Medicare/Medigap Insurance
Found 107 Articles.
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Debating Medicare
The future of Medicare is a big part of this year’s elections. You’re going to hear a lot of sound bites and arguments about Medicare and various proposals to change it. I think it’s important to do research yourself before hearing the incomplete and sometimes distorted comments in the media. Here are a few facts […]
What Medicare is Worth to You
Most people don’t know much about Medicare, even current beneficiaries. People planning for retirement don’t know much either, as surveys consistently show. As this article says, they’re clueless. A few points it makes are that we aren’t paying into a trust fund that funds our benefits during retirement. In fact, most of the benefits paid […]
Social Security and Medicare Still Need Reform
The trustees issued their annual reports this week. Their projections show Medicare will be short the needed money in 2024, the same year as estimated last year, and Social Security will be in trouble in 2033, three years earlier than assumed a year ago. But those are only the official projections. The actuaries of the […]
5 Medicare Myths
Americans, even those participating in Medicare, are remarkably uninformed and misinformed about the program. Most don’t realize that the program pays only about half the medical costs of the average beneficiary and doesn’t cover a range of care. The Washington Post tackles some of the myths about Medicare. I don’t agree with everything in this […]
Reducing Medicare Coverage
It’s no secret that everyone in Washington feels a need to reduce the cost of Medicare. What they disagree about is how to do it. The appointees of the administration, however, seem to agree on their preference. They want to reduce the care that is covered under the program. You’ve seen evidence over the last […]
Countering the Attack on Medicare
Once the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 was enacted, government leaders began the push to reduce the cost of the program. Their main focus is to reduce care and treatment, claiming much of it is unnecessary and doesn’t provide benefits. But they might not be using the best analysis and studies to decide the […]
Saving Money on Medicare Advantage
Many silver Americans don’t select the best Medicare Advantage plan for them. These plans offer broader benefits at a lower cost to the patient than traditional Medicare, on average. A study recently found that less than 10% of those searching for a Medicare Advantage Plan and 7% of those searching for a Part D prescription […]
Slashing Medicare Costs, and Benefits
A little-noticed provision of the 2010 health care reform (Affordable Care Act) is the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). This will be a 15-member panel of experts appointed by the President without input or oversight from Congress. The IPAB would designate the appropriate levels of care and treatment. It’s expected that Medicare would follow the […]
