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Retirement Healthcare and Medicare

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

Found 315 Articles.
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get-ready-for-medicares-drug-option

Get Ready for Medicare’s Drug Option

August 1, 2005

Medicare members are about to be bombarded with information and sales pitches. You have a decision to make that could have a significant effect on your finances and health. You need to start preparing now. The Medicare prescription drug benefit that was enacted in 2003 takes effect in 2006. November 2005 begins the sign-up period […]

the-latest-in-long-term-care-insurance

The Latest in Long-Term Care Insurance

August 1, 2005

Turmoil still roils the long-term care insurance industry. Many consumers probably will continue to see steep premium increases as in recent years, and there will be changes in coverage under new policies. But there also is good news, and buyers can take steps to make long-term care insurance more affordable without giving up coverage they […]

how-to-make-health-care-directives-work

Estate Planning – How to Make Health Care Directives Work

June 1, 2005

Most advanced health care directives are not followed by doctors and loved ones. Studies consistently show that is the case, for a host of reasons. In last month’s visit we discussed why you need more than a Living Will in your estate plan to cover health care decisions. This month, let’s look at the steps […]

Estate Planning

Why A Living Will Isn’t Enough

May 1, 2005

The case of Terri Schiavo captured most of the nation’s attention and spurred greater interest in Living Wills and related estate planning tools. For years at Retirement Watch we’ve insisted that health care documents are an essential part of an estate plan. We’ve even stated that these documents should be prepared while decisions about other […]

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your-home-and-long-term-care-in-one-package

Your Home and Long-Term Care In One Package

February 1, 2005

More and more retirees are looking to solve their housing and long-term health care needs in one move. They are moving into facilities called continuing-care retirement communities, or CCRCs. These also are known as living-care communities. A CCRC has several types of living and health-care facilities in one community. Usually there is an independent living […]

Don’t Overpay for Medigap

November 1, 2004

Medical care expenses are rising. Many retirees compound the problem by paying more for medical expense coverage than they should. The premiums on Medicare are increasing by 17.4% for 2005. You can’t do anything about that. But most people on Medicare also purchase Medicare supplement (or Medigap) insurance policies. Too many of these people overpay […]

behind-the-headlines-on-prescription-drug-prices

Behind the Headlines on Prescription Drug Prices

August 1, 2004

In my files are a series of reports detailing the rapid rise in the cost of medical care for Americans, especially for seniors. The good news is that the numbers in the reports aren’t terribly accurate. The bad news is that these reports are used to scare people, especially those in and near retirement, and […]

estate planning

HIPAA-compliant Estate Planning

August 1, 2004

The law of unintended consequences has struck again. Because of it, some standard Estate Planning tools need to be reworked, and existing plans might need some revisions in the next few years. Congress decided Americans’ medical privacy needed more protection, so in 1996 it passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA. […]

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