Have you been staying up to date with Medicare’s drug price negotiations? It’s sure to be a wild ride when you combine money and prescriptions. AstraZeneca is a pharmaceutical giant based in the U.K. that produces the blockbuster drug, Farxiga. Farxiga treats Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney failure. The price tag without […]
Category Archives: Medicare
Mind the Gap
Once you turn 65, it’s easy to feel like you’re made in the shade. Part A is premium-free if you’ve paid into Medicare for ten years. Part B is reasonable, with a monthly premium of only $174.70. Even Part D, prescription insurance, is affordable. Some plans start at only $10 a month! If your adult […]
Medicare’s Sneaky Equation
This is a question we get quite frequently: “If I don’t take any prescriptions, why do I need to sign up for Part D?” In a perfect world, there would be no need for Rx coverage if you didn’t need an Rx! In the world of Medicare though, delaying Part D can cost you. Remember […]
How to WIN with Medicare
When is the best time to prepare for Medicare? I hope you didn’t say 65! Yes – you don’t become Medicare eligible until three months before you turn 65; but Medicare is full of complicated terminology, weighty decisions, and confusing “windows” of time in which to enroll or disenroll in different plans. The Medicare Early-Bird gets the worm. Show up […]
How to Delay Part B Penalty-Free
As someone gets closer to 65, there seems to be a hushed roar all around them; quietly in office corners and in huddled groups at the gym: “Did you hear about the Part B late-enrollment penalty?” “Yes. My aunt waited too long to sign up and had to pay an extra 10% each month for […]
An Unnecessary Predicament
Who else remembers being sick as a kid? Maybe you were from a “rough n’ tough” type of family who made you do chores even when you were ill. I came from a home where being sick was code for being king for a day. My mom would attend to me at the drop of […]
A $50,000 Cat Bite
When wildlife biologist Jeanette Parker stopped to feed a hungry kitten near the Florida Everglades, it nipped her finger. Since the bite broke the skin, Jeanette wisely cleaned the wound but then began to worry about rabies. Calling her local health department and hearing it was closed, she decided to go to the nearest ER. […]
Medicare Matters – Requesting Rx Exceptions
Medicare beneficiaries know that having access to affordable medications is critical for maintaining their health and well-being. Medicare Part D does not always make it easy to understand which medications are covered and which are not. One issue is coverage limitations for certain medications. Fortunately, there are ways to request exceptions to these limitations and […]
My Grandma’s Medicare Experience
Medicare is a federal health insurance program that provides coverage for people who are 65 years old or older, as well as those with certain disabilities or chronic conditions. While Medicare covers many healthcare costs, there are often gaps in coverage, leaving beneficiaries with out-of-pocket expenses. That’s where Medicare supplement plans, also known as Medigap, […]
Requesting Part D Rx Exceptions
If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, you know that having access to affordable medications is critical for maintaining your health and wellbeing. Medicare Part D is part of the federal program that helps coordinate your prescription drug coverage that you’ve purchased through a private insurance company, but it’s not always easy to understand which medications are […]