Retirement Healthcare and Medicare
Retirement expert Bob Carlson’s research and knowledge on how to get the most out of healthcare options
Found 295 Articles.
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What is the Best Way to Buy Long-Term Care Coverage?
Congress made a change in 2006 that makes a long-term care insurance option more attractive. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 enhanced combining annuities or life insurance with long-term care coverage. Insurers are cranking out more of these policies to meet anticipated demand. The change was a simple one. The combo policies have been around […]
When to Buy Long-Term Care Insurance
One of the more difficult decisions about long-term care insurance is: At what age should it be purchased? There are a raft of trade offs to consider. The annual premiums of the insurance are lower the younger you are when the policy is purchased. But benefits usually are not claimed until in one’s late seventies […]
Long-Term Care Insurance Policies and the Credit Crisis
The financial crisis is raising new concerns about long-term care insurance policies. In December Conseco announced it was transferring most of its 140,000 long-term care insurance policies into a nonprofit trust supervised by the Pennsylvania insurance commissioner. No new money will be put into the trust to pay claims, and insurance rater A.M. Best warned […]
Medicare, Other Health Changes on the Way
The good news is that Medicare premiums are unchanged for 2009. They remain at $96.40 per month for Part B. This is the first year in the last eight the premium will not rise. The program’s reserves increased, allowing it to keep premiums and fees steady. But do not take that as a sign of […]
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How to Avoid the Retirement Medical Expense Surprise
The wildcard in every retirement plan is the cost of medical care. It probably is the cause of most retirement plan failures. There are several reasons medical expenses disrupt so many plans: Many people are used to employer-paid medical care. Before they retire, they do not realize the full cost of medical insurance. Employers used […]
How Improved Websites Boost Your Benefits
Government benefits are complicated. It often is difficult to understand the rules well enough to maximize benefits from Social Security and Medicare. The government agencies know this and in response recently added features to their web sites to make it less painful to learn your benefit options. I have reviewed these features and believe they […]
Long-Term Care and LTC Insurance – New Trends
The possible need for long-term care is one of the greatest concerns of American adults. Recent data indicate the concern is well-placed. Baby Boomers are forecast to need long-term care at a greater rate than their predecessors because of longer life expectancies and improvements in medical care. One federal report estimated that 13 million Americans […]
The Upcoming Medicare Changes
One of the biggest mistakes people make in their retirement plans is underestimating their medical expense burdens. Traditionally, early retirees overlook this major expense, but it is likely that in the next few years this expense will spike higher than many retirees anticipate. It is important that people recognize the trends behind changes in medical […]
