Economy May 27 Does my mother qualify for home health care? Journalist Philip Moeller, who writes widely on health and retirement, is here to provide the Medicare answers you need in “Ask Phil, the Medicare Maven.”…
Economy May 21 As they lay dying: Medicare rules rob voiceless ALS patients of the ability to communicate In early 2014, Medicare changed some of its rules and effectively took away the ability of many people with ALS to communicate. Despite upcoming changes, the current limitations are still being felt by patients and their families.
Economy May 13 Don’t make this Medicare mistake: COBRA is not like employer health insurance COBRA can provide continuation of health insurance for 18 months up to 36 months and can be a literal lifesaver for people who lose their jobs and health coverage. What it does not do, however, is take the place of…
Economy May 06 Here’s what you need to know about the serious backlog of Medicare appeals There is a serious issue here, but its direct impact on Medicare beneficiaries is perhaps not so great.
Economy Apr 29 My same-sex spouse can now get my insurance, but should she? While your wife can now be covered under your employer plan, her transition off Medicare and then, when you retire, back onto Medicare, could be tricky.
Economy Apr 23 How are rising generic drug prices affecting you on Medicare? Generic drugs are supposed to be the cheap ones, right? So, what do you do when prices of generics soar? Send us your horror stories about generic drug prices and we’ll shine a spotlight on them.
Economy Apr 15 Beware this Medicare gotcha when you file for Social Security Seniors are still discovering this nasty reality: filing for Social Security at 65 or older automatically enrolls you in Medicare Part A, which disallows your continued participation in a health savings account provided by your employer’s health plan.
Economy Apr 08 Loony Medicare rules can turn a hospital visit into a costly adventure Whether your visit to a hospital is considered a formal admission or an observational stay is hugely important, because Medicare pays a whole lot less for observational stays. This is true even if the actual care a person receives in…
Nation Apr 01 What Medicare could do to get you lower drug prices Medicare has zillions of rules. But there's one more that columnist Philip Moeller would like to see adopted. Right now, Medicare beneficiaries are pawns in the drug pricing system, and plenty of Americans don't take the drugs they need because…
Nation Mar 25 Who loses from a permanent Medicare doc fix? Making Sen$e Medicare columnist Phil Moeller is excited about the possibility of a bipartisan breakthrough in Congress, and on the years-long fight over the Medicare "doc fix" no less. But someone, he explains, will have to pay for the impending…