Q. My wife and I are struggling with the financial cost of paying our Medicare premiums, deductibles and copayments. I hear there may be some government assistance available for seniors in our shoes. Do you know anything about these programs? A. Yes. You refer to the Medicare Savings Programs (“MSP’s”) available for low-income seniors to… Read More »
Posts Categorized: Medicare Issues
Will A Reverse Mortgage Prevent Medi-Cal Qualification?
Q. My wife and I have a Reverse Mortgage on our home. We have already pulled out about $100K on our loan and have another $150K available. If one of us needs nursing home care, will our Reverse Mortgage prevent us from seeking a Medi-Cal subsidy to help with the cost of that care? A. … Read More »
How to Appeal a Medicare Prescription Drug Denial
Q. My Medicare Part D drug plan just denied coverage for my medication. Can I appeal its decision? A. Yes. If your Medicare drug plan denies coverage for a drug you need, you don’t have to simply accept it. There are steps you can take to appeal the decision. Background: The insurers offering Medicare drug… Read More »
Will Mom Lose Medicare or Medi-Cal Coverage If She Leaves the Nursing Home To Visit Family?
Q. Mom has been receiving care in a nursing home. She is currently covered by Medicare, but soon will switch to Medi-Cal. She would really like to come to our home for a short visit for family celebrations. However, I heard that she might lose her coverage if she does so. Is that true? A…. Read More »
Watch Out For Mistakes in the List of Doctors Covered by Your Medicare Advantage Plan
Q. My wife and I are covered by a Medicare Advantage Plan, but we often find that doctors listed in our plan’s directory turn out not be in the Plan. This makes it difficult for us to rely upon the list to seek care from doctors in the network. Any comment upon this? A. Yes,… Read More »
Your Rights Upon Hospital Discharge
Q. My husband was recently admitted to the hospital following a stroke. The hospital now wants to discharge him in two days, and I believe he needs to remain longer. What are our rights? We are both on Medicare. A. Unfortunately, hospitals have a strong financial incentive to discharge Medicare patients as soon as possible…. Read More »
New Laws May Protect Seniors from Surprise Nursing Home and Hospital Bills
Q. My wife was recently in the hospital for two days, and was then transferred to a rehab facility for a three week recovery. Medicare later refused to pay the hospital and rehab bills, claiming that she spent those two days only in “observation”, and was therefore not covered. Any idea what’s going on? Can… Read More »
Medicare To Pay for End-Of-Life Counseling
Q. I hear that Medicare will now pay for me to discuss my end-of-life wishes with my doctor. Is this true? A. Yes, beginning January 1 of 2016, Medicare will begin reimbursing physicians for time spent in counseling patients regarding their end-of-life wishes. This development, just announced October 31, 2015, by the Center for Medicare… Read More »
Medicare Expands Coverage For Mental Health Services
Q. I hear that Medicare will now cover mental health services, much like it covers care for medical and surgical conditions. Do you know anything about this? A. Yes. Beginning January 1, 2014, Medicare began reimbursing the cost of outpatient mental health treatment services on a par with other Part B medical services. Previously, Medicare… Read More »
Medicare Available For Chronic Conditions, But Word Slow To Get Out
Q. Following my husband’s return home from a hospital stay, Medicare paid for a home health agency to give him therapy at home. However, we were just told that Medicare would stop paying for these visits because his condition was not improving. Does that sound right? A. No, it does not. Some background may be… Read More »