After a 9 percent increase from 2021 to 2022, enrollment in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program is expected to surpass 50 percent of the eligible Medicare population within the next year. At its current rate of growth, MA is on track to reach 69 percent of the...

Uncertainty about paying for long-term care remains problematic among midlife and older adults. Long-term care is expensive.  According to Genworth's Cost of Care surveys, in 2021 the national median monthly cost of a private nursing home room was $9,034, with the...

Inflation Reduction Act limits out-of-pocket drug costs, caps insulin copays, makes vaccines free For the first time in Medicare’s history, the amount of money that beneficiaries in drug plans will have to pay for their prescriptions each year will be capped, thanks...

KEY POINTS The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B will be $5.20 lower next year. The deductible for Part B also will be less than it is for 2022. Medicare officials also have announced the Part A deductible and coinsurance amounts. The 2023 monthly premium...

Over the next few months, you’re probably going to receive a lot of information about Medicare. It’s all meant to help you understand your coverage choices and make informed decisions during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7). There is one piece...

If you’ve been shopping for Medigap plans, you may have discovered that a couple of them (Plan G and Plan F) cover something called “Part B Excess Charges.” If you’re not sure what excess charges are, you’re not alone. Fortunately, they’re a rather rare occurrence for...

You are eligible for Medicare at age 65, but you may not need to sign up then. The best time to enroll in Medicare depends on whether you or your spouse is still working and you have health insurance from that employer. If you make the wrong decision, you could end up...

Medicare can be complicated, but several great resources can help you get answers to your Medicare questions — whether you want to know more about costs, coverage, eligibility, enrollment or how to choose supplemental policies. 1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plays an important role in protecting the health and safety of all Americans as they journey through the health care system. This is especially true during a pandemic, natural disaster, or other emergencies....

COVID-19 has exacerbated the nation’s struggle with mental health and substance use disorders (collectively called “behavioral health conditions”), fueling a full-blown crisis. For some Americans during the pandemic, this has meant feeling depressed and hopeless,...

The key to qualifying for some paid services is whether your loved one is 'homebound' Medicare, the government's medical insurance for people age 65 and older and younger people receiving Social Security disability benefits, isn't designed to pay for 24-hour care for...

​Extra benefits attracting enrollees, but experts say plans can deliver better on their promises As Medicare Advantage plans approach their 25th birthday — the law that created the current system allowing private health care providers to offer a one-stop-shop...

You may have extra time to sign up in 2022 If you have been unable to enroll in Medicare since the start of 2022 because of problems with the Social Security Administration’s phone system, you can ask for extra time to sign up — even if your initial enrollment,...

When Kristen Tyler was caring for her father, she didn’t know that the federal government had programs that could help her dad afford the thousands of dollars his health care and medications cost. Now Tyler is helping others learn about the Medicare Savings Programs...

Get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can. Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost to you. Medicare covers the vaccine for anyone who has Medicare due to their age, a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease). Be...

Signing up for an online Medicare account, previously called a MyMedicare account, can help you manage your Medicare information electronically. An online account is a great resource for getting personalized information about your Medicare coverage, claims and costs....

You may be 65 years old and ready to enroll in Medicare, but unless your spouse has a disabling medical condition, your mate won’t qualify until age 65. That’s because Medicare doesn’t operate like health insurance that you may have through your employer. It’s not a...

What the programs cover, and what they don’t What role does the federal government play in assisting Americans in need of long-term care? The answers, which lie primarily within two programs — Medicare and Medicaid — may surprise you. Here is a breakdown of the...

No, Medicare doesn’t automatically cover prescription drugs you get at a pharmacy, but you can buy a Medicare Part D plan from a private insurer to help cover those expenses. You can either get a stand-alone Part D plan or purchase a Medicare Advantage plan that...

 Medicare Part A helps pay for inpatient stays in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, some home health services and end-of-life hospice care. Even though most people don’t pay premiums for Medicare Part A, the coverage still has other out-of-pocket costs: A...

How the federal insurance program helps older Americans afford the health care vital to their well-being What is Medicare? For more than 55 years, it's been the program that older Americans and people with disabilities turn to for their health care coverage. In 2022,...