Nation Mar 18 Guess who really pays for your Medicare As Congressional leaders grapple with a possible permanent solution to Medicare cuts to physicians, Making Sen$e Medicare columnist Philip Moeller delivers a little tough love about the role that Medicare beneficiaries play in the nation’s expanding "entitlement deficits."…
Nation Mar 11 I can get my Social Security abroad, so why not my Medicare? If health care costs are lower in other countries, wouldn't Medicare save money by allowing beneficiaries to receive medical care overseas? Making Sen$e Medicare columnist Phil Moeller gets lots of questions from retirees hoping to receive Medicare abroad the same…
Nation Mar 04 Why are my health insurance premiums going up and up? A reader's insurance agent says that everyone's premiums are going up. But the reader wonders if he could be spending less. Making Sen$e Medicare Maven Phil Moeller tells him what to look for.
Nation Feb 25 When your doctor is in-network one year and out the next Insurers are often under competitive pressure to change network providers from year-to-year. But those changes can catch customers, especially of Medicare Advantage plans, off guard.
Nation Feb 18 Look out for Medicare drug plans’ bait-and-switch pricing tactics Many Medicare drug plans – both Part D and plans that are part of Medicare Advantage policies – offer very low premiums to get you in the door. But they have ways of shifting the costs back on to Medicare…
Making Sen$e Feb 16 How to get what’s yours from Social Security One day while playing tennis, Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff informed Paul Solman about a strategy for maximizing the benefits that he and his wife were eligible to collect. They decided everyone else should know that secret, too, and are…
Nation Feb 11 Anthem hack is only tip of the iceberg for Medicare customers Making Sen$e Medicare Maven Philip Moeller weighs in on the Anthem hack, warning readers about subsequent online fraud efforts trying to convince Anthem customers to turn over more personal information.
Nation Feb 04 What’s the most important cost to consider when picking a health plan? Don't make a health coverage decision with long-term consequences based on short-term conditions and costs, advises Making Sen$e Medicare Maven Phil Moeller.
Nation Jan 28 Can expats take their Medicare abroad? Medicare recipients can keep Part A and Part B while living outside the United States, as long as they continue to pay their monthly Part B premiums. Maintaining Medicare drug coverage abroad, however, is a lot trickier. Making Sen$e Medicare…
Nation Jan 21 Thanks, but no thanks, Medicare, for the love Why does it seem like health insurance providers are attuned to your physical and emotional health -- tracking your medications, urging you to get certain tests, even sending you holiday cards -- until something goes wrong and you really need…