Conditions concerning mental health like depression or anxiety can happen to anyone at any time. it doesn't choose people nor time. Thus, it is better to talk to your doctor if you're experiencing one of  the following; suicidal thoughts sad, empty, or feeling of hopelessness a lack of energy trouble concentrating sleeping problems little to no interest in things you used to enjoy weight loss or loss of appetite increased use of alcohol or other drugs How are these covered? Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) It helps pay for mental health services for an inpatient in a general or psychiatric hospital. It covers your room, meals, nursing care, therapy or other treatment for your condition, laboratory tests, medications, and other related services and supplies.  If you're in a psychiatric hospital, Part A only pays for up to 190 days of inpatient psychiatric hospital services during your lifetime. Medicare Part B ( Medical Insurance) It h...

What is a Doughnut Hole? The  Medicare  Part D donut hole  is a temporary coverage gap in how much a  Medicare  prescription drug plan will pay for your prescription drug costs. Starting in  2020 ,  Medicare  Part D plan beneficiaries pay 25 percent of their brand name and generic drug costs while they're in the coverage gap. How does the donut hole work? The donut hole closed for all drugs in 2020, meaning that when you enter the coverage gap you will be responsible for 25% of the cost of your drugs. In the past, you were responsible for a higher percentage of the cost of your drugs. Although the donut hole has closed, you may still see a difference in cost between the initial coverage period and the donut hole. For example, if a drug’s total cost is $200 and you pay your plan’s $40 copay during the initial coverage period, you will be responsible for paying $25 (25% of $200) during the coverage gap. How do I get out of the ...

ADA, The American Dental Association said that individuals 60 and over face some rather unique dental concerns. Approximately one in four seniors have gone five years or more since their last dental visit and 16 percent in this age range consider their oral health as poor. Also, for instance, there are more than 500 medications that cause dry mouth, some of which were prescribed for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Parkinsons's and Alzheimer's disease. This is now the common cause of cavities in older adults. Unfortunately, Medicare doesn't always help with this issue. In fact, according to Medicare.gov , this federal health insurance program typically does not cover dental care, procedures, or supplies. They don't provide benefits toward regular cleanings or services designed to treat and/or correct problematic oral issues, such as fillings or tooth extractions and they don't generally offer benefits for dental devices, including dentures and dent...

Before 2006, Medicare did not cover prescription medications. There was a limited number of medications that were offered under Medicare Part Band,  and otherwise, you had to pay for your medications out of pocket. In 2003, everything had changed when President George W. Bush passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA). This is what we now know of as  Medicare Part D , an optional part of Medicare that provides prescription drug coverage. Part D plans are run by private insurance companies and not by the government. However, the federal government sets guidelines on what basic medications are covered and how much you can be charged.  A deductible is the amount of money you spend out of pocket before your prescription drug benefits begin. Your plan may or may not have a deductible. The maximum deductible a plan can charge for 2020 is set at $435. It has increased by  $20 from 2019...

Some Medicare Advantage Plans cover services that are not covered by Original Medicare. Common supplemental benefits include dental care, vision care, and hearing aids. In 2019, Medicare Advantage Plans were granted more flexibility in the supplemental benefits. This includes the ability to offer benefits that are not directly considered medical care and this might include in-home supports and home modifications. For this year, 2020, plans are now allowed to begin offering supplemental benefits that are not primarily health-related for individuals who have chronic illnesses. These benefits might include meal delivery, transportation for non-medical needs, and home air cleaners.  Fact:  Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes referred to as Part C, contract with the federal government and are paid a fixed amount per person to provide Medicare benefits. Plans must provide all Part A and Part B services offered by Original Medicare, but can do so wit...

The main objective of this post is to help you understand Medicare Supplement Plan and their role in your health care and also to help you select the right plan and right insurance company.  Nowadays, there are a lot of insurance companies coming in on the market. They are opening one after another, all offering Medicare Health Services. There is no difference in benefits from one medicare supplement plan offered by one insurance company from the other, the only difference is the company itself. Some new insurance companies are only after the money made through medicare.  We must look over those companies and determine if they outsource manpower outside their company. Usually, they don't last long and tend to sell their business to other companies as well. With this, you should know how unstable they are and if they suddenly stop selling new plans.  Hidden Risks: Prices increase very rapidly look at the health questions/application to check if it ha...

There will be new rates for Medicare costs this year, 2020. The premium will rise by nearly 7% to $144.60 a month, up to $135.50 in 2019. Upper-income retirees pay higher premiums and those rates also are going up. The annual deductible for Part B coverage, which includes doctor visits and outpatient care, also will go up by 7% to $198, an increase of $13 from the annual deductible of $185 in 2019. The announcement comes nearly a month after the Social Security Administration set a modest 1.6% cost-of-living adjustments to benefits in 2020, which works out to approximately $24 a month for the average retired worker . Medicare Part B Income-related Monthly Adjustments Since 2007, a beneficiary's Part B monthly premium is based on his or her income. These income-related monthly adjustments amounts (IRMAA) affect roughly 7% of people with Medicare Part B.   Beneficiaries who file individual tax returns with income Beneficiaries who file joint tax ret...