CMS announces 2020 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services announces Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles increase in 2020. Medicare Part A (hospitalization) Premiums/Deductibles Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, and some home health care services. About 99 percent of Medicare beneficiaries do not have a...
A physician discusses navigating Medicare sign-up
From the Washington Post. “As much as I have run into it as a provider, you just don’t know how it works until you start doing this stuff,” he said, seated on the other end of the line with, “2020 Medicare and You,” the official U.S. government Medicare handbook,...
Social Security changes for 2020
The cost of living adjustment for Social Security will be 1.6% in 2020. This is 43% percent less than the cost-of-living increase of 2.8% that was received this year, 2019. However, the cost of living adjustment has been even less in the near past. Historical cost of living adjustments:...
Tips to avoid mistakes when signing up for Medicare
Signing up for Medicare is not as easy as one might think. And, it is not free. As is not always being touted in the media for Medicare for All, Medicare costs. Medicare Part B has a $135.50 monthly premium, as of 2019. Medicare Supplements (Medigap) and Medicare Part...
Senior citizen food insecurities in the United States
Nearly 8% of Americans 60 and older were “food insecure” in 2017, according to a recent study released by the anti-hunger group Feeding America. That’s 5.5 million seniors who don’t have consistent access to enough food for a healthy life, a number that has more than doubled since 2001 and...
Common drugs can cause cognitive difficulties (dementia)
July 18, 2019, Kaiser Health News An estimated 1 in 4 older adults take anticholinergic drugs — a wide-ranging class of medications used to treat allergies, insomnia, leaky bladders, diarrhea, dizziness, motion sickness, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and various psychiatric disorders. Older adults are highly susceptible...
Genetic (DNA) testing scam on Medicare beneficiaries
On June 3, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General sent out an alert for the public about a fraud scheme involving genetic testing. “Scammers are offering Medicare beneficiaries cheek swabs for genetic (DNA) testing to obtain their Medicare information for identity theft...
Nursing Home Special Focus Facilities
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) nursing homes (skilled nursing facilities) are visited once a year “to determine if the nursing homes are providing the quality of care that Medicare and Medicaid requires.” When the CMS visits determine that a nursing home has “More problems...
Be careful out there! Don’t get scammed or robbed.
Don’t leave your purse or other important items in a grocery cart. Just the other day a woman at the grocery store left her purse in her cart and walked at least 15 feet away from the cart. Someone could have easily grabbed the purse and ran away. Don’t...
Don’t avoid helpful things as you age…
There are many items available to make your life easier and more comfortable as you age. Some of us may think it is embarrassing to use these things. But, we shouldn’t. If there are items that keep us active, we should embrace the usage. Disposable briefs, shields, guards: If...