Health Care Reform Now - Take a Second Look

Although the Republicans are not in power, it is important to take a second look at health care reform from another perspective. 

By the way, contrary to what Obama and the Democrats are saying, the Republicans are not the party of no. We owe it to ourselves and to our family to become informed on what both sides are proposing regarding health care reform, then make a decision, and let our voices be heard.

Some of the reforms the the Republicans would like to enact into law include:

• Allow insurers to sell policies across state lines
• Create new state high-risk pools or reinsurance programs to provide people access to health insurance
• Allow small businesses to pool together in associations to purchase health insurance thus making it more affordable
• Discourage "junk" lawsuits by changing medical liability laws to limit non-economic damages
• Crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid
• Beef up incentives for employer-sponsored "wellness programs" so that workers who participate could get bigger breaks on insurance premiums

Check the The Republicans' Plan for more information.

Get Your Medicare Benefits – Key Choices for Seniors

For seniors, it is time again to make important choices concerning your health care benefits.

If you are a Medicare beneficiary you must become well informed to get and manage the benefits you are entitled to.

Original Medicare is the federal health care program for almost all Americans age 65 and older and for many adults with permanent disabilities. You are eligible for Medicare if you are:

• a US citizen and eligible to receive Social Security;
• or you are under 65, permanently disabled and have received Social Security disability insurance payments for at least two years;
• or you have a permanent kidney failure or need a kidney transplant; or you have Lou Gehrig's disease.

You have options of not paying the deductible and coinsurance that are part of Original Medicare by joining a Medicare Advantage Plan (MAP). However, if you don’t join a MAP, beginning January 1, 2010, under Original Medicare, the deductible for inpatient hospital care per each benefit period is $1,100 for days 1-60, not per day; then $275 per day for days 61-90; and $550 for days 91-150. For doctor visits, it is a 20% coinsurance after the $155 deductible.

Opportunity to Switch Plans
However during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) from November 15, until December 31th of each year you can join a Medicare Advantage Plan, or switch Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Part D Prescription Plans if you choose to do so. From January 1st until March 31st of each year, called the Open Enrollment Period, you can still join or switch MAPs or leave your plan and return to Original Medicare as long as you don’t add or drop drug coverage.

The IEP (Initial Enrollment Period) is still available for those who are just turning 65 and thus are aging in. If you have dual eligibility, that is, if you are entitled to Medicare Part A and Part B and are eligible for some form of Medicaid benefit, you are under the SEP (Special Election Period) which allows beneficiaries to make an enrollment change outside the regular enrollment periods. As a Dual Eligible, you can change from one Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan to another or from Original Medicare and a Prescription Drug Plan to a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan anytime during the course of the year.

Retirement Considerations
If you are retiring, and in an employer-sponsored plan, before joining a Medicare private plan, talk to your employer or former employer to be sure you won't lose valuable retiree health benefits if you sign up with a private plan. Many employers offer retiree health coverage as a supplement to traditional Medicare. Some also offer coverage through a Medicare HMO and other private options.

Some private plans also offer a Special Needs Plan (SNP) designed to address the identified chronic needs - hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes of a targeted population. If you have at least one of these conditions, you are eligible to enroll in this plan during the SEP.

Contact me for a free consultation, (773)614-3201, wwillbar@gmail.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• 2010 Medicare Changes Demand Careful Review (usnews.com)
• CMS Actuaries Weigh In on America's Affordable Health Choices Act (medicareupdate.typepad.com)

4

The Secret to Stop Paying Medicare Part B Premiums

Image via Wikipedia

Recently, I heard a guy who called in to a radio program and during the conversation mentioned that he was receiving $690 per month from Social Security and was paying $96.40 per month in Part B premiums. The host didn’t have a response to that statement, but I started to yell at the radio.

He should not be paying the $96.40 per month at all. He falls in the category of a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary which means that he is eligible for the Medicare Savings Program. Because his income is less than $932 per month, this program will pay all his deductibles, coinsurance and the Part B premiums. Social Security will not tell this to him or anyone else. You have to seek this information out for yourself. I have personally helped many Social Security recipients to stop paying the Part B premiums and both the coinsurance and deductibles.

Contact me right away if you need help, willbar@yourconsultantsite.com.

Medicare and Medicaid Are Not Government Controlled Health Care

Medicare and Medicaid are not government controlled health care. For people to talk sensibly to each other there must an agreement on what the terms in question mean. The term government controlled health care means that government can dictate the type and quality of care you can receive.

Under Medicare and Medicare, the government does not dictate the type and quality of health care you receive. Rather, the government merely pays the provider (doctors, hospitals, home health care agencies, etc. ) for the type and quality of health care you receive. You choose the provider you want to take care of your health care needs. Its up to the provider to decide whether they want to participate in Medicare and Medicaid. Fortunately, in most locales there are enough providers.

The politicians who try to make this argument are just trying to be deceptive and misleading. They know better. And, if they don't, they are just as pathetic and the ones who are just trying to fool you. The seniors who have seen through this are right in telling their representatives and senators what their concerns are.

The seniors as of now still have the option to choose a Medicare Advantage Plan which provides all of their health care benefits in additional to other significant benefits designed for prevention.
This is being threatened by the current Administration and the Congressional majority. The Medicare Advantage Plans must remain an option for seniors. The Annual Enrollment period for Medicare Advantage Plans are coming soon. As of November 15th, seniors can begin enrolling in these plans to get their health care and prescriptions taken care of.

Let me know what your questions and comments are.