The 2016 Edition of Maximize Your Medicare is available NOW. Is a new edition really necessary? Yep.
Subscribe to the Maximize Your Medicare Podcast click HERE.
Subscribe to the Maximize Your Medicare Podcast click HERE.
Showing posts with label Medicare Part D. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medicare Part D. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
MYM Podcast 33: Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period Ends Feb 14
You can disenroll in Medicare Advantage, but time is running out....
Monday, November 3, 2014
MYM Podcast 29: Radio Interview, Annual Election Period Edition
Radio Interview, Annual Election Period
I have been doing a lot of radio interviews recently, New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, et al. Art Lewis and I have spent over 6, 1-hour sessions together. Our latest was this past Saturday, and we discussed the Annual Election Period.
I have been doing a lot of radio interviews recently, New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, et al. Art Lewis and I have spent over 6, 1-hour sessions together. Our latest was this past Saturday, and we discussed the Annual Election Period.
Listen to the podcast here.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
MYM Podcast 28: Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Rx
The Annual Election Period Begins October 15th
You will be sent an ANOC (Annual Notice of Change) for your prescription benefits, whether it is part of your Medicare Advantage plan, or stand-alone drug plan (Medicare Part D). Listen to why you shouldn't throw it into the trash: it can be costly.
You will be sent an ANOC (Annual Notice of Change) for your prescription benefits, whether it is part of your Medicare Advantage plan, or stand-alone drug plan (Medicare Part D). Listen to why you shouldn't throw it into the trash: it can be costly.
Listen to the podcast here.
Friday, August 1, 2014
MYM Podcast 26: How to Get Started on Medicare
FREE Android App Available Now
If you don't know where to start, or are too embarrassed to ask, or want to help someone in your life, then start with this free Android app.
Simple as You Like....
You enter your date of birth, and answer some questions about your existing coverage (employee, retiree, married, etc). No personal information stored. Ever.
You get your personalized calendar and your questions answered (even if you didn't know what to ask)...
Your Medicare Open Enrollment Dates
Is it Annual Election Period?
Can I make changes now?
Personalized Report, based on your answers to simple questions
Who Can Use This?
The obvious: those that are turning 65, those that don't know when Medicare begins, those that don't know when to enroll, those that don't know what their rights/options are, those that are married with full-time working spouses, those....get it? Pretty much anyone, anytime.
The not-so-obvious: those with senior parents who don't know how Medicare works, caregivers that need to have background information about Medicare for their patients/clients, those that have employer coverage changed or cancelled, those that pay many hundreds of dollars a month to continue with employer-based retiree plans, those...get it?
Why?
a. Many people aren't asking, when they should be....
b. Many people think they are "stuck," when they aren't....
c. Many people want to help their senior parent, but their senior parents can't / won't talk about getting older....
d. Many people think they cannot "afford it," when there are many options available...
e. Many people don't want to feel "dumb"...Medicare is confusing to almost everyone.
The app is free and you can use it as many times as you want, so that you are on the right path, so that you have an idea about what to consider, so that you can avoid unintended consequences resulting from uninformed choices.
Get it here:
A. Scan this QR code into your Android app (Google Play app):
If you don't know where to start, or are too embarrassed to ask, or want to help someone in your life, then start with this free Android app.
Simple as You Like....
You enter your date of birth, and answer some questions about your existing coverage (employee, retiree, married, etc). No personal information stored. Ever.
You get your personalized calendar and your questions answered (even if you didn't know what to ask)...
Your Medicare Open Enrollment Dates
Is it Annual Election Period?
Can I make changes now?
Personalized Report, based on your answers to simple questions
Who Can Use This?
The obvious: those that are turning 65, those that don't know when Medicare begins, those that don't know when to enroll, those that don't know what their rights/options are, those that are married with full-time working spouses, those....get it? Pretty much anyone, anytime.
The not-so-obvious: those with senior parents who don't know how Medicare works, caregivers that need to have background information about Medicare for their patients/clients, those that have employer coverage changed or cancelled, those that pay many hundreds of dollars a month to continue with employer-based retiree plans, those...get it?
Why?
a. Many people aren't asking, when they should be....
b. Many people think they are "stuck," when they aren't....
c. Many people want to help their senior parent, but their senior parents can't / won't talk about getting older....
d. Many people think they cannot "afford it," when there are many options available...
e. Many people don't want to feel "dumb"...Medicare is confusing to almost everyone.
The app is free and you can use it as many times as you want, so that you are on the right path, so that you have an idea about what to consider, so that you can avoid unintended consequences resulting from uninformed choices.
Get it here:
A. Scan this QR code into your Android app (Google Play app):
B. Click here.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
MYM Podcast 23: Just the FAQs
"I Don't Know Where to Start"
If you are turning 65 years old,
"I'm All Set": Probably Wrong
If you are turning 65 years old,
If you have a Medicare-eligible parent that you want to help,
If you face healthcare costs you don't understand under Medicare,
If you need information that you can use, in language that you can understand,
"I'm All Set": Probably Wrong
a. Employers change (or eliminate) retiree benefits
b. Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D (Rx) change every year
c. PPACA means that pre-Medicare family members can get private insurance
This is just for starters...
Monday, June 16, 5PM EDT
b. Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D (Rx) change every year
c. PPACA means that pre-Medicare family members can get private insurance
This is just for starters...
Monday, June 16, 5PM EDT
I have conducted this program everywhere (libraries, senior centers, conferences, senior programming at colleges), with all types of audiences.
You can see a short list on other pages of this blog.
I will leave my phone number on during the broadcast, and you can bring me your questions.
$2.99 PPV Webcast
Just click here to register.
Just click here to register.
I need to charge because the host charges me, and I want to keep the spammers out.
Listen to me speak about the webcast:
Listen to me speak about the webcast:
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
MYM Podcast 18: Radio Interview WNPV with George Toth, CFP
Radio Interview, April 21, 2014
Every financial planner has his/her own perspectives. You can listen to my comments on Medicare here. The focus is on correct enrollment, and the penalties that can occur.
You can listen to this episode here.
You can subscribe to this podcast here.
Every financial planner has his/her own perspectives. You can listen to my comments on Medicare here. The focus is on correct enrollment, and the penalties that can occur.
You can listen to this episode here.
You can subscribe to this podcast here.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
MYM Podcast 17: Get Extra Help for Rx, and It Gets Better (FIXED)
The previous link was broken (sorry). This is now fixed.
For Those That Qualify for "Extra Help," Rx Aid is Just the Beginning
For Those That Qualify for "Extra Help," Rx Aid is Just the Beginning
As the cost of specialty prescriptions skyrockets, according to a New York Times in an article yesterday, April 15, this podcast covers a federally-funded program called Extra Help which can help towards those costs.
In addition, there are additional benefits that are part of this. Many of these are unknown, and Medicare beneficiaries should take full advantage.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
MYM Podcast 7: Can I Still Sign Up for Medicare Part B (Yes) and....
Let's Say You Never Enrolled in Medicare Part B
Let's Say You May Want to Switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap.
Your time is coming up soon, January 1, 2014. You don't have that much time to decide, so it is best that you know your options beforehand. You can listen to details here.
Subscribe to the MYM Podcast:
iTunes
Everything else
Let's Say You May Want to Switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap.
Your time is coming up soon, January 1, 2014. You don't have that much time to decide, so it is best that you know your options beforehand. You can listen to details here.
Subscribe to the MYM Podcast:
iTunes
Everything else
Saturday, December 7, 2013
MYM Podcast 3: Annual Election Period Ends TODAY
Last-minute tips to make sure that you have kept your options open. The Medicare Annual Election Period ends today. Click here to listen.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
MYM Podcast 2: Annual Election Period Ending Soon
This episode focuses on what to do during Medicare Annual Election Period, which ends on Midnight, December 7th. That is this Saturday. Click here to listen.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Medicare ABCs Webinar/Q&A Dec 2 7PM EST
Monday, December 2,
2013: 7PM EST
|
If you don't have the
time, you will be sent the recording anyways (I will send it out to all those
that purchase the session). The drawback: you won't be able to send in your
questions. I will also be answering questions via Skype during that time.
You May Already
Understand Medicare, but....
|
I promise that someone
you know very well doesn't, like a spouse (!), friend, relative,
neighbor. This is not the typical social/financial issue. When your neighbor
doesn't understand Medicare, doesn't protect him/herself, then YOU will be a
payer at some point in time. One reason that healthcare costs challenge the
nation: the financial risk to the system is made much worse when people cannot
pay their medical bills. This is, in many cases, avoidable. Medicare is the single best value for the money for
those that are eligible: the pricing of Obamacare-compliant plans is revealing
that very fact. The point?
Libraries, Colleges,
Talk Radio, and More
|
Maximize Your Medicare is part of library systems throughout the
country, but the fact is that some people won't read a book (sigh). To some
degree, I can understand that a verbal explanation is superior. Then, the
problem is that it is very difficult to know who to trust, and to know whether
that person is motivated for other reasons, or to know if that person is
qualified.
Simple session, you can
make your own determination about the information that I will provide, and the
information that you can use. One more thing: I won't be recommending any
particular carrier or plan.
You
can click here to see the many places that I have been, and will be, in the
coming days and months. There are also links to comments that I have made on
talk radio as well.
Can't Be Free
(Sorry)
|
There is however, a
money-back guarantee. I am pretty certain that you will receive your $2.99's
worth. The reason for the upfront fee: keep out spammers who will do nothing
that send out peculiar messages, pictures, and slow down the connection. No one
said anything about multiple viewers in the same room, however....
Happy Holidays to
Everyone!
|
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Medicare ABCs LIVE Webinar
Monday, August 29th, 11:00AM (EST)
Some people would rather have a verbal explanation, because a book may create followup questions. Some people don't know where to begin to ask. I wrote Maximize Your Medicare to address this, and the audience is enormous: more than 9,000 will turn 65 everyday in the United States. This will continue for most of the next 2 decades.
You Can Ask Me Questions LIVE
I will go through Medicare and explain its components. I will explain how it differs from health insurance that many have been used to. I have done so at libraries, senior centers, and on talk radio shows. I have heard and seen the level of uncertainty on people's faces and in their voices. Adult-age children need to have this information: you get pulled into the situation, and usually (unfortunately), under unfavorable circumstances. Caregivers face questions continuously regarding what Medicare covers, and what it does not.
Money Back Guaranteed
At $3.99, it is inconceivable (to me, I am biased) that you will not get your money back. There will be information that is not widely known, until it may be too late. Frequently, this could have been avoided. In any case, if you join the Webinar, and find that it isn't worth the $3.99, then I will refund your money. Guaranteed.
Some people would rather have a verbal explanation, because a book may create followup questions. Some people don't know where to begin to ask. I wrote Maximize Your Medicare to address this, and the audience is enormous: more than 9,000 will turn 65 everyday in the United States. This will continue for most of the next 2 decades.
You Can Ask Me Questions LIVE
I will go through Medicare and explain its components. I will explain how it differs from health insurance that many have been used to. I have done so at libraries, senior centers, and on talk radio shows. I have heard and seen the level of uncertainty on people's faces and in their voices. Adult-age children need to have this information: you get pulled into the situation, and usually (unfortunately), under unfavorable circumstances. Caregivers face questions continuously regarding what Medicare covers, and what it does not.
Money Back Guaranteed
At $3.99, it is inconceivable (to me, I am biased) that you will not get your money back. There will be information that is not widely known, until it may be too late. Frequently, this could have been avoided. In any case, if you join the Webinar, and find that it isn't worth the $3.99, then I will refund your money. Guaranteed.
$3.99 Medicare ABCs Live Video Webinar
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Last Minute Hint #1: Check Your Part D Plan
Use the Medicare.gov Website
www.medicare.gov is the official Medicare website. You need to check your Part D plan every year. Sounds like a pain? Maybe. Worth it? Almost certainly. The fact is that the plans change every year, and the anecdotal evidence is that the best plan in 2012 is not the best plan in 2013. Why is that?
In One Word, Competition
In most states, there are many 10s of Part D plans available. They are competing among each other. The companies that offer these plans have made or lost money, among a particular set of enrollees. The insurance companies have made or lost money, on particular medications. They make adjustments, as allowed by the Medicare system. It is logical that they do so.
The issue is that the best plan for you will most likely change. Period. In some cases, this can be 100s of dollars throughout the year.
Some people may think that it isn't worth it. Let me suggest an alternative: save the money, and donate the savings to a charity of your choice. It is better than paying an excessive amount to a party to which you have no affiliation.
Maximize Your Medicare: Understanding Medicare, Protecting Your Health, and Minimizing Costs has these types of hints, and the rationale. It is almost a certainty that this one post has saved you the purchase price of the book, $7.99 until December 7th for the ebook version, and there are many, many more included in the book.
www.medicare.gov is the official Medicare website. You need to check your Part D plan every year. Sounds like a pain? Maybe. Worth it? Almost certainly. The fact is that the plans change every year, and the anecdotal evidence is that the best plan in 2012 is not the best plan in 2013. Why is that?
In One Word, Competition
In most states, there are many 10s of Part D plans available. They are competing among each other. The companies that offer these plans have made or lost money, among a particular set of enrollees. The insurance companies have made or lost money, on particular medications. They make adjustments, as allowed by the Medicare system. It is logical that they do so.
The issue is that the best plan for you will most likely change. Period. In some cases, this can be 100s of dollars throughout the year.
Some people may think that it isn't worth it. Let me suggest an alternative: save the money, and donate the savings to a charity of your choice. It is better than paying an excessive amount to a party to which you have no affiliation.
Maximize Your Medicare: Understanding Medicare, Protecting Your Health, and Minimizing Costs has these types of hints, and the rationale. It is almost a certainty that this one post has saved you the purchase price of the book, $7.99 until December 7th for the ebook version, and there are many, many more included in the book.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
This Happens: Misinformation from Commission on Aging
This Happens
A retired woman, in her late 70s, receives a notice from her existing retiree group plan, which she is entitled to as a result of her marriage (which is now effectively ended). The notice tells her that she needs to select a prescription plan option. She calls her local Commission on Aging.
Commission of Aging Misinformation
The person at the Commission of Aging inputs her prescription information and presents her with Part D options. The problem: the notice the woman received was for her to select a prescription plan option within her group plan, not a stand-alone Part D plan. The result: the woman is ejected from her group plan, and no longer has medical coverage, other than original Medicare. The reason for this is that the Medicare system does not allow more than one prescription drug plan.
Maximize Your Medicare Can Help
It is important to avoid these situations before they occur. It is an unfortunate circumstance, and this article is not an indictment of the Commission on Aging in general. Maximize Your Medicare has many examples of these types of instances, ones that you (or someone you know) may face.
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