Elder Care ABC

Medicare and Medicaid are in the news almost daily.  Here are some snippets of what we’ve seen and heard: Biden Debt Limit Talks Today to Cover Medicare, Medicaid | FDL … Bipartisan talks on increasing the nation’s debt limit, which have morphed into a wider discussion about deficit reduction, resume today. Francine Hardaway: Can Berwick [...]

By Mary Jane Stern Where do you shop for your $4 generic medications? Do you shop at the same pharmacy and run the charges through your Medicare Part D plan? Or do you shop at a different pharmacy and just pay cash for them? Why would I ask you these questions?  A few years ago [...]

By Mary Jane Stern During 2011 2.8 million baby boomers will turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare and with the different plans available this can become overwhelming when trying to make a decision. Do you just enroll in Original Medicare Part A, Part B and the Prescription Drug Plan (Part D)? Or do you [...]

When I started writing this blog it was to remind you about some of the new things that were happening in 2011 for Medicare Part D, like the 50% co-payment by the pharmaceutical manufacturers for brand name drugs when you hit the coverage gap. But as I started writing, I stumbled upon something interesting that [...]

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by Mary Jane Stern The 2011 Medicare plan data is now available at http://www.medicare.gov.  Even if you don’t want to change your plan(s), take a few minutes and review what changes your plan may have for 2011.  This might be your Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) or Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plan – PDP).

By Mary Jane Stern October 1 starts the official Medicare marketing season.  There are numerous choices for health and prescription drug plans and it can become overwhelming. November 15 – December 31, 2010 is Medicare Open Enrollment.  And Medicare Advantage members, this is your enrollment period too for 2011. In my local newspaper there was [...]

Recently on one of our blog posts we had a comment regarding the 2011 contributions while in the Coverage Gap (Donut Hole) and how the total out-of-pocket expenses would be allocated until a beneficiary reached catastrophic coverage. Medicare has changed some of its wording and makes reading a little more confusing as to what will [...]