Did you sign up for a Medicare Advantage health plan last year only to find that it doesn’t meet your needs? Not to worry. You still have time to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare. Between January 1 and March 31 each year, you can make the following changes during...

As we head into the new year, I wanted to let you know how much your Medicare premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs will be in 2020. Each year, Medicare premiums, deductibles, and co-payment rates are adjusted according to the Social Security Act. For 2020, the Medicare Part B monthly...

Not long ago, I had dinner with a group of friends from college. One of the big topics of conversation was Medicare, for which we’ll all be eligible in the next several years. (Farewell, callow youth!) And one of the biggest questions about Medicare was, “How much is it going to cost me?” Like...

When someone with Medicare finds his or her way to my office phone, it’s often because of a complicated and snarly issue that’s going to take time to fix. However, it’s sometimes a Medicare beneficiary who found my number somewhere and called for some basic help in understanding their coverage....

Sometime in late October, I’ll host the 12th Annual Friends of Elaine Kortzeborn Medicare Open Enrollment Party. Every year since 2005, I’ve helped a dozen or so my mom’s buddies review their Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance and make sure it still works for them. At first, I ran into...

As a person with Medicare, you have important rights. One of them is the right to appeal. An appeal is the action you can take if you disagree with a coverage or payment decision by Medicare or your Medicare health plan. For example, you can appeal if Medicare or your plan denies: * A request for a health...

My mom, 88 stubborn years old, still lives on her own in a big house with a cat that loves to get underfoot. Because I work in healthcare, I have an all-too-vivid recognition of the perils that can befall someone in her situation. So, posted on her kitchen bulletin board is a bright pink sheet of paper...

It’s never too late to quit smoking. While it’s best to stop as early as possible, kicking the smoking habit at any age will enhance the length and quality of your life. As soon as you stop, your body begins to repair the damage caused by smoking. You’ll also save money and you won’t...

Are you looking for a nursing home for yourself or a loved one? People go to nursing homes for different reasons. They may be sick or hurt and require ongoing nursing care. They may have had surgery and need time to recuperate. Or they may have chronic care needs or disabilities that make long-term nursing...

Have you recently enrolled in Medicare, or will you do so in the near future? If so, let me be the first to say, welcome! What should your first step be as a new Medicare beneficiary? I recommend taking advantage of the “Welcome to Medicare” preventive-care benefit. During the first 12 months that...