Medicare Supplement policies are also known as Medigap policies
Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans both have Part A and Part B coverage
Part A is free for most people
Part B has a monthly premium
different parts of medicare
Medicare is for:
People age 65 or older
People with disabilities who may be under 65 or even older than 65
People who have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Parts of Medicare include: A,B,C,D
Understanding medicare enrollment periods
If you do not get Medicare automatically, there are certain times of the year you can sign-up
Initial Enrollment Period is a 7 month period for you to get on Medicare. It's 3 months before you turn 65, the month of your 65th birthday and 3 months after your 65th birthday
How the part d penalty is calculated
If you don’t join a Part D plan when you are first eligible for Medicare and you do not have creditable drug coverage, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you join later
Understanding "creditable perscription drug coverage" is crucial and the video explains what this means
Medicare’s Preventive Benefits
Stay healthy by using early detection services.
Talk with your doctor to establish what tests you may need and how often you need them.
gETTING THE most from physician compare
Physician compare is a website that has been created by CMS
The website lists physicians that take part in Medicare
The website allows you to see what physicians are near you
overview of appeals
If you received a statement from Medicare or your health plan and you have an issue with an amount on your statement, you may be able to file an appeal
An appeal is the action you can take if you disagree with the payments or coverage decisions made by Medicare
Nursing home/long-term care
Long-term care has a range of services and support designed to support your needs.
Most long-term care is provided at home.
70% of people turning 65 will need some form of long-term care.
Original Medicare generally does not cover long-term care.
Medicare –Ways to Save Money
If you have limited income and resources you may qualify for Medicaid.
Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare.
You may also be able to get help paying your Medicare premiums and prescription drug costs.
Vaccines
1 in 3 people in the US will develop shingles during their lifetime.
Shingles can be prevented with a vaccine that significantly reduces the risk.
Medicare Part B covers vaccines for:
Hepatitis B
Pneumococcal infection
Flu shot
Women’s Health
Screening tests are very important because they can help find diseases early
Because of having Medicare preventative care screenings can have very little cost or even non at all.
Services can include:
Annual wellness visits
Bone mass measurements
Cervical cancer screenings
Mammograms
Cardiovascular screenings
Diabetes
Diabetes affects nearly 21 million children and adults in the USA.
Medicare covers free diabetes screenings.
If you have diabetes, Medicare covers many of your supplies.
You can also have diabetes supplies delivered to your home.
Medicare also covers diabetes self-management training.
Hospice
Hospice is a program of care and support for people who are terminally ill.
The focus is on comfort and not on curing an illness.
Medicare covers:
Services to manage pain related to terminal illness.
Benefits for any health problems not related to terminal illness.
End-stage renal disease/kidney transplant eligibility and enrollment
ESRD is permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.
If you have ESRD, Medicare will start paying for your dialysis treatment right away if you are 65 or older.
If you are under 65 and only eligible for Medicare because of ESRD, Medicare coverage will start paying for your dialysis treatment on the 1st day of the 4th month of your dialysis treatments
Medicare covers kidney transplants in a Medicare approved hospital.
Medicare also covers the full cost of finding the proper kidney for your transplant, and the full cost of care for your kidney donor.
Heart disease
Heat disease is responsible for 1 of every 4 deaths in the USA.
Every 5 years, Medicare will cover a cardio-vascular screening at no cost to you.
Glaucoma Awareness
Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes loss of sight.
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month.
Medicare covers a glaucoma test once every 12 months for people at high risk for glaucoma.
You may be at high risk for glaucoma if you can answer “yes” to any of these questions:
Do you have diabetes or a family history of glaucoma?
Are you African American and 50 or older?
Are you Hispanic American and 65 or older?
Planning for discharge from a health care setting
If you are getting discharged, there are some things you should do to prepare for your departure:
