Are Medicare insurance agents required to keep my personal information confidential?
Medicare insurance agents are required to keep your personal information confidential. This includes your contact details, health history, and any other sensitive data you share with them. Agents must follow strict privacy and security regulations set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Medicare […]
Can a Medicare insurance agent help me appeal a coverage denial?
Yes, a licensed Medicare insurance agent can help you appeal a coverage denial. They are well-versed in the appeals process and can guide you through each step, from gathering necessary documentation to submitting the appeal request. Your agent can also help you understand why your claim was denied and work with you to build a […]
What’s Medicare’s PACE program and how does it work?
PACE is a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps people meet their health care needs in the community, instead of going to a nursing home or other care facility. The program was created to give you, your family, caregivers, and professional health care providers flexibility to meet your health care needs and help you continue […]
Medicare and Bariatric Surgery
When you meet certain conditions related to morbid obesity, Medicare covers certain bariatric surgical procedures, such as gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic banding surgery. The cost of transportation to a bariatric surgery center is not covered by Medicare. Your costs in Original Medicare In the case of surgeries or procedures, it’s difficult to predict upfront […]
Medicare – Preventive service – Lung cancer screenings
Preventive service – Lung cancer screenings Medicare covers lung cancer screenings with low dose computed tomography once per year if you meet these updated conditions: • You’re 50–77. • You don’t have signs or symptoms of lung cancer (you’re asymptomatic). • You’re either a current smoker or you quit smoking within the last 15 years. […]
Medicare Partial Part B-ID Benefit for Immunosuppressive Drugs
Medicare Part B-ID is a benefit that helps kidney transplant recipients pay for immunosuppressive drugs after they lose regular Medicare coverage. When you qualify for Medicare due to end-stage renal disease and receive a successful kidney transplant, your Medicare coverage typically ends 36 months after the transplant. This creates a gap in coverage for the […]
Does Medicare cover heart disease care?
Yes, Medicare covers comprehensive heart disease care including screenings, treatments, procedures, and rehabilitation services. Coverage spans conditions like coronary artery disease, heart failure, valve disorders, and arrhythmias. Medicare Part B covers preventive screenings including cardiovascular disease screenings every five years and a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm screening for at-risk beneficiaries. Your Annual Wellness Visit with […]
Now Medicare Part D covers vaccines at no cost
Medicare Part D now covers all adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at no cost to beneficiaries. This significant improvement took effect January 1, 2023, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Previously, Medicare vaccine coverage was confusing and inconsistent. While Part B covered flu, pneumococcal, COVID-19, and hepatitis […]
What is the Medicare Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) Program?
The Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) Program is a Medicare Savings Program that helps pay the Medicare Part A premium for certain individuals with disabilities who have returned to work. You may qualify if you’re under 65, disabled, and no longer eligible for premium-free Part A because you returned to work. You must not […]
Why your Medicare premium might jump and what you can do about it
Medicare recipients can find themselves in a Social Security/Medicare loop that causes their Medicare premiums to increase due to a one-time influx of cash, such as selling a home. This is called an IRMAA or “Income-related monthly adjustment amount,” which is based on your income two years previously and can significantly raise premiums for Medicare’s […]