Monday, May 5th, 2008

Mercury News.com reported today that a coalition of health care groups have filed a lawsuit against the state of California to prevent 10 percent cuts to Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal payments scheduled to begin July 1, 2008. There are more than 6 million low-income Californians that use Medi-Cal for health care services. The class-action lawsuit has been filed in The Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of California health care providers. The complaint includes the California Medical Association, the California Hospital Association and the California Dental Association.

Monday, February 11th, 2008

With the 2008 tax season getting strted, AARP is providing a tax aide program across southwest Ohio for seniors until April 10.Volunteers from AARP will be available for one-hour sessions at various locations throughout Butler County. Hopefully we will see this help all over the United States.

For more information, call 888-687-2277 or visit www.aarp.org/taxaide.

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

Top 5 Questions to ask when visiting a nursing home. These are Tips to Help!

1. What types of insurance will cover my loved ones stay? Don’t forget to ask this question! Some skilled nursing homes only accept Medicare! If you or your loved one has and HMO make sure they know!

2. Do you bill secondary insurance? You may find that nursing homes DO NOT BILL secondary insurance carriers. Be sure to ask before you admit a loved one.

3. Are there additional costs for a private room? Typically the answer is YES. Be sure to ask what the rate difference is before requesting a private room; it could be a lot more than you think.

4. Can I see your state survey report? Did you know that the state surveys nursing homes frequently? Ask if they have any deficiencies and if they passed their survey!

5. Are there RN’s here 24 hours per day? Did you know that not all nursing homes are required to have a Registered Nurse’s scheduled round the clock? Be sure to ask this, it could be critical for your loved one.

Friday, December 21st, 2007

Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for:

• People 65 years of age and older.
• Some people with disabilities under age 65.
• People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant).

Medicare has Two Parts:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance) Most people don’t have to pay for Part A.
• Part B (Medical Insurance) Most people pay monthly for Part B.

Medicare offers you the ability to choose different services. Depending on where you live, you could have different choices. In most cases, when you first get Medicare, you are in the Original Medicare Plan after that you may want to consider a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to add drug coverage to your health plan. You may also want to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that provides all your Part A, Part B, and often Part D coverage. You make a choice when you are first eligible for Medicare. Each year you can review your health and prescription needs and switch to a different plan in the fall.

As long as you have both Part A and Part B, items covered by Part A and Part B are covered whether you have the Original Medicare Plan, or you belong to a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO). For more information see the Your Medicare Coverage database.

Monday, December 17th, 2007

I love that Newsweek has dedicated an entire section to Baby Boomer’s. Its called Boomer Files. I would check this out daily to read interesting articles and keep up to date with current events.

They have articles like this one titlted:

Insuring Your Future Care

The article talks about insurance compnaies offering new forms of long-term-care insurance for boomers who might be willing to buy at a younger age.

Read the entire article at www.newsweek.com

Friday, December 14th, 2007

News!

Long-term care insurer MedAmerica, will expand with a new carrier domiciled in Florida on Dec. 15, MedAmerica Insurance Company of Florida .Recognizing the unique qualities and opportunities of the Florida market, MedAmerica decided to incorporate a new carrier dedicated to that state.

Here’s a summary of the plan:

After a Simplicity policyholder becomes benefit eligible, they receive monthly benefits distributed from their Cash Benefit Account. Their monthly cash benefit is prepaid and is guaranteed in full each month they remain on claim, whether or not they received services. A person can use the funds as they choose, no company approval is required. Cash Benefit Accounts are available in varying amounts from $100,000 to $1 million and can grow over time using various inflation protection options.

Policyholders have been notified that MedAmerica Insurance Company of Florida has assumed their MedAmerica Insurance Company contracts issued in Florida. There are no changes in coverage or premium as a result of this transaction. Only the carrier has changed.

Source: MedAmerica.

Friday, December 14th, 2007

I was browsing information on Long Term Care Insurance for a client that I am working with. I was happy to see that more interactive resources will available for people searching for tips, help and education!

Here’s a overview:

The nation’s most experienced long term care insurance brokerage LTC Finacial Partners, is offering two free assists.

- A quarterly newsletter with prevention tips

-Access to Living Longer, a new online group that will share videos and forum posts on healthy aging. The group is hosted by SuperLife World Service, a social network that promotes physical, mental, and environmental betterment.

Please visit: www.ltcfp.us/ltcfp/living-longer.html. to learn more.