Medicare Nation

Hey Medicare Nation! You are getting ready for Thanksgiving and you haven't even looked at Prescription Drug Plans for 2019. Don't panic!  I have your back :) There are Prescription Drug Plan changes for 2019.  Listen to this episode to learn about the NEW changes and make a confident decision to enroll in the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan that fits your unique needs. Here is the link to the Medicare.gov website as an additional resoure: www.medicare.gov Have a question about Prescription Drug Plans for 2019? Ask me! If I can answer your question in ONE PARAGRAPH, I will! If I need to do "any" type of research or the answer to your question is longer than ONE paragraph, you may have to hire me as a consultant. I answer ALL emails personally. I'm the expert and I make sure you receive my expertise in answering your questions. Send your questions to - Support@TheMedicareNation.com   I look forward to hearing from you! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Diane

Hey Medicare Nation! It's October! Lots of changes going on in the Medicare landscape. Social Security recently announced the 2019 COLA, and for those of you on Social Security and Social Security Disability, you will be receiving a 2.8% raise in your monthly check. Social Security raise goes into effect January 1, 2019. Social Securtiy Disbility goies into effect December 31, 2018. Some more good news is.....the payroll taxes for Medicare & Social Security are staying the same in 2019. Yeah!! The combined tax rate for Social Security & Medicare will remain at 7.65% in 2019 for employees. The combined tax rate for Self Employed will also remain the same in 2019 at 15.30% When Social Security authorizes a COLA raise, that is the signal that Medicare Part B Premiums may also rise. For 2019, that's exactly what happened. Let's take a look at the 2019 Medicare Premiums & Deductibles. Medicare Part A In 2019, the Medicare Part A Deductible for being an inpatient in the hospital is going up to $1,364.00

Hey Medicare Nation! I have a special show for you today. The FDA has issued a "Voluntary Recall" on Westminster Pharmaceuticals of all lots of their Levothyroxine and Liothyronine (Thyroid Tablets). Westminster Pharmaceuticals, LLC, which has its Corporate HQ in Tampa, Florida, is voluntarily recalling all lots, within the expiration date, of Levo-thyroxine and Lio-thyronine (Thyroid Tablets) dosages of 15 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg, 90 mg, & 120 mg up to the wholesale level. These products are being recalled by Westminster Pharmaceuticals as a precaution, because they were manufactured using active pharmaceutical ingredients that were sourced, prior to the FDA’s “Import Alert”  of Sichuan Friendly Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which is out of China.   The Recall comes as a result of a 2017 inspection where deficiencies were found with “Current Good Manufacturing Practices” (cGMP). Substandard cGMP practices…..could represent……the possibility of risk….. being introduced into the manufacturing process. To date, Westmin

Hey Medicare Nation! Medicare Nation The topic of Medical Marijuana is BOOMING! I had to bring back Dr. Rachna Patel to update us on what's going on in the Medical Marijuana Community. Currently, there are 9 States, plus the District of Columbia (DC), that have "Legalized" the "Recreational" use of Marijuana. The 9 States are: 1. Alaska 2. California 3. Colorado 4. D.C. 5. Massachusetts 6. Nevada 7. Oregon 8. Vermont 9. Washington Twenty-Nine (29) States, have Legalized Medical Marijuana usage. The 29 States are: 1. Alaska 2. Arizona 3. Arkansas 4. California 5. Colorado 6. Connecticut 7. Delaware 8. Florida 9. Hawaii 10. Illinois 11. Maine 12. Maryland 13. Massachusetts 14. Michigan 15. Minnesota 16. Montana 17. Nevada 18. New Hampshire 19. New Jersey 20. New Mexico 21. New York 22. North Dakota 23. Ohio 24. Oregon 25. Pennsylvania 26. Rhode Island 27. Vermont 28. Washington 29. Washington D.C. 30. West Virginia   Dr. Patel commonly treats patient with the following conditions for Medical Marijuana: 1.  Chro

Hey Medicare Nation! Millions of people are diagnosed with "Foot Drop." Some people also call it......"Drop Foot." Help A Child or Adult Walk Again! Either way, Foot Drop is a serious matter! Foot Drop is a weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in lifting the front part of the foot, necessary for walking. Foot Drop causes a person to drag the foot and toes, or engage in a high-stepping walk called a steppage gait. Foot Drop Increases the risk of falling.   Who Can Be Diagnosed With Foot Drop? Men or Women, at any age. What are some causes of Foot Drop? Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Paulsy, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injurey, Spinal Cord Injuries, and other injuries to the Peroneal Nerve in the leg.  Viruses can cause Foot Drop as well as other infections. Injuries to the leg and/or the lower back can also cause Foot Drop. What is a WalkAide? A WalkAide is a Functional Electrical Stimulation Device, when wore on the calf, sends electric impulses to the affected foot causing the foot and leg to lift.  Where

Hey Medicare Nation! Do you know what "Drop Foot" is? Foot Drop is a weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in lifting the front part of the foot necessary for walking. It causes a person to drag the foot and toes, or engage in a high-stepping walk called a "steppage gait." This increases the risk of falling for individuals.  There are about 70,000 people diagnosed with Food Drop in the State of Florida alone! I have teamed up with the Freedom to Walk Foundation, to assist them in raising funds for the purchase of WalkAides. WalkAides are electronic stimulating devices when worn on the calf, sends electric impulses to the affected foot, causing the muscles to contract and lift the foot and leg. Children and adults are WALKING agian with the help of WalkAides! The one major problem, is that most medical insurance companies don't cover WalkAides. Medicare will only cover WalkAides for those diagnosed with "Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury." Those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebal Palsy, stroke, tra

Hey Medicare Nation! www.TheMedicareNation.com Special Election Period Extended through March 31, 2018 for Medicare Beneficiaries Affected by California Wildfires. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the Special Election Period (SEP) for Medicare Beneficiaries affected by the California Wildfires to March 31, 2018. Any Medicaer Beneficiary who resides in, or resided in an area for which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared a disaster area is eligible for the SEP......if......the beneficiary was unable to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan or stand-alone-prescription drug plan, during the annual enrollment period (AEP) or other qualifying election period. Also....if you don't live in the affected counties of California, but you receive assistance from someone living in one of the affected areas that was declared a disaster area, you are eligible for the SEP. You can call Medicare at 800-633-4227, or you can contact a Medicare Advisor or Medicare Consultant to

Hey Medicare Nation! It's January 2018! I hope everyone made informed decisions regarding your Medicare Advantage Plans for 2018. If you missed the last episode, go back and listen to it! I discussed the Medicare Premiums, co-pays and co-insurance for 2018. Many of you have sent me emails "asking me" if you can change your Medicare Advantage Plan in January. The answer is......yes....with specific guidelines. Currently, it is the Medicare Advantage Plan "Disenrollment Period." The current Disenrollment Period runs from January 1st through February 14th each year. During this time, you can "drop" your Medicare Advantage Plan and go back onto Original Medicare. You do this by contacting MEDICARE by phone     800-633-4227.....and telling the Medicare representative that you would like to "Disenroll from your Medicare Advantage Plan" to go back onto Original Medicare. Medicare may also help you with a Part D prescription Drug Plan if you'd like. On Original Medicare, you are covered under Part A and Part B of Med

Hey Medicare Nation! The Center For Medicare & Medicaid Services has finally announced 2018 Premiums and deductibles for Part A & Part B of Medicare. Just as I had anticipated...... CMS has increased the Part B premium in 2018. A hefty amount....I might add. The 2018 Part B Premium for 2018 will be $134.00. Over 50 Million Medicare beneficiaries were protected by the "held harmless" regulation in 2017. Those Medicare beneficiaries did not see an increase in their Part B Premium for 2017, since the Part B Premium increase of $134.00 was higher than the Social Security COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) of .3%. When Social Security approved a 2% COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for 2018, that gave Medicare the "go ahead" to increase the Part B premium.  As long as the Medicare Part B Premium is equal to or less than the Social Security COLA adjustment, the Part B Premium increase will go into effect.  Such is the case for 2018. With a 2% COLA increase in Social Security benefits, the majority of Social Se

Hey Medicare Nation! It's Medicare Annual Enrollment Time! The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15th through December 7th, each year. Many of you are looking at different Medicare Advantage Plans and Prescription Drug Plans for 2018. Some of you are staying with the Medicare Advantage Plan you're already on. What many of you don't know.......is that the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added a Special Election Period for individuals affected by weather related disaster's since September. Anyone that resides in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, South Carolina or the U.S. Virgin Islands, may qualify for this special election period, due to hurricane Irma. Anyone residing in Louisiana and Mississippi may qualify for the Special Election Period, due to Tropical Storm Nate. Residents of Texas may qualify due to Hurricane Harvey. To determine if you qualify for this special election period, CMS has deferred the locations affected by Weather Disaster's to FEMA. Go to the

Hey Medicare Nation! It's October, and that means it's Medicare season! If you need help navigating the 2018 Medicare Advantage Plans or Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, I'm available to help! Go to my website...... www.TheMedicareNation.com  and click on the "contact" button. Send me a short email of how I can assist you and I'll get back to you with details.   How many of you receive excess letters, brochures and booklets from Medicare insurance companies? I'm sure most of you do. How many of you, in the past, have received an "official looking" postcard or letter, that you believed came from Medicare or the Social Security Administration...... only to find out it's a "scam?"  Again.....I'm certain many of you did. Right now, many of you or your parents, have or will be receiving an actual letter from the social security administration, that is real! I'm serious.....it's not a scam! That's right...... in a joint venture to promote the Medicare Savings Program and the Extra Help Program, the federal governm

2018 Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Cost Sharing It's October folks! Medicare season has begun! As of October 1st, licensed health insurance agents may begin speaking about 2018 Medicare Advantage Plans and stand-alone prescription drug plans. If you have a relationship with a licensed health insurance agent, Medicare Specialist or Medicare Consultant, they will more than likely start contacting you about your current plan. This is the time to discuss your concerns with your Medicare Specialist. You need to determine if all your prescription drugs are listed in the plan's 2018 formulary.  You also need to determine what your 2018 monthly costs will be for all your prescription medications. Ask yourself......."Have my out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs remained feasible on my current plan for 2018?" If so..... that's great! If not, it may be time to take a look at a new stand-alone-prescription drug plan. If you're on a Medicare Advantage Drug Plan, you will need to determine if your physicians are stil

Hey Medicare Nation! Here I am bringing you yet another Medicare Advantage Plan Sponsor, being slapped by CMS, for failing to comply with Medicare requirements related to Part C (Medicare Choice) and Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Plans). Today, I will be discussing the CMS Civil Money Penalty (CMP) that was imposed on Fallon Community Health Plan. On June 29, 2017, a letter was issued to Mr. Richard Burke, the President and CEO of Fallon Community Health Plan, from Vikki Ahern, Director of the Medicare Parts C and D Oversight and Enforcement Group. The letter was written relating to a "Notice of Imposition of Civil Money Penalty for Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Contract Numbers: H2411, H2470 and H9001. Summary of Noncomplliance CMS conducted an audit of Fallon's Medicare operations from February 16, 2016 through February 26, 2016. In the audit report issued on July 20, 2016, CMS auditors reported that Fallon failed to comply with Medicare requirements related to...."Part C and Part D organization

Hey Medicare Nation! I'm so happy to be here and tell you the latest, regarding Cigna-HealthSpring (Cigna) Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MAPD) and Prescription Drug Plans (PDP). In January of 2016, CMS suspended Cigna from enrolling NEW Medicare Beneficiaries into their Medicare Advantage and stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans. The following States were affected by the suspension: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennesse. ON June 16, 2017, CMS released the suspension of marketing and enrollment sanctions on Cigna.....with a big BUT. On March 17, 2017, CMS received an attestation from Cigna, stating Cigna had corrected all  the violations that were listed in the CMS sanction notice. Quoted from the letter CMS sent to Cigna interim CEO & COO Mr. Shawn Moore - "CMS required Cigna to hire an independent auditor to conduct a validation audit provide CMS with the results of the audit. CMS used the information in the audit report to determine wh

Hey Medicare Nation! Learn More About Medicare Here I receive many questions from clients and listeners about Medicare.  A question that is quite common is: "What vaccinations are covered under Medicare?" That's what this week's episode is all about.... vaccinations! There are currently three vaccinations that are covered under preventative and screening services under Medicare: 1. Flu Shot 2. Hepatitis Shot 3. Pneumococcal Vaccine   Flu Shot If you are enrolled in Medicare Part B, you can receive a Flu Shot from your doctor or other qualified health provider, who accepts Medicare assignment for administering the flu shot.  The cost for the Flu Shot under this scenario is $0 out-of-pocket for you. If your doctor or other healthcare provider does not accept Medicare assignment, your out-of-pocket cost be up to 100% of the cost of the Flu shot. Ensure your doctor or healthcare physician is contracted with Medicare before receiving treatment. For more information on the Flu, I'm sending you to this website: www.

Hey Medicare Nation! Over 17.5 Million of you are on a Medicare Advantage plan. And many of you have been, or know of a situation where your doctor has left the “network” and you are told by your Medicare Advantage Plan Carrier that you must find a new doctor. You tell your Medicare Advantage Plan carrier that you would like to change plans to keep your doctor, and they will tell you something that goes like this….”I’m sorry, you are unable to change plans mid-year. You will have to wait until the Annual Enrollment Period occurs to change plans, unless you have a special election. So….you’ll need to change doctors at this time.” Sound familiar? Well…..on today’s show, I’m going to discuss a “special election (SEP),” called – “Significant Network Change,” that many, many Insurance Agents don’t even know about. Revisions were made to the Medicare Managed Care Manual, which went into effect on April 22, 2016. The Significant Network Change Special Election Period, as written in the Medicare Managed Care Manual i

Hey Medicare Nation! March is colon cancer awareness month! Medicare offers different types of "preventative" tests and exams, which aid in diagnosing illnesses and diseases, such as colon cancer. Always speak with your primary care physician or specialist doctor, to discuss your medical history, family history regarding illness and diseases, as well as any signs & symptoms you may have. This will assist your physician in determining which type of "preventative" test or exam, is best for you. A special "Thank You," goes out to Phillip, from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who asks the question: "I don't like going through a colonoscopy. Are other options available and how often do I need one?" Let's look at Medicare's official website, to find out more about "preventative" Colo rectal cancer screenings. www.medicare.gov   How often is it covered? Medicare Part B covers several types of colo rectal cancer screening tests to help find precancerous growths or find cancer early, when treatment is most effective. One or m

Hey Medicare Nation! I receive many phone calls from clients, who say they were unable to schedule an appointment with a new doctor; even though they are on a Medicare Supplement Plan.  I made many phone calls, with my clients to physician offices, in order to fix these issues. What I found out didn't surprise me. Many of the staff at physician office's across the country are inadequately trained in the different types of Medicare Plans. I decided to educate you on how to make an appointment with a physician, lab, hospital, SNF or radiology center, if you have a Medicare Supplement Plan. Having a Medicare Supplement Plan allows you the freedom to see any physician or provider you want.....,as long as the provider "accepts assignment" with Medicare. Let's take an example. If you wanted to make an appointment with a new Cardiologist, 1. call the office you want to be seen in. 2. Tell the person, who is scheduling your appointment, that          Medicare is your Primary Insurance. 3. You may be asked if you have

Hey Medicare Nation! Many of you carry your Medicare ID card in your wallet or purse. If you are a Medicare Advantage beneficiary, you have a “separate” medical ID card from the insurance carrier. It is not necessary to carry your Medicare ID card, If you have a Medicare Advantage ID card. Who should carry their Medicare ID Card? If the official Medicare program is your “primary” insurance, you should be carrying your Medicare ID card. Now….. let me discuss with you how you can carry your Medicare ID card in a safer way. Currently, your Medicare ID Card has your Social Security number on it, with a letter at the end of your Social Security number.  If you have your social security number memorized, take these steps to help prevent “identity theft.” Make a copy of your Medicare ID Card Place your original Medicare ID Card in a safe place. Take a Black Permanent Marker and “black out” all of the numbers of your social security number( except the last four numbers and the letter), on the copy. Laminate the copy

Hey Medicare Nation! I hope everyone is having an awesome week! Say goodbye to February! I know all of you Northerners are thrilled to see it go! Bring it on March! You know, I see many, many clients and one of the top questions I am asked is, "What does the letter on my Medicare ID card mean?" It happens so often, I figured I better dedicate an episode to just that! The Social Security Administration (SSA) assigns a letter and a number, (if you fit into a sub-group) when you apply for Social Security Benefits and/or Medicare. The letter (and number if it applies) is found on your Medicare ID Card, right after your social security number. As an example, if you have worked and contributed to FICA (Federal Insurance Contribution Act), and started receiving your Social Security benefits at age 64, and you enrolled in Medicare at age 65, the letter "A" will be designated to you. The "claim" number would look like this on your Medicare ID Card: 123-45-6789A Just as "Different Strokes for different Folks," the Soci