Assisted living is expensive, and because many seniors are enrolled in Medicare, a common question is whether Medicare covers assisted living. Plenty of people are shocked to find out that Medicare doesn’t cover costs for most types of long-term care, including Alzheimer’s and dementia care. When it does pay, it’s only in a minimal capacity for older adults with recoverable conditions on…
Scams and misleading Medicare policies are increasing Federal officials say complaints from seniors who were tricked into buying misleading Medicare policies are increasing. They might have been enrolled without their consent or lured by questionable or fake information into plans that might not cover their drugs or include their doctors. To combat this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has…
Get Medicare advice from free state counseling programs When it’s time to choose Medicare health care or prescription drug plans, you might be wishing for some expert advice. Fortunately, state-run counseling programs are available so you can get one-on-one help with Medicare questions for free. These government programs are generally called SHIP, which stands for State Health Insurance and Assistance Programs. Anyone…
Medicare Open Enrollment is Oct 15 to Dec 7 Medicare open enrollment or annual election period (AEP) is an enrollment period that happens every year in the fall. During this time, Medicare plan enrollees can reevaluate their existing Medicare coverage and make changes if they choose to do so. For 2025 healthcare coverage, Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment period runs from October 15…
Medicare myths cause costly mistakes for seniors Medicare is used by nearly 66 million Americans, but there’s still a lot of confusion about how the program works. Commonly repeated myths and misconceptions can lead to costly mistakes for older adults. To help your older adult get their essential health benefits, we share the truth behind 5 common myths about Medicare. Myth #1:…
Medicare doesn’t always cover all drugs Most older adults get prescription drug coverage through a Medicare Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan. Each plan has a list of drugs that the plan will pay for, called a formulary. A big problem is that these formularies don’t cover everything and change constantly. A new medication your older adult’s doctor prescribes might…
One way to save time and money on prescription medication refills is to use a mail order pharmacy. MedicareFAQ explains how mail order pharmacies work, why they’re increasing in popularity, and how they’re different from online pharmacies. If you’d like to skip the hassle of going to the local pharmacy to refill your older adult’s prescriptions in person each month, consider switching…
A Medicare program that covers in home care You probably already know that Medicare doesn’t cover in home care services. However, there is one exception to that rule. Medicare PACE is a government program that helps older adults get the medical and social services they need to continue living in their homes as they age. We explain what PACE is, which services…
Hospital status determines out-of-pocket medical costs When they’re in the hospital, it’s essential to know your older adult’s hospital status. That’s because hospital status affects their out-of-pocket medical costs and eligibility for Medicare coverage of post-hospital nursing home stays. By law, hospitals are required to notify patients that they might have to pay huge out-of-pocket costs if they stay more than 24…
Understand Medicare vs. Medicaid to get maximum benefits Medicare and Medicaid can be confusing, partly because the names sound so similar. But they’re two very different government healthcare programs. Medicare focuses on adults age 65 and older and Medicaid focuses on low-income individuals and families. The benefits, costs, and eligibility requirements are different for each program. Neither program has automatic enrollment so…
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