Retirement Watch Lighthouse Logo

Retirement Healthcare and Medicare

Retirement expert Bob Carlson’s research and knowledge on how to get the most out of healthcare options

Found 314 Articles.
Get access to our full article archive by subscribing to Retirement Watch and Retirement Watch Spotlight Series.

Small Number of Drugs Are Most of Medicare’s Cost

May 1, 2015

When people dig into the data on medical spending, especially government’s share of the spending, they always reach one conclusion. A relatively small number of people consume most of the medical care in this country. Most people are relatively healthy, don’t use much medical care, and don’t take many drugs. But people with chronic conditions […]

Determining the Best Age to Buy Long-Term Care Insurance

May 1, 2015

What’s the best age to buy long-term care insurance? I hear that question a lot. Let’s run through the factors. Most people are considering the lifetime trade off between the premiums paid and the benefits eventually received. They want coverage but they don’t want to begin paying premiums too long before care is needed. For […]

The New Medicare Changes

April 20, 2015

Congress recently passed, and the President said he will sign, a new law containing what’ known as “the doc fix.” Some years ago Congress decided to save money on Medicare and Medicaid by setting up a schedule that reduced the amounts that would be paid to doctors. The reimbursement schedule was unrealistically low, often paying […]

Medicare’s Problem Overpaying Hospitals

April 20, 2015

Medicare started releasing detailed data fairly recently, and some outsiders have been studying the data closely for anomalies, overcharging, and other problems. Leading the way has been The Wall Street Journal with a series of articles pointing to problems and inconsistencies. The latest study (subscription might be required) shows how Medicare might be overpaying some […]

SUBSCRIBE TO RETIREMENT WATCH SPOTLIGHT SERIES

In my new Retirement Watch Spotlight Series, I’ll share my newest breakthrough strategies for protecting your assets and growing your portfolio, including how to prepare for the next market downturn. Click here now to learn more. 

Medicare Advantage Plans Receive a Boost

April 7, 2015

Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare Advantage plans are supposed to be made less attractive. The government is supposed to reduce the amount the plans receive per enrollee. But that hasn’t happened. The plans are very popular, enrolling about 30% of Medicare beneficiaries and rising. For the third year in a row the government announced […]

The Retirement Advantages of Health Savings Accounts

April 1, 2015

There’s an advantage in the medical insurance changes of the last few years, and few people are maximizing it. The Afford-able Care Act of 2010 of course changed insurance for pre-retirees, whether they buy individual policies or have employer-provided coverage, and you need to know how to use the changes to your advantage. The major […]

A Little-Known Medicare Advantage Plan

April 1, 2015

When you turn 65 or otherwise enroll in Medicare, see if a Medicare Savings Account (MSA) is available in your area. These are similar to HSAs, but a little different. They are linked to high-deductible Medicare Advantage plans. You would sign up for a high deductible Medicare-Advantage plan and also open the MSA affiliated with […]

Separating the Myths, Facts of Long-Term Care

March 1, 2015

Long-term care is a great American paradox. On the one hand, most people don’t want to talk about it. A recent survey found that 25% of adults would rather go to the dentist than discuss LTC. Fewer than 30% of adults have had a conversation about long-term care planning. Yet, paying for LTC and the […]

pixel

Log In

Forgot Password

Search