Retirement Healthcare and Medicare
Retirement expert Bob Carlson’s research and knowledge on how to get the most out of healthcare options
Found 304 Articles.
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Bob’s Journal for 5/16/2019
The latest annual report from the Trustees of Medicare and Social Security sparked a lot of discussion, but many of the conclusions people made are wrong. Every year, the trustees of Social Security issue a report to Congress and the public on the financial status of the program and its trust funds. You can find […]
Unveiling the Retirement Watch Family Caregiver Planning Guide
Family caregiver planning has some simple rules… And some not-so-simple rules. For starters, any caregiver agreements involving family members should be in writing. That is, unless the person providing the care is being altruistic (being a friend), and expects nothing in return now or in the future. Often when one family member provides care for […]
Warning: Your Children May Have To Pay for Your Long-Term Care
What’s the cost of not planning for your long-term care? Your estate or your children might be required to pay for it. Some little-used laws make this situation possible. Use of these laws increased the last few years, and they are likely to be used more in the future. Either the government or non-government providers of […]
Don’t Overpay For Medigap Coverage
Too many original Medicare beneficiaries pay much higher premiums than they should for Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, coverage. It’s important to have a plan to pay for the gaps in original Medicare coverage, as I discussed in last month’s issue. The best choice often is to buy a Medigap policy, which is a two-step process. […]
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You Need to Get Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Right This Year
A key to successful retirement is having prescription drug coverage that’s right for you. The out-of-pocket difference between prescription drug plans can be tens of thousands of dollars, or more, over the course of one’s retirement. Medical expenses are a significant retirement cost that increases over time. Most post-middle-age Americans take more than one prescription […]
Medicare In-Home Services Expanded For some
In 2019, Medicare Advantage plans in about 20 states will be able to cover a range of home services that generally aren’t considered medical care and haven’t been covered in the past. It’s part of an experiment to see if providing these nontraditional services will improve health and medical outcomes for beneficiaries. The shift reflects […]
50 Facts About Long-Term Care
Apparently November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month. To mark it, the Association for Long-Term Care Planning has published a list of “50 Long-Term Care Statistics Everyone Should Know.” I know that many people are misinformed about aspects of long-term care. This should be informative to most people. Our goal is to raise awareness to help […]
Some Medicare Experiments
Medicare regularly tests different ways to provide and pay for care. It’s becoming more creative and inventive than in the past. This article describes a series of test programs underway around the country, including one that pays for basic life needs that aren’t directly related to health care. If they produce results, they could become […]
