to some things when it comes to what is classified as preventative care. This area of the health care system could be abused with very little effort, and in order to keep a lid on soaring expenses, only some prevention is approved.

Check with your local Medicare health insurance agent for the whys and wherefore on this. Never assume something is the case without specifically checking it, as the Medicare system in the U.S. is in a state of transition right now and things are changing rapidly.

While Medicare is fairly reasonable when it comes to approving treatments for things that are considered medical necessities, there are exceptions to every rule. This is the time to be checking out the exceptions with a highly qualified Medicare health insurance agent. It’s one call that will definitely save some hassle and confusion in the long run.

If the overall Medicare system is taken into consideration, it would be obvious that the number of people it must insure would be staggering. They realistically are not able to cover everything for everyone or the cost of Medicare, rather than being fairly reasonable, would be right out of line.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

For some strange reason many people seem to think that they are only allowed to switch their Medicare supplements during the anniversary enrollment period. The actual truth is that they are able to switch at any time during the year so long as they are medically qualified to do so.

Medicare Advantage plan and Part D of the drug supplement are the only plans that can be switched between November 15 and December 31 of each year.

Furthermore, Medicare Advantage plans seem to be losing their luster. Well Care and Coventry, two of the biggest names in the Medicare health insurance business, won’t be offering Medicare Advantage in 2010. They will be totally out of business because they can’t afford to offer the Medicare Advantage plan. The reason is because the government is reducing the amount paid to companies offering Medicare Advantage.

Coventry handles Medicare Advantage benefits for well over 318 thousand people. It’s safe to say that tens of thousands of Medicare Advantage recipients will be wondering what they are going to do with the demise of the Medicare Advantage plan.

Some good news about the death of Medicare Advantage is that you will be guaranteed issue for 63 days once your plan is no longer in effect. Talk to a local health insurance agent now to plan for the future. Choose one that knows their Medicare inside out and will be able to walk you through other alternatives.

Again, it is a common misconception about Medicare that people can only change coverage during the anniversary enrollment. This could easily be put to rest if people needing this kind of information took the time to do a little research on the Internet. In the alternative, they could make a call to their local Medicare health insurance agent and ask some pointed questions about qualifying dates and how those apply to their particular situation.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

This is definitely a myth. You cannot get Medicare and Medicare supplements at the age of 62, so don’t plan your retirement banking on having those supplements to go along with your Social Security. If you do this, you will find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The truth of the matter is that you are only able to get Medicare and Medicare supplements when you turn 65 – period, no earlier. The problem is that many people, without checking things out to confirm it, are assuming that because they are able to get Social Security at 62, that the same is true for Medicare and Medicare supplements.

We have seen many cases where people took retirement early, banking on having not only Social Security, but also Medicare to help defray the expenses. Unfortunately, many couples and individuals have found themselves in a pickle having to try and find other insurance to fill in the gap until they reach 65.

While sourcing other insurance isn’t necessarily a problem, the price of the insurance an older person is able to find is another matter altogether. In most instances they would need to go with Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) or buy health insurance from a private insurance company.

COBRA offers retirees and some other categories of individuals temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates and typically this type of coverage, while less expensive than private insurance, is still higher than the budget may be able to afford. In the case of sourcing health insurance from a private health insurance company, retirees may be facing up to $300 per person per month for coverage until they turn 65.

If you do the math for a single senior at age 62, the amount of money they would need to fork out to have health insurance would add up to $10,800 for three years or double that for a couple. Living on Social Security benefits and a pension may not allow people to find that kind of extra money.

It’s always best to be cautious about applying for the various benefits older people are entitled to, as many of them have certain restrictions or qualifications that those applying don’t know. Always check the requirements and never assume anything. When in doubt, contact a local Medicare insurance agent who has the inside scoop.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

You will be guaranteed issue for 63 days once your Medicare Advantage plan(s) are no longer in effect. In order to get a jump on planning for the future, talk to a local health insurance agent now. Choose one that knows Medicare intimately and is able to walk you through what alternatives you may have left to choose.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Yes, they will be totally out of business, as they can no longer afford to offer the Medicare Advantage plan. Why is that? This is because the government is reducing the amount of money paid to companies who offer Medicare Advantage.

When things like that happen, it puts companies out of business, as they are no longer able to compete to retain the business. The bad part here is that Medicare Advantage was over funded by the government and thus paid out more to the doctors in various networks. This meant the program would hardly ever run a profit unless it were funded by the government.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

When change starts, it usually starts rather quietly and slowly. However, in 2010 there are some major changes coming that will impact on millions of Americans when it comes to their health care insurance, and on Medicare in particular. The first change is the old Medicare supplement plans A through G are being phased out and new plans A through G are being phased in.

While these “new” plans are not really new, they tend to create a split in coverage pools, meaning those before the June 2010 cut off date are in one coverage pool, and those who buy health insurance after the cut off date are in another coverage pool. This will mean both pools are closed and the chances are that insurance rates will go up in both pools when the novelty of competing health insurance companies wears off.

The second change is that two of the largest companies in the Medicare health insurance business will no longer be offering Medicare Advantage in 2010. This means that they will be completely out of business. This is because the government is reducing the amount of money paid to companies who offer Medicare Advantage, making it less than profitable for companies who carry it.

Since being in the insurance business means operating at a profit, the loss of government funding will likely put smaller companies out of business as well. It’s been confirmed that the big two – Coventry and Well Care – will be defunct in 2010. This will leave hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for alternative health insurance coverage to replace Medicare Advantage.

The best way to handle the coming changes is to start asking pointed questions now about what to do when Medicare Advantage ceases to exist. Make sure to speak with a highly trained and knowledgeable health insurance agent who will offer advice on what other choices may be available to replace Medicare Advantage.

Don’t wait until the last minute and find out that the clock is ticking. Knowing the alternatives now will make for a smoother and faster transition later.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

“Not reading polices is so prevalent that unfortunately there are some insurance agents who don’t offer this wise piece of advice and instead just tell their customers they’re covered,” said Richard Cantu, of GOMedigap in Texas. People really need to know what they are getting in their health insurance policies and also need to understand what is “not” provided either.

Take the time to get informed about the policy that seems to be the one that will offer the best coverage. “Read the actual policy, ask other friends about their experiences and policies and get their opinions and last, but not least, go online to the Medicare site and read all the articles to get an even better in-depth knowledge of the various benefits offered for the various plans/supplements,” advised Cantu. Make it a point to also verify with the health insurance agent that the policy does provide certain things that are required by a family or individual.

While this might seem like a great deal of work to just buy a health insurance policy, it is work that will pay off later if that same policy needs to be used and it performs as expected. “There is nothing worse than buying a health insurance policy thinking it covers one thing and finding out later it does not and out of pocket expenses need to be paid,” added said Richard Cantu, of GOMedigap in Texas.

Consider this as well when reading the fine print on various health insurance policies. Knowing what each one says, offers and doesn’t offer is a valuable thing to understand when comparing current health insurance plans with future health insurance policies. Future health insurance policies? In 2010 things in the US health care system are going to get turned upside down, and nothing will be the same as it was. Be an informed health insurance buyer or beware.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Shocking isn’t it? Will other smaller companies go the same route? Chances are smaller companies will indeed follow in the footsteps of their bigger competitors. If the big boys on the block can’t afford to offer Medicare Advantage any longer, then it’s not likely smaller companies will have much success staying afloat either.

You might be wondering what on earth is going on and why you are about to lose what you feel is a good health care plan. Well, here is the deal. The government has, since the inception of Medicare Advantage, seriously over funded it. In fact, the doctors in the various networks actually got paid more than Medicare paid under the auspices of Medicare Advantage.

Given the poor state of the US economy, the new administration in the White House, and the fact that President Obama is now trying to straighten up the health care system, over funding to this program (Medicare Advantage) will cease in 2010. Evidently there will be other programs faced with funding crunches in the year to come.

Will these funding changes make a difference in how those 65 and over or under 65 and on Medicare disability use the health system? Yes indeed, as they will need to be absorbed into the Medicare system in some other way, and use other alternatives for their health care needs.

This coming change will affect tens of thousand of people, and the health insurance system will be in a total uproar for the better part of 2010 trying to sort out all the new changes. Think smart and call a health insurance agent now and find out what you may do to switch from Medicare Advantage to something else.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Well Care and Coventry, two of the largest companies in the Medicare health insurance business will no longer be offering Medicare Advantage in 2010. Yes, they will be totally out of business, as they can no longer afford to offer the Medicare Advantage plan. Why is that? This is because the government is reducing the amount of money paid to companies who offer Medicare Advantage.

If you think that might not affect too many people, think again, as just Coventry alone handles Medicare Advantage benefits for over 318 thousand individuals. Suffice it to say that tens of thousands of Medicare Advantage recipients will be wondering what hit them. Well, and also wondering what they are going to do with the demise of the Medicare Advantage plan.

One thing you will need to know is that you will be guaranteed issue for 63 days once your Medicare Advantage plan(s) are no longer in effect. However, in order to get a jump on planning for the future, make the smart move and talk to a local health insurance agent now. Choose one that knows their plans intimately and will be able to walk you through what other alternatives you may have.

While the ink is not dry on this particular change for the future, it very much looks like, even though there may be some other alternative offered to those who will lose their Advantage plan(s), the alternatives may be more expensive and have higher premiums.

Those between a rock and a hard place would be best to start checking out Medicare supplement alternatives as soon as they can, and also making it a point to talk to a knowledge health insurance
agent.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

What the difference will be is the price, which will likely come down because all of the rates will be reset on June 1, 2010. That means competition for Medicare supplement insurance dollars and will likely mean savings passed on to the consumer.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

Start shopping other plans now to avoid being left in a closed risk pool where your rates will go up. Two other plans with the designation of M and N will also be added, but the precise benefits are not yet clear.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

Changes include the fact that effective June 1, 2010, the at home recovery benefit will be dropped (don’t confuse this with home health care). Preventative care, not otherwise covered by Medicare, is being tanked, although it does cover this to some extent, but this particular “perk” will no longer be available.

Talk to your local GoMedigap Medicare supplement insurance agent now and find out what else is changing so you don’t get caught unaware.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

The changes will be quite extensive and trying to sort them out without getting frustrated will be a major chore. This is why shopping in advance and asking questions makes more sense now than leaving it to the last minute. Aim to find out about 2010 health supplements now so when the changes kick in June 1, 2010, you will have an idea of what you are dealing with and what you need to do to change your Medicare supplement insurance coverage.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

You could shop with a smaller Medicare supplement insurance company to buy your Medicare supplements, but this year’s price won’t be the same next year. Why? Smaller Medicare supplement health insurance companies will offer a low price for one year to bring in clients and hike the rates when the year is done.

Larger companies tend to be more stable in their pricing, so you might want to consider the larger names in health insurance for that reason. Remember since the supplements are all the same except for pricing, choose what best suits your lifestyle, circumstances and budget.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

In most cases what is best for you is a personal decision based on your particular circumstances. It might help you to know that all the Medigap plans are standardized across the board. This means they are the same plans being sold in every state, and it has been this way since 1996.

Not only are they standardized, the claims paying process is the same and from whom you buy makes no difference – with one exception. If you take the time to shop around you will find price variations. So, it really does pay to get at least three quotes and then do some price comparisons. Remember, all the plans are all the same, so the only thing you are comparing would be the price.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

Medicare supplements are standardized across the nation, meaning if one is bought in Texas, it is the same supplement/plan found in New Mexico. This isn’t new, as Medicare supplements have been standardized since 1996, when they were first brought into being.

“There are ‘plans’ A-L and it doesn’t matter what company they are purchased from, as they are all selling the same plans,” said Richard Cantu, of GOMedigap in Texas. Even the claims paying process for these various plans is identical in every state. “This means Medicare makes the decision to pay out on a claim or not,” added Cantu. If all the supplements are the same, does that mean no one saves any money on the insurance premiums?

“People can definitely save money by shopping around to the larger insurance companies for Medicare plans,” commented Cantu. The best routine is to contact at least three larger companies and then compare the quotes. There are also online sites that compare the top ten insurance company quotes for Medicare supplements, such as GoMedigap.com .

“People could opt to deal with a smaller insurance company to buy Medicare supplements, however the fact that there is a good price offered for the first year does not mean the same kind of deal next year,” outlined Cantu. The reason for that is often smaller health insurance companies offer a low, low price for one year to bring in clients. In GoMedigap’s case, when a rate hike is announced by one of Cantu’s carriers, the clients affected are contacted and GoMedigap assists them in locating another company with better rates.

At the end of the year, the prices are hiked back up, which means people would be shopping for another carrier – again. Larger companies tend to be more stable in their pricing. So consider the larger names in Medicare supplement insurance for that reason. “We recommend that if the price hike at the end of the year is greater than 9-10% that it’s definitely time to shop insurance quotes,” added Cantu.

Back to the question of choices: since the supplements are all the same, except for pricing, choose what best suits a certain lifestyle, circumstances and budget. It all works out in the end.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

“June 1, 2010, is going to be totally crazy when it comes to all the changes Medicare will be bringing into effect,” explained Richard Cantu of Gomedigap.com . The tip of the iceberg is the fact that the old plans A through G will all be tanked and replaced with new plans A through G.

However, having said that, this is the thing that will totally confuse people. The new plans A through G are exactly the same as the old plans A through G. What happens here is that people in the old plans will then be in a “closed risk pool,” and their health insurance premiums will go up.

Those in the new plans A through G will also be in a closed risk pool. “This will trigger a resetting of insurance rates and Americans will see some tough competition among insurance companies for their business, hence rates may drop,” said Cantu. Now there is a happy thought that many Americans will cheer.

Considering this major change is coming, it only makes sense to start shopping around for rates now and hedge one’s bets. Waiting until the last minute will cause everyone a great deal of frustration until they understand the concept of closed risk pools and that the new plans A through G are exactly the same as the old plans, but yet different.

If the word confusion comes to mind right about now, join the hundreds of other who are also wondering why the plans had to change, when they aren’t really changing at all. The bottom line here is that this has something to do with making health insurance more accessible to everyone by driving down the prices. This is in reference to the changes coming from the new Administration in Washington.

The future may bring some even more interesting changes. Stay tuned.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

Some of the changes will include the old Medicare supplement plans A through G being phased out and new plans A through G being phased in; however, it is a bit inaccurate to say the old plans will be phased out because the reality is that the people who are in the old plans A through G will still be in those plans. They will be grandfathered in and remain in their old plans.

People just signing up will get the new plans A through G, which are not “new” Medicare supplement plans. They will be exactly the same as the “old” plans. Confused? If you aren’t now, you likely will be by the time the changes go into effect. So if you start asking questions now, it might make the switch over easier for some people.

Here is the other very confusing aspect of the projected changes to the Medicare supplements in 2010: those currently in plans A through G at the time of the change over, (June 1, 2010) will be in something called “closed risk pools.”

Generally speaking, closed risk pools mean that people in them tend to pay higher prices for their Medicare supplement insurance. Most Americans would take a dim view of the rates going up even more than they have to this point in time. In any event, what is likely to happen when the clock strikes midnight on May 31, 2010, is that come June 1,2010, the insurance rates will be reset. That is good news, for people getting into the “new” versions of the plans because this means there will be some stiff competition among insurance companies for Medicare supplement business.

More competition of course tends to mean lower rates, and those lower rates may just stay in effect for longer than we may expect. Honestly, it’s hard to predict what the Medicare supplement insurance market will do in terms of costs for premiums, but suffice it to say that in the beginning, the prices will be lower in order to attract customers.

Who knows what else might come into play with the changes in policy being driven by the new White House administration. It might be worth your while to stick around and pay close attention to the coming changes in the Medicare health care system.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

Well, the thing to remember with Medigap supplements is that they are all standardized across the nation, meaning if you buy one in Texas, it is the same supplement/plan as you would buy in Rhode Island. This isn’t something new either, as Medigap supplements have been standardized since 1996.

Most people understand that there are “plans” A-L and it doesn’t matter what company you buy them from either, as they are all selling the same plans. Even the claims paying process for these various plans are identical in every state. This basically means that Medicare makes the decision to pay and so be it, it gets paid. Right about now you might be wondering if all these things are the same, does that mean you can’t ever save any money on the insurance premiums?

Well, this is the interesting thing. You can save money by shopping around to the larger insurance companies for Medigap plans. The best routine is to contact at least three larger companies (four if you have the time) and then compare the quotes. You may also find an online site that compares the top ten insurance company quotes for Medigap supplements.

You could go with a smaller insurance company to buy your Medigap supplements, however the fact that you may get a good price “this” year does not mean you would get the same kind of a deal next year. The reason for that is often times smaller health insurance companies will offer a low, low price for one year to bring in clients.

At the end of the year, the prices are hiked back up, which means you’d be shopping for another carrier – again. Larger companies tend to be more stable in their pricing. So you might want to consider the larger names in health insurance for that reason.

Back to the question of choices: since the supplements are all the same, except for pricing, choose what best suits your lifestyle, circumstances and budget. It all tends to work out in the end.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.