How can I protect myself from identity theft? Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal information without your consent to commit fraud or other crimes. Personal information includes things like your name and your Social Security, Medicare, credit card or bank account numbers, and your Medicare.gov user name and password. Guard your cards and protect your Medicare and Social Security Numbers. Keep this information safe. Only give personal information, like your Medicare Number, to doctors, insurers or plans acting on your behalf and/ or trusted people in the community who work with Medicare like your State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) . Don't share your Medicare Number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or in person. Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will only call you in limited situations: Medicare health or drug plan can call if you're already a member of the plan. The agent who helped you...

What if I need help paying my Medicare Health Care costs? People who have limited income and resources can also seek help in paying their Medicare Health Care costs. Below are the different programs they can choose depending on their qualification.  Medicare Savings Programs If you have limited income and resources, you may be able to get help from your state to pay your Medicare costs if you meet certain conditions. 4 kinds of Medicare Savings Programs: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Programs: If you're eligible, the QMB Program helps pay for Part A and/or Part B premiums . Also, Medicare providers aren't allowed to bill you for services and items Medicare covers, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments . If you get a bill for these charges, tell your provider or debt collector that you're in QMB Program and can't be charged for items and services Medicare covers. If you've already made payments on a bill for services and i...

What if I need help paying my Medicare prescription drug costs? If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for help to pay some health care and prescription drug costs. Extra Help is a Medicare program to help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare prescription drug costs. You may qualify for Extra Help if your yearly income and resources are below these limits in 2019: These amounts may change in 2020. You may qualify even if you have a higher income. Resources include money in a checking or savings account, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Resources  don't include your home, car, household items, burial pots, up to $1,500 for burial expenses (per person), or life insurance policies. If you qualify for Extra Help and join a Medicare drug plan, you'll: Get help paying your Medicare drug plan's costs. Have no late enrollment penalty. Note: Extra Help isn't available in Pue...

Monthly Premium Most drug plans charge a monthly fee that varies by plan. You pay this in addition to the Part B premium. If you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare Cost Plan that includes Medicare prescription drug coverage, the monthly premium may include an amount for prescription drug coverage. Contact your drug plan if you want your premium deducted from your monthly Social Security or RRB payment. If you want to stop premium deductions and get billed directly, contact your drug plan. IMPORTANT! If you have a higher income, you might pay more for your Part D coverage. If your income is above a certain limit, you'll pay an extra amount in addition to your plan premium which is sometimes called Part D-IRMAA . You'll also have to pay this extra amount if you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes drug coverage.  Usually, the extra amount will be deducted from your Social Security check. If you get benefits from the Railroad ...

Here are the few details as to how other insurance works with Medicare Part D (Prescription drug coverage). Medicaid : If you have Medicare and full Medicaid coverage, Medicare covers your Part D prescription drugs. Medicaid may still cover some drugs that Medicare doesn't cover. Employer or union coverage : This is health coverage from your or your spouse's or other family member's current or former employer or union. If you have prescription drug coverage based on your current or previous employment, your employer or union will notify you each year to let you  know if your prescription drug coverage is creditable. Keep the information you get. Call your benefits administrator for more information before making any changes to your coverage. Note: If your join a Medicare drug plan, you, or your dependents may lose your employer or union health coverage. COBRA : This is a federal law that may allow you to temporarily keep employer or union health ...

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage or also known as Medicare Part D is an optional benefit. It is offered to everyone with Medicare.  In order to get Medicare prescription drug coverage, you must first join a plan approved by Medicare and offers drug coverage.  2 ways to get Medicare prescription drug coverage: Medicare Prescription Drug Plans .  These plans, sometimes call "PDPs" add drug coverage to Original Medicare, some Medicare Cost Plans, Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans, and Medicare Medical Saving Account plans. You must have Part A and/or Part B to join this plan. Medicare Advantage Plans (other Medicare health plans that offer Medicare prescription drug coverage).  You get all your Part A, Part B, and Part D through these plans. Medicare Advantage Plans with prescription drug coverage are sometimes called "MA-PDs". You must have Part A and Part B to join this plan. In either case, you must live in the service area of the ...

Original Medicare pays for much, but not all. Medicare supplement insurance policies, sold by private companies can help pay some of the remaining health care costs for covered services and supplies. Medicare Supplement Insurance Policies are also called Medigap policies. Some Medigap policies also offer coverage for services that Original Medicare doesn’t cover like medical care when you travel outside the U.S. However, they don’t cover long-term care, vision, dental care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, or private-duty nursing. Standardized Medigap Policies Medigap  policy follows federal and state laws designed to protect its clients, and they must be identified as “Medicare Supplement Insurance” . Insurance companies can sell you only a “standardized” policy identified in most states by letters    A through D, F, G and K through N. All policies offer the same basic benefits but some offer  additional  benefits so you can choose which o...

Aside from Medicare Parts A and B and Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare offers other options. These plans have some of the same rules however, each type of plan has special rules and exceptions. Medicare Cost Plans These are the type of Medicare health plans available in certain, limited areas of the country. Here's what you should know about it; You can join even if you only have Part B If you have Part A and Part B and go to a non-network provider, the services  covered are  under Original Medicare. You can join anytime You can leave anytime and return to Original Medicare You can either get your Medicare prescription drug coverage from the Cost Plan or you can join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. (You can add or drop Medicare prescription drug coverage only at certain times) Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) This is a Medicare and Medicaid program offered in many states that allows people who otherwise need a nursing home...

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Plan Can I get my health care from any doctor, other health care provider or hospital? No. You generally must get your care and services from doctors, other health care providers or hospitals in the plan's network. In some HMO plans, you'll be able to go out-of-network for certain services, usually for a higher cost . This is   HMO with a point-of-service (POS) option. Are prescription drugs covered? In most cases, yes. If you want Medicare drug coverage, you must join an HMO Plan that offers prescription drug coverage. Do I need to choose a primary care doctor?   In most cases, Yes. Do I have to get a referral to see a specialist?   In most cases, yes. Certain services, like yearly screening mammograms, don't need a referral. What else do I need to know about this type of plan? If your doctor or other health care provider leaves the plan's network, your plan will tell you. You may choose another ...

What is a Medicare Advantage Plan? Another way to get your Medicare coverage is through Medicare Advantage Plans which is sometimes called "Part C" or "MA Plans" . Offered by Medicare-approved private companies which also follow rules set by Medicare.  There are different types of Medicare Advantage Plans; Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Plans Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plans Private Fee-for-Service ( PFFS ) Plans Special Needs Plans ( SNPs ) HMO Point-of-Service ( HMOPOS ) Plans Medical Savings Account (MSA) Plans Medical Savings Account (MSA) Plans: These plans combine a high-deductible health plan with a bank account that the plan selects . The plan deposits money into the account (usually less than the deductible). You can use the money to pay for your health care services during the year. MSA Plans don't offer Medicare drug coverage, if you want drug coverage, you have to join a Medicare Prescription Drug  P...