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