Medicare Application




Stopping Medicare Supplier Fraud: Protect Your Medicare IDs


When it comes to protecting yourself from identity theft or any other kind of financial fraud your goals should be the same, protect your access information. If you can help it you shouldn’t let anyone know your username or password so you can protect your information to all financial records or information. Any time that anyone requests this information it should be an immediate red flag that they are up to something that they should not be up to.

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Electronic Health Records Improve Medicare Record Keeping


Streamlining the processes of Medicare to improve performance and better serve subscribers is a goal of Medicare. General recordkeeping is one way that Medicare is improving in addition to improving relationships with doctors and subscribers themselves. Electronic Health Records have been one of the biggest steps forward for Medicare over the last few years. Read more…

Insulin Could be Covered Under Medicare Part D


When it comes to your treatment for diabetes under Medicare you can’t get discouraged if you are first told that what you need is not covered.  In some situations, like with supplies and medication for diabetes, it is possible that one part of Medicare will not cover the situation while another one will.  Medicare Part D can step up and help you with much of what you need to take care of your condition of diabetes. Read more…

Types of Care NOT Covered by Medicare


 

Medicare, like most insurance companies, doesn’t cover all procedures that are related to your body as some are not deemed to be medically necessary.  Two of these types of procedures are cosmetic surgery procedures and custodial care as they are not believed to be a necessity.  The reasons that Medicare perceives these procedures this way are listed below. Read more…

When are Hepatitis B Shots Covered by Medicare?


It is possible to try to prevent Hepatitis B and the way to go about it is to get yourself a screening for the potential of Hepatitis B.  You may not know what these reasons are that you could get it but your doctor will and some of it is outlined briefly below.  As you do not want to deal with the effects of Hepatitis B on your own it is highly recommended that you get this screening if you fall in to the following groups. Read more…

Medicare Benefits: What is a Benefit Period?


Those who have or will have Medicare benefits often ask the question of what there benefit period is in order to gain understanding of the Medicare process.  If you know more about how your Medicare benefits work you are more likely to be pleased with the process and feel good about your opportunities to use your Medicare benefits to the fullest.  So, again you ask, what is a Medicare benefits period?

To begin, understand that your Medicare benefit period begins the day that you are checked into a medical facility for treatment for a condition.  This is good for you because there is a guarantee that your Medicare benefits will kick in the day that you need them and not a second too early or late.  Now, you ask, how is it determined when the Medicare benefit period will come to an end for these Medicare benefits?

Your Medicare benefit period will end when you haven’t received any inpatient care for the condition for at least 60 consecutive days.  As you can tell this gives you the opportunity to get your condition rectified before the next Medicare benefit period begins and another deductible is introduced.  Your Medicare benefit period is designed with your best interests in mind.

13 million uninsured young adults may benefit from health reform proposals


The Congress has before it a set of comprehensive proposals related to health reform. The implementation of these proposals could mean that uninsured young adults from ages between 19-29 could get insurance. In addition those young adults who are currently insured would not lose their insurance.

This information has been detailed in a new Commonwealth Fund report. The report talks about how stable, affordable coverage can be given to all young adults. This would be possible if health coverage is extended by expanding Medicaid. In addition a health insurance exchange could help this process.
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Identifying Medicare Part D Lowest Cost Plan Proving A Challenge For Seniors


Health care costs are rising. In the middle of this the findings of a new study show that older adults were not able to identify the plan that would minimize their outgoings. Often they thought that they had chosen the plan with the lowest cost but this was not true. The study will be published in the August 2009 issue of Health Services Research. It is available online presently.

Just by choosing a different drug plan seniors could save several hundred dollars a year. There are so many choices that choosing the correct plan is a challenge. Choices should be limited and beneficiaries should be empowered to make cost effective and informed decisions about the prescription drug plan.
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Medicare Payment for Inhospital Care May Now depend on Quality of Care


 

A draft bill has been released that links Medicare for inpatient hospital care to the quality of care provided rather than quantity of services offered. This, according to a CQ Healthbeat Report. This legislation says that this policy would begin in fiscal 2012 and be fully operational in fiscal 2009. During this time there would be an increase in Medicare reimbursement levels of 1 to 2 percent.
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How Health Insurance Is Going Wrong


Lets start with how health insurance began. Some decades back, hospitals ran on donations and health care was not prohibitively expensive so as to require health insurance. Soon employees began to receive health insurance as a benefit, a perk. Soon it became a standard fringe benefit. Soon medical costs rose and it became very expensive to see a doctor. Enter the insurance company.

They started as a way to help tackle costs. They ensured that no unnecessary expenses were made.  Soon in the interests of profitability these companies raised insurance premiums. They paid doctors less and charged patients more. More cash landed in the Insurance company’s account. Now the profit motivation is so high that pre existing conditions are penalized by insurance companies.

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Low-Income Subsidy Designed to Help Qualifying Seniors Pay for Prescription Drugs


If you qualify for Medicare and have limited resources, you may also qualify for the low-income subsidy available to people who need extra help. This subsidy is intended to help individuals pay for their Medicare drug plan’s monthly premium, yearly deductible, and coinsurance/copayments.  It can also limit any coverage gaps.

 To qualify for extra help, you need to have limited income and limited resources available to you.   This year, you might qualify if you alone make below $15,315 and have resources under $11,710.  If you are married and living with your spouse (with no other dependents), you must make below $20,353 per year and have resources under $23,410. 

A number of people automatically qualify for this extra help. For instance, if you have full Medicaid benefits, are receiving help from your State Medicaid program, or are receiving SSI without Medicaid, you will most likely automatically qualify for the low-income subsidy.  If you do, you will receive a letter from Medicare to inform you of your status.  After qualifying, you need to choose a Medicare drug plan in order to reap the benefits of your extra help. Research your available plans and select one that covers the medication you require.  If you don’t select a plan, Medicare will select one for you.

Even if you don’t automatically qualify for extra help, you may be able qualify by applying.  To apply, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit them online at www.socialsecurity.gov

Medicare Application Tips: Tips to Make Applying For Medicare Easier


First of all, the Medicare is a US government program that offers health insurance plans for its citizens or residents who is over the age of 65. However, there are also certain criteria that make younger citizens to be eligible for Medicare.

The CMS or the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is responsible for running Medicare and both you as well as your supplier should apply for Medicare in order for you to get the benefits it offers as well as for the physician to accept the coverage.

To apply for Medicare, you first need to know about the latest information in order for you to get the proper information that will prevent in making the wrong decisions when applying.

Many people asks the question about who needs to apply for such health insurance plan. First of all, people who become 65 years old or over will be automatically enrolled to Medicare. A notification will be sent to the person before his or her 65th birthday which means that there will be no need to apply for Medicare.

If you are already receiving Social Security benefits or Railroad benefits, you will also be automatically enrolled for Medicare Part A and Part B.

If you are not automatically added to Medicare plans, then you will need to apply for yourself. You will need to get the form CMS 4OB, which is the Application for Enrolment in Medicare form and can be collected from your local Security Admin Office. You might want to call them first on their toll free number in order to make an appointment. By doing so, they will be able to arrange a suitable time for you to discuss your application for Medicare.

As you can see, it is quite simple to apply for Medicare. If you are over the age of 65 and are a citizen of the US, you will be automatically enrolled to Medicare. And, If you meet certain conditions and you are not over the age of 65, such as having end stage renal disease or any disability, you can apply for yourself.

Remember these application tips and you can be sure that applying for Medicare will be easy.

Where Do Internet-Ignorant Seniors Go For Medicare Information?


When you look at the number of seniors who do not know how to operate a computer, let alone find information online, what do they do when they need to find out about enrolling in Medicare or Medicaid programs? Well, in Florida, they go to the public library.

If you need information about the latest Medicare Part D program or if you want to know how to apply for it and you are not computer savvy, the library will offer you the best possible resources. It is amazing just how much a qualified librarian can help and guide you along when it comes to filling forms or finding out more about any particular program. Read more…