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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Avoiding misconceptions about Medicare to sidestep financial struggles
According to the outcome of a study performed by Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center for a Secure Retirement, a startling number of retired individuals in the middle-income bracket who are on Medicare either do not understand or they misunderstand the costs and coverage provided by the program, which can lead to unexpected expenses. The research, whose findings were included in the report entitled “Retirement Healthcare for Middle-Income Americans”, examined data regarding 400 pre-Medicare individuals in the baby boomer generation (aged 47 to 64), as well as 400 adults in…
Read MoreState of the Union: President Obama touches briefly on the issue of health care
President Obama delivered his third State of the Union on Tuesday. The president spoke about many issues concerning the U.S. in his speech, but only made one mention of the controversial Affordable Care Act he signed into law in 2010. In his address, the president noted that it was no longer possible for insurance companies to operate with impunity and must submit to new regulations that help protect consumers. Obama also stated that part of the goal of the health care reform law was to get rid of regulations that…
Read MoreGym membership coverage: A potential double-edged sword for the insurance market
Some private insurers participating in the Medicare Advantage program have begun offering gym memberships as a way to encourage older consumers to stay healthy and active. While many consider this to be good news, others say that the practice is a double-edged sword. Inclusion of gym memberships may signal that insurers are attempting to procure the healthiest individuals while leaving the high-risk policies in the hands of the Medicare program. This practice may have an impact on how health insurance exchanges. These state-run insurance programs will provide limitless coverage to…
Read More63 percent of health insurance exchange-using seniors reevaluated their private Medicare plan coverage this year
A study that involved an extended health survey of seniors who bought private Medicare plans through a health insurance exchange showed that 63 percent reevaluated their coverage during the annual enrollment period for 2012 and that among them, 31 percent purchased different coverage. The survey involved the participation of 334 seniors who had previously purchased private supplemental Medicare plans through an insurance exchange. According to the results, the three primary reasons that these seniors decided to reevaluate their health insurance coverage were: • Because they had experienced an increase in…
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