Category: Blog Article

Blog Articles

Am I Eligible for Medicare if I am Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits?

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If you are unable to work due to a disabling condition, your income is not the only thing that ends – in most cases your medical insurance ends as well. This is why so many Social Security Disability applicants wonder whether or not they will are eligible to receive Medicare benefits. The answer is yes you can receive Medicare benefits to help cover medical costs, but not right away.

If you have been entitled to Social Security Disability benefits for a period of 24 months then you will become eligible to begin receiving Medicare benefits on the 25th month.

What Does Medicare Cover?

The type of coverage you are provided through Medicare depends on the type of Medicare you decide to accept. Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. In most circumstances, there is no charge for Medicare Part A coverage. This type of Medicare pays for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facilities, long-term hospital care, inpatient rehabilitation, hospice care, home health care, inpatient psychiatric care and obesity bariatric surgery.

Medicare Part B is different from Medicare Part A. Medicare Part B is more like a traditional medical insurance plan. In most cases, you will need to pay a premium in order to receive Medicare Part B. Medicare Part B covers any services or supplies that are needed to diagnose or treat your medical condition as long as they meet the accepted standards of medical practice. Medicare Part B also covers preventative services such as vaccinations and routine physical exams.

You can learn more at www.medicare.org or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

You can also Contact Me to schedule an appointment and we can sit down and talk about your individual needs and answer any of your questions. There is no cost or obligation to talk or meet with me.  I would be glad to talk to you and answer questions about Medicare in Maine.  You can use the Contact Me page or call me at (207) 370-0143*. 

Medicare Advantage Is Living Up to Its Name!

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Heritage policy analyst Kathryn Nix has analyzed research that shows that private health plans participating in Medicare Advantage are making strides in what Congress has tried—and failed—to achieve in traditional Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) for decades. Competition among private plans has maintained patient satisfaction, lowered costs, and increased the quality of care. Success is obvious and abundant in the MA program. Medicare Advantage (MA) is more advantageous to beneficiaries when compared to traditional FFS Medicare. It was created in 2003 to allow seniors to receive their Medicare benefits through a private health plan of their choice. The private plans are required to offer the same benefits as traditional FFS. MA has become increasingly popular, with almost 20 percent of the Medicare population enrolled as of 2010. The program’s popularity is justified by the astounding improvements to the quality of care. MA has led to the opportunity to compare the performance of participating plans with that of traditional Medicare. In a Center for Policy Innovation Research Summary, Nix analyzes two separate research studies that show MA outperforming FFS on several measures of health care quality:

  • MA performed better than Medicare fee-for-service on most measures reflecting patients’ receipt of appropriate care.
  • MA also performed better than FFS when assessed using discharge data on hospital utilization.
  • MA plans may be doing a better job of preventing unnecessary inpatient care by increasing use of outpatient services and office visits.
  • MA plans may be avoiding unnecessary re-admissions through superior discharge planning and coordination of care following an inpatient episode of care.

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Remember: At any time during the year, you can switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan that has a 5-star rating. Plan ratings are based on member surveys, information from doctors and health care providers, and other sources. The plan ratings are scores that show the quality and performance of the plan, on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the highest rated plans.
You can Contact Me to schedule an appointment and we can sit down and talk about your individual needs and answer any of your questions. There is no cost or obligation to talk or meet with me.  I would be glad to talk to you and answer questions about Medicare in Maine.  You can use the C.

Medicare Covers Hospice and Comfort Care

Blog Article

Do you care for someone who is terminally ill? It isn’t always easy to care for a loved one in difficult times, but Medicare can help – you don’t have to do it alone.

Medicare covers care for people who are terminally ill, and they have resources to help you. Hospice is a program of care and support for people who are terminally ill. The focus is on comfort, or “palliative” care, not on curing an illness. Hospice care can include doctor and nursing services, counseling, medical supplies, pain medications, and other services. If your doctor has certified that your loved one is terminally ill, Medicare covers hospice care, which is usually provided in the home. Medicare will still pay for covered benefits for any health problems that aren’t related to your loved one’s terminal illness.

To get more details about Medicare’s coverage go to https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02154-medicare-hospice-benefits.pdf   Remember, you’re not alone – Medicare has resources to help. You can get more information from http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hospice-and-respite-care.html. 

If you or a family member would like to learn more you can also contact me anytime.  There is no cost or obligation to talk with me.  I would be glad to talk to you and answer questions about Medicare in Maine.  You can E-mail Me page or call me directly at (207) 370-0143. 

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