California Medicare Supplement and Advantage News and Information
Can I enroll in a Blue Cross Entry Age Medicare Supplement plan if I’m over 65 years old?
Posted on February 22, 2012 by Rick
Question by : Can I enroll in a Blue Cross Entry Age Medicare Supplement plan if I’m over 65 years old?
My wife enrolled in an Entry Age Medicare Supplement plan with BCBSNC at age 65. Her rate will not change as she gets older just because she gets older. It can only change due to rate changes that apply to all policy holders. I am 69, and I’d like to enroll in the same plan she’s in. Can I do this since I’m over 65?
Best answer:
Answer by Judge Julie
You can enroll in any HMO that you desire.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Posted in California Medicare | 4 Comment
Q&A: Can people with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) join a Medicare Advantage plan for 2008 health insurance?
Posted on February 20, 2012 by Rick
Question by EnnBee: Can people with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) join a Medicare Advantage plan for 2008 health insurance?
Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans offer more value to Seniors because they usually fill insurance gaps that original Medicare has like hospital stay and physician care deductibles and copays.
Can all Seniors who are eligible for Medicare in the US join a MA plan or are some conditions, specifically Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s) disease excluded?
Best answer:
Answer by donna
Medicare Advantage Plans are designed for all seniors- They are not allowed to take pre-existing conditions into consideration when enrolling members. They must take all patients, regardless of health. The secret to making these plans work for you is finding a doctor who is willing to take on any insurance company if they deny necessary care or medications.Some of the Medicare HMO’s have extensive authorization processes which frustrate patients, but if your doctor is a fighter (the doctor is the one who is supposed to handle the authorization process), the plans can save you alot of money. I have several serious chronic illnesses and when I am eligible for Medicare, I will join a Medicare HMO- It is the only way to be able to afford medical care under Medicare.
What do you think? Answer below!
Posted in California Medicare | 1 Comment
Latest Medicare Policy News
Posted on February 17, 2012 by Rick
President Obama's No-Win Medicare Cuts
Joseph Antos, a health policy scholar at The American Enterprise Institute, helpfully explains the dual problems with the Medicare “cuts” proposed in President Obama's new budget blueprint: On the one hand, even ignoring the near certainty that Obama's …
Read more on Reason Online (blog)
Medicare Reform Faces Reality
By Joseph Antos Friday, February 17, 2012 A proposal in Congress would create a competitive bidding process that has the potential to save the taxpayers substantial sums—without forcing seniors to pay more for their Medicare benefits. Let's face it.
Read more on The American
Payroll tax cut bill on way to Obama
President Barack Obama announces the revamp of his contraception policy requiring religious institutions to fully pay for birth control, during a statement, Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington.
Read more on East Oregonian
Posted in California Medicare | 0 Comment
Mistakes with Reporting Social Security Disability Income Can Be Costly at Tax Time, Allsup Finds
Posted on February 17, 2012 by Rick
Belleville, IL (PRWEB) February 17, 2012
More than 1 million people with severe disabilities became beneficiaries under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program last year. But many of them are likely to improperly report their SSDI payments on their income tax returns, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security Disability Insurance representation and Medicare plan selection services.
It can take months and sometimes years to receive Social Security disability benefits. So, many people receive a one-time, lump-sum amount that includes back payments, said Paul Gada, a tax attorney and personal financial planning director for the Allsup Disability Life Planning Center. One of the most frequent questions we receive from claimants at this time of year is whether SSDI benefits are taxable and how to report lump-sum payments on their tax return.
Up to 50 percent of Social Security disability benefits are taxable each year. The actual amount is determined by adding one-half of the taxpayers SSDI benefits to all of his or her other income sources. For 2011, a federal income tax return must be filed if gross income is at least $ 19,000 for couples filing jointly and $ 9,550 for individuals.
The average monthly SSDI benefit for 2011 was $ 1,072.96 or $ 12,875.54 for the year. As a result, many people relying on SSDI will not owe taxes, Gada said. A problem can occur, however, if they mistakenly report all of a lump-sum payment received in 2011 as 2011 income, in which case they could end up paying too much in taxes.
According to Gada, its essential that both individuals and their tax preparers understand how to report SSDI lump-sum payments. The IRS allows taxes on SSDI lump-sum payments to be spread over previous tax years using the current-year tax return, Gada explained. This means recipients do not have to go through the time or expense of filing amended returns, or pay higher taxes on their current years income.
People who received a lump-sum SSDI payment in 2011 will see this amount included in Box 3 of the Form SSA-1099 they receive from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Worksheets provided in IRS Publication 915 and discussed in Allsups free online guide, Managing Your Taxes, can be used to determine the taxable portion of a retroactive SSDI payment. However, Gada cautions it can be extremely difficult to do this by hand and recommends seeking help from a knowledgeable tax professional or, at the very least, investing in tax preparation software that covers this.
Other Money-Saving Tax Tips and Free Tax Filing Help
About 8.6 million disabled workers received income through the Social Security Disability Insurance program in 2011, including new beneficiaries.
Below, Allsup highlights additional tips that may help people with disabilities and their caregivers save on their taxes. More information is provided in Allsups Managing Your Taxes guide on Allsup.com, including links to free tax filing assistance resources.
Tax Credits
Posted in California Medicare | 0 Comment
Rising Medicare Costs for Artificial Feet
Posted on February 15, 2012 by Rick
Rising Medicare Costs for Artificial Feet
15, 2012 — Last month, government data were released showing that the rate of foot and leg amputations among diabetes patients aged 40 and up fell by 65 percent between 1996 and 2008. So why has Medicare's bill for foot prostheses gone up by 60 …
Read more on Everyday Health
Medicare Fraud Bill May Save Billions
Did you know that fraud costs the US federal Medicare program an estimated $ 60 billion a year? (Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those over 65 or disabled; Medicaid is the state/federal program for low-income families with children, …
Read more on Better Business Bureau (blog)
Posted in California Medicare | 0 Comment
Helping To Understand The Language Of Medicare
Posted on February 13, 2012 by Rick
Helping To Understand The Language Of Medicare
By JANELL SLUGA , The Post-Journal As individuals retire or age into Medicare, their insurance situation can change dramatically. There are a multitude of options open to those with Medicare. The terms are different, the prices are different, …
Read more on Jamestown Post Journal
Tax Increases, Medicare and Medicaid Cuts Expected In Obama Budget Today
In it, Obama will propose tax increases on the wealthy and $ 360 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, mostly in the form of payment cuts to providers and drug companies. President Barack Obama's budget plan, to be released Monday, will serve both …
Read more on Kaiser Health News
Changes in health funds complex
A health fund, which asked not be identified, has told The Age that government officials have been unable to provide formal directions on how the funds would handle the complex layers of the means test until the legislation is passed.
Read more on The Age
Posted in California Medicare | 0 Comment
Social Security Disability Appeals Reached New Record in 2011
Posted on February 10, 2012 by Rick
Belleville, Ill. (PRWEB) February 07, 2012
More people than ever appealed their denied Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claims to the hearing level last year, illustrating the need for representation with disability appeals, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.
Most people are denied Social Security disability benefits at the initial application level, explained David Bueltemann, Allsup manager of senior claimant representatives. It can be a difficult disappointment, but its important not to give up and instead file a disability appeal.
In fiscal year 2011, the Social Security Administration (SSA) received 859,514 hearing requests (appeals to the hearing level), and completed nearly 3.4 million initial disability claims. About two-thirds of those initial applications were denied.
SSDI is a federally mandated disability insurance program overseen by the Social Security Administration that operates separately from the retirement and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. SSDI provides monthly benefits to individuals who are under full retirement age (age 65 or older) and who can no longer work because of a disability (injury, illness or condition) that is expected to last for more than 12 months or is terminal. Individuals must have paid FICA taxes to be eligible.
Ten Common Mistakes After Social Security Disability Is Denied
There are many reasons an SSDI initial application may be denied. However, its important that qualified individuals pursue their disability appeal and seek help. Allsup outlines the following common mistakes to avoid.
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Posted in California Medicare | 0 Comment
Medicare Supplement Plans | Questions about Medicare Supplement Plans
Posted on February 8, 2012 by Rick
www.MedicareAdvantageToday.com CLICK Here for more information or CALL now at 800-350-5358 Today we would like to talk to you about how to choose Medicare Supplement plans and how we will help you save money. As you know, Medicare consists of two parts, Medicare Part A which covers hospital services, and Medicare Part B which covers physician services. You might ask: “Is having basic Medicare not enough?” – The answer is “No”, because you would then have to pay deductibles and co-insurance: Medicare would pay 80% and you would have to pay the other 20%. Medicare Supplement plans will eliminate all the deductibles and the 20% co-insurance. Your next question might be: “How I can choose the best Medicare Supplement plan for my situation?” By law, ALL Medicare supplement plans must offer the same benefits: the ONLY difference will be the premium that you have to pay each month. Remember that premiums for Medicare Supplement plans change every year, so we will help compare your rates with other insurance companies to make sure you are paying the lowest possible rate for your plan. We understand that it is difficult and time consuming to a choose a Medicare Supplement plan so we look forward to solving all your Medicare problems. We will compare all the available plans and identify the plans that will save you the most money. At your request, we will even set up an in-home appointment to meet with you personally in the comfort of your own home. To find out more on how to make …
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Posted in California Medicare | 15 Comment
Fringe Benefit Group Expands The Contractors Plan with Robust Specialty Benefits Offering Including MetLifes Dental & Group Life Products
Posted on February 7, 2012 by Rick
Austin, TX (PRWEB) February 06, 2012
Fringe Benefit Group, an industry leader in the design, implementation and administration of health and retirement plans for government contractors, today announced the availability of MetLifes group dental and group term life benefits for The Contractors Plan customers. This addition complements Fringe Benefit Groups specialty benefits offering, which also includes vision and disability benefits.
The Contractors Plan provides retirement, medical and specialty benefits to over 100,000 participants. Contractors working on government jobs are able to reduce costs, win more bids and stay compliant with Davis-Bacon (DBA), Service Contract Act (SCA) and other prevailing wage laws by allocating a projects fringe amount to a bona fide benefit trust because it provides a significant reduction in payroll taxes such as Social Security, Medicare (FICA), State and Federal Unemployment Taxes (SUTA and FUTA). In most states, this reduction in the after-tax payroll will also reduce Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums.
Employees want specialty benefits in addition to health and retirement options and The Contractors Plan enables employers to easily offer a wide spectrum of products to their employees. Its a win-win situation because employees are obtaining additional benefits and the employer is able to reduce their payroll costs by putting the entire fringe towards benefits, said Brian Robertson, executive vice president of Fringe Benefit Group. Our product portfolio is robust, especially with the addition of MetLifes best-in-class dental and life benefits, and we are providing employers with one source for managing all of their employees benefits, which gives them more time to focus on running their business.
MetLife is one of the leading providers of group dental and group term life employee benefit programs in the U.S. today. It offers employers and their employees one of the broadest and best credentialed dental networks in the U.S. and the ability to visit any dental provider.
According to the industry research group LIMRA, 30 percent of U.S. households do not have life insurance and today there are 11 million fewer American households covered by life insurance as compared to just six years ago. This indicates a majority of U.S. families either have no life insurance or not enough, leaving their families one accident or terminal illness away from a financial catastrophe. The Contractors Plan group term life insurance is offered to employees on a guaranteed issue basis with no medical underwriting and can be paid using bona fide fringe dollars.
Recognizing that specialty benefits are valued by employees but can be perceived as an administrative challenge by business owners and HR professionals, Fringe Benefit Group provides an easy and seamless way for employers to provide more value to their employees while maximizing payroll savings. MyContractorsPlan.com improves benefits enrollment and administration by providing employers and employees with online access to their health, specialty benefits and retirement accounts via a customized online benefits enrollment and management platform. Employers simply choose the benefits they want to provide to their employees from the platform of benefit options and Fringe Benefit Group takes care of all the details, including combining the cost of all coverages into one hourly rate, paying the carriers, and administering the programs.
About Fringe Benefit Group
Austin, Texas-based Fringe Benefit Group and its affiliate companies have helped employers design and administer fringe benefit programs since 1979. Through its nationwide network of independent brokers and agents, Fringe Benefit Group has established itself as the leader in government contractor health and welfare and retirement plans. Drawing on its expertise in the prevailing wage segment, the company has also emerged as a leader in group benefit plans designed specifically for hourly and part-time workers (limited benefit programs). For more information, visit thecontractorsplan.com.
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More Medicare Premium Press Releases
Posted in California Medicare | 0 Comment
NEW: McClung provides information at Gratiot County Commission on Aging
Posted on February 6, 2012 by Rick
NEW: McClung provides information at Gratiot County Commission on Aging
They want to know what is the most cost effective and cheapest Medicare supplement. I go through the options and they take the information and decide. It's all individual and depends on their medications, their health and what they can afford.
Read more on The Morning Sun
Posted in California Medicare | 0 Comment
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Medicare Articles
- Can I enroll in a Blue Cross Entry Age Medicare Supplement plan if I’m over 65 years old?
- Q&A: Can people with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) join a Medicare Advantage plan for 2008 health insurance?
- Latest Medicare Policy News
- Mistakes with Reporting Social Security Disability Income Can Be Costly at Tax Time, Allsup Finds
- Rising Medicare Costs for Artificial Feet
- Helping To Understand The Language Of Medicare
- Social Security Disability Appeals Reached New Record in 2011
- Medicare Supplement Plans | Questions about Medicare Supplement Plans
- Fringe Benefit Group Expands The Contractors Plan with Robust Specialty Benefits Offering Including MetLifes Dental & Group Life Products
- NEW: McClung provides information at Gratiot County Commission on Aging
- Media Advisory: Johns Hopkins Business Professor Available as News Source on Health Care Economics
- Medicare Part D Donut Hole
- Anthem Blue Cross of California is the Health Care Provider of Choice for Many
- Social Security Q&A
- Top Gingrich backer: Medicare fraud questions 'fair game' for Romney
- Medicare Age Eligibility
- is president obama one smart cookie for suggesting that Medicare eligibility age be changed from 65 to 67?
- compare medicare supplement insurance?
- Q&A: Which Medicare health plan is the best?
- In Medicare drug gap, generics might not be cheapest option
- Low income and categorically needy are both eligibility requirements for what?
- Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans
- Six Reasons Why You May be Paying More for your 2012 Medicare Part D …
- 12/14/11- Keynote by Medicare Ins Specialist Barbara Hogan @ Platinum Coast BNI
- Latest Medicare Premium News
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