Ask Phil

I live overseas but need surgery in the U.S. How do I make sure Medicare covers me?

By Philip Moeller

If you live abroad and have Medicare, here's what you'd need to qualify to use it.

What do non-married couples need to know about getting Medicare?

By Philip Moeller

The right to the spousal exemption from getting Medicare does not apply to non-married couples.

Senior advocates say new draft guide to Medicare distorts facts. Here’s what you need to know

By Philip Moeller

Medicare advocacy groups are concerned that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is improperly putting its hand on the scales to tilt them further in favor of private Medicare Advantage plans.

Column: Not sure what to make of Trump’s drug prices plan? Here’s where to start

By Philip Moeller

Rushing to judgment is misguided. There are no quick fixes here, and while the Trump proposals are viewed as fatally flawed by many experts, they also include some worthy ideas.

I am about to get divorced. What do I need to know about Social Security benefits?

By Philip Moeller

To be entitled to this large a benefit, you must wait until your own full retirement age to claim it. If you are strapped for funds and simply cannot wait, do this.

I work and collect Social Security. Can I boost my benefits?

Social Security bases your benefits on your highest 35 years of wage earnings. The effect of any single year’s higher earnings will be modest.

Why your observation stay at the hospital could end with a big bill

By Philip Moeller

If you never received notification, you might have grounds to argue that the hospital messed up.

Congress’ latest spending bill could bring major changes to Medicare Advantage. Here’s what you need to know

By Philip Moeller

The upcoming changes to MA plans have the potential to trigger an even larger shift away from original Medicare.

Who will care for you when you are elderly and frail? You should plan now

By Philip Moeller

Looking at the rising numbers of older citizens who will need care, and the shrinking numbers of younger people available to care for them, it has been clear for a long time that we are heading toward a serious shortage…

Watchdog reports reveal problems at the strained, underfunded Social Security Administration

By Philip Moeller

Long before the year in which Social Security will run short of funds, the agency may cease to effectively serve the older and disabled Americans who depend on it for essential benefits.