This article is continued from Part 1. Retiree benefits are received by approximately one in every three Medicare beneficiaries, and are a form of supplemental coverage from the retirement health plan provided by their former employers. For these individuals, Medicare began quite simply. They would use both Parts A and B, and then would simply use the insurance from their former employers to cover the out-of-pocket costs such as prescription drugs. The majority of individuals who have this option available to them will take it. However, employers are offering this…
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An overview of Medicare plans and what they cover
Medicare health insurance is a program that is federally administered and is made available to people with certain specific forms of disability, permanent kidney failure, or people who are 65 years of age or older. There are several different types of Medicare plans, the basics of which are as follows: • Medicare Part A – provides coverage for hospital care (among institutions that accept Medicare) and has no monthly premium for its beneficiaries, as long as they have been employed and have paid FICA taxes for a minimum of a…
Read MoreHealthcare spending cuts will be expensive to seniors
The recent budget deal and struggles in negotiations over the national debt have handed lawmakers yet another requirement to further slash federal spending, and healthcare price controls are one of the plans being considered to help achieve that goal; forcing seniors to have to pay more for their necessary medications. These Medicare Part D program prescription drug price controls aren’t a new idea, but they have been brought back into the spotlight by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who are the most recent to advocate the…
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