Nov 05 How to plug holes in your Medicare coverage By Philip Moeller Basic Medicare only covers 80 percent of most covered medical services, and there's no ceiling on those co-payments. So where should seniors turn to help them pay for the rest of their care? Making Sen$e "Medicare Maven" Philip Moeller updates… Continue reading
Oct 31 Medicare paid for drugs after patients had died, report finds By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Call it drugs for the departed: Medicare's prescription program kept paying for costly medications even after patients were dead. The problem was traced back to a head-scratching bureaucratic rule that's now getting a second look. Continue reading
Oct 29 Don’t let your Medicare Advantage plan disappear on you By Philip Moeller If your current Medicare Advantage plan will no longer be offered next year, you should have received a notice to that effect. And you should have read it. Maybe you did and maybe you didn’t. Making Sen$e Medicare Maven Phillip… Continue reading
Oct 22 How to find a Medicare Part D drug plan online By Philip Moeller Medicare's prescription drug plans change what drugs they offer and how much they charge every year, with plans differing by geographic region. But just looking at premiums, which some drug-plan guides do, is not going to tell you much about… Continue reading
Oct 22 How are Medicare Part D drug plans changing in 2015? By Philip Moeller Upwards of 40 million people have Medicare Part D drug plans, and while reviewing your plan is less than fun, Making Sen$e's Medicare Maven, journalist Philip Moeller, explains how taking the time to review your plan during open enrollment could… Continue reading
Oct 15 Medicare’s open enrollment period is health care’s Groundhog Day By Philip Moeller Wednesday marks the beginning of the open enrollment period for Medicare. In his debut column on Making Sen$e, Philip Moeller, our "Medicare Maven," tells you what you need to know and invites your questions. Continue reading
Oct 03 Twitter chat: What are the care options for older American singles? By Nora Daly While the number of single adults is growing in the U.S., the number of Americans over age 65 also is on the rise. What does long term care look like for unmarried elderly Americans, and what different options are available?… Continue reading
Oct 01 As Medicare open enrollment nears, here’s what we know so far By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Medicare beneficiaries who want to make changes to their prescription drug plans or Medicare Advantage coverage can do so starting Oct. 15 during the Medicare’s program’s annual open enrollment period. There will be somewhat fewer plans to pick from this… Continue reading
Sep 03 Report: Aging population, more insured driving rise in health care spending By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The nation's respite from troublesome health care inflation is ending, the government said Wednesday in a report that renews a crucial budget challenge for lawmakers, taxpayers, businesses and patients. Economic recovery, an aging society and more people insured under the… Continue reading
Jul 30 How Medicare came to be, thanks to Harry S. Truman By Dr. Howard Markel Forty-nine years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson found himself in Independence, Missouri. Although he was surrounded by a gaggle of politicians, distinguished guests and Secret Service agents, the president was armed only with a fountain pen, a bottle of ink… Continue reading