Feb 10 Watch 7:39 As HHS secretary, Tom Price has significant powers to change health care By PBS News Hour Tom Price, a Republican congressman from Georgia, was confirmed as the next secretary of health and human services overnight. The longtime opponent of the Affordable Care Act sees a smaller role for the federal government in health care. But his… Continue watching
Feb 09 New federal rules require home health agencies to do far more for patients By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News The new rules are set to go into effect in July, but they may be delayed as President Donald Trump’s administration reviews regulations that have been drafted or finalized but not yet implemented. Continue reading
Feb 08 My employer health insurance is unaffordable. Should I get Medicare? By Philip Moeller While you do not have to get Medicare, because you’re covered by an employer plan, you always are free to drop your employer plan and get Medicare instead. Continue reading
Feb 06 Watch Does this Obamacare experiment offer significant savings? By PBS News Hour One of the goals of the Affordable Care Act was to develop organizations that offer doctors and hospitals a deal: In exchange for more efficient care for Medicare recipients, providers receive a share of the savings as a bonus. Now… Continue watching
Feb 01 Column: Why aren’t my chiropractic appointments covered by Medicare? By Philip Moeller Phil Moeller is here to provide the answers you need on aging and retirement. Continue reading
Feb 01 Should we raise the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare? By Philip Moeller Leading Republicans already have included such proposals in their evolving legislative packages. Journalist Philip Moeller looks at how the proposals would affect retirees. Continue reading
Jan 25 Column: Why is my Medicare Part B premium more than my husband’s? By Philip Moeller Why are Medicare Part B premiums different for a married couple if they have identical Medicare insurance plans? Journalist Phil Moeller explains. Continue reading
Jan 18 Care provider directories wrong nearly half the time in Medicare Advantage plan lists By Philip Moeller Most Medicare Advantage plans either prevent people from using providers not in their networks or charge them higher rates for out-of-network care. It’s thus very important that people review a plan’s network directory before enrolling in a plan. But what… Continue reading
Jan 10 Column: Social Security will reduce paper statements in 2017. Here’s why it shouldn’t By Philip Moeller The Social Security Administration just announced it would curtail sending paper statements to many people in order to save money. This is as bad an idea now as it was the last time the agency did this several years ago. Continue reading
Jan 04 My meds are cheap. Do I really need a Medicare Part D drug plan? By Philip Moeller In an effort to avoid Medicare's high-income surcharge, a Medicare beneficiary considers skipping a Part D drug plan. Should he? Journalist Phil Moeller has the answer in his weekly column, "Ask Phil."… Continue reading