You may have heard something lately about “preventive health care.” What does that mean? At its most basic, preventive health care means living a healthy lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Maintain a healthy weight. And stop smoking. Like anyone else, people with Medicare can benefit...

Let’s say you go for your annual physical and your doctor recommends that you get a hearing and balance test. Or an electrocardiogram. Or a Hepatitis B screening. Does your Original Medicare cover these services? Now there’s a quick way to find out, using your smartphone or tablet. It’s Medicare’s...

Most doctors accept Medicare as full payment for their services. But some accept it only for certain services, and others don’t accept it at all. What does this mean for you? If you have Original Medicare, it means you should try to use doctors, hospitals, medical equipment suppliers, and other healthcare...

Imagine going to the grocery store, picking up the items you need for the week, but not knowing how much anything costs until the store sends you a bill two weeks later. Sadly, that’s how our healthcare system works every day. Healthcare costs now represent one in every five dollars spent in our country....

As we head into the holiday season, I wanted to let you know how much your Medicare will cost in 2019. Most people with Medicare will pay the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B, which will be $135.50 next year, an increase of $1.50 over 2018. Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital...

When you shop for a new car or truck, you don’t just buy the first one you see, do you? Probably not. You shop around, looking for the best deal you can get on a vehicle that fits your driving needs as well as your pocketbook. Well, it’s the time of year when you can shop for a Medicare health or...

At a family reunion, my Aunt Abby and Uncle Glen got into a squabble over the best way to get their Medicare benefits. Uncle Glen is an Original Medicare man, and has been for a decade or so. Aunt Abby prefers Medicare Advantage, which is similar to a health plan she had before enrolling in Medicare. When...

As a person with Medicare, do you have any rights and protections? You certainly do. You have rights whether you’re enrolled in Original Medicare – in which you can choose any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare – or Medicare Advantage, in which you get care within a network of health care...

Brittle bones could shatter your life. Every year, more Americans are diagnosed with osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to weaken and become more likely to break. You mgiht not know that you have this “silent” disease until your bones are so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes...

Did you know that one in three American adults is at risk for kidney disease? Major risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney failure, and being age 60 or older. The best way to fight kidney disease is to find it before trouble starts. But if you’ve...