New States Add Medicare Supplement Birthday Rules

medicare birthday rules

Insurance agents competing to sell Medicare Supplement insurance in five states can now capitalize on rules benefiting Medicare beneficiaries.  According to the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI), the five states include California, Illinois, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho. “Medicare insurance agents now face a daunting task of competing with the millions of dollars being spent on television ads featuring celebrity spokespeople,” explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance.  “Survival of the independent Medicare insurance agent will depend on the ability to take advantage of…

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Mind the Gap: Things to Know Before Picking the Best Medicare Supplement Plan

Medicare

Whether you have just turned 65, are about to turn 65, or are looking after a loved one who already has, keeping abreast of Medicare policy changes and picking the best Medicare supplement plan can seem like a daunting task. While the basic Medicare supplement plans (Plans A – N) are standardized at the federal government level, there are still many variations and nuances that occur at the state level. For example, some states may charge different rates for males than they do for females; some states won’t ask questions…

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Report suggests the end of the Medicare Advantage program

Medicare Advantage

Government Accountability Office considers Medicare Advantage unsustainable A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, is calling for the end of the country’s Medicare Advantage initiative. The Advantage program provides expanded health care benefits to those participating. The report calls into question whether the program is financially sustainable for the country and suggests that current and future administrations should focus more on improving the benefits that are associated with the Affordable Care Act. Advantage program draining country resources The report notes that…

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Premiums decrease and enrollment increases for Medicare Advantage

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the part of the Medicare program that provides recipients with the ability to select their own private insurance have seen a drop in their premiums by an average of 7 percent, and there has been an increase in enrollment by 10 percent. According to Kathleen Sebelius, a Health and Human Services secretary, this has been an ongoing trend for Medicare Advantage system, which helps to work against the negative forecasts that have been made by those in opposition to the health…

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