Medicare covers a variety of heath care services that you can receive in the comfort and privacy of your home. These include intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language pathology services, and occupational therapy. Such services used to be available only at a hospital or doctor’s...

When you go to a hospital, does it make any difference if you’re considered an “inpatient” or an “outpatient”? Yes, it does. Your hospital status (whether the hospital classifies you as an inpatient or outpatient) affects how much you pay for hospital services like X-rays, drugs, and lab tests. It...

If two mechanics are working on your car, but they’re not talking to one another, the results may not be so good. Likewise, if a baseball coach doesn’t communicate well with his players, he’s not likely to win as many games as he could. Good coordination can improve outcomes in all sorts of human...

When key parts of the health care law take effect in 2014, you’ll have a new way to buy health insurance for yourself, your family, or your small business: the Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace is designed to help you find health insurance that fits your budget, with less hassle. Every...

You may have wondered how Medicare works with other insurance coverage, such as a group health plan from a former employer or union. It’s an important issue because it determines whether your medical bills are paid correctly and on time. If you have Medicare and other insurance, always be sure to tell...

The Affordable Care Act strengthened Medicare in important ways. Signed in 2010, the federal health law already has provided free preventive health benefits to millions of people with Medicare, and saved billions of dollars for those who hit the gap in their Part D prescription drug coverage. In 2013,...

Now is the time to protect yourself against the flu by getting your flu vaccine early, before flu season hits full force. Medicare covers the flu vaccination, along with many other preventive-health services. People with Medicare can get the flu shot at no cost to them. There’s no coinsurance, copayment,...

Coping with terminal illness can be very difficult, both for the patient and his or her loved ones. That’s why I wanted to tell you about Medicare’s coverage for hospice care and how it works. Hospice is a program of care and support for people who are terminally ill. The focus is on comfort, not...

We hear a lot of back and forth these days about the Affordable Care Act – aka the federal health reform law – but not much about how it affects people with Medicare. When you sort through all the rhetoric, one thing is clear: the 2-year-old reform law contains some real benefits for those who get...

Heart disease and stroke have reached epidemic levels in our country. Heart disease is the leading killer of Americans; stroke is the fourth leading killer. One of every three deaths in this county is caused by cardiovascular disease. That’s why Medicare is helping to lead the Million Hearts campaign,...