Jamie Steeples Senior Health Advocate

10/28/2021

What does Medicare Part A cover? Is there a premium I have to pay? At a high level, Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers the following: -Hospital care of inpatients. -Conditioned home health services. -Nursing facility care provided that custodial care isn’t the only care required. -Hospice...

10/06/2021

If I like the coverage I have under the original Medicare, do I need to make a change? The short answer is no. If you like Original Medicare, you don't have to make any changes. However, it would be wise to talk to an independent agent who is an expert in Medicare to ensure that original Medicare is...

09/03/2021

Original Medicare usually doesn’t cover health care while you’re traveling outside the U.S. and its territories. There are some exceptions, including some cases where Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) may pay for services that you get on board a ship within the territorial waters adjoining the...

08/31/2021

Is it true Medicare doesn’t cover dental, vision or hearing aids? Under Original Medicare Part A & Part B, the following are NOT covered: Hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids. Most dental care, dental procedures, or supplies, like cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, dentures, dental ...

08/26/2021

What's the difference between "home health care" and "nursing home care"? There are important differences in coverage between home health care and nursing home care. The most crucial difference is that home health care can be covered by Medicare, whereas long-term care services in nursing homes are....

08/16/2021

How do I actually submit a bill to Medicare? In almost all cases, if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you will not have to worry about submitting bills to Medicare. However, if you are enrolled in Original Medicare or Medicare and a Medicare Supplement, there can be times you need to f...

08/12/2021

What's the difference between a Medicare Advantage HMO and a PPO? HMO stands for Health Maintenance Organization and is a type of plan that requires you to see doctors in its network. If you see a doctor outside the network, you will be responsible for all of the costs. The only exception to this is...

08/10/2021

Can a Medicare Advantage plan be "free"? In some respects, yes. There are Medicare Advantage plans available that have premiums that are $0. However, it is important to know that it does not mean that all of your care is free. You may not have a plan premium to pay, but you will still have to pay yo...

08/09/2021

A friend has Medicare Plan F and loves it but says they no longer offer it. How come? As of January 1, 2020, Medicare Supplement plans that cover the Part B deductible are not allowed to be sold to those newly eligible for Medicare. As a result, Medicare Supplement Plans C and F are no longer availa...

08/07/2021

What are Medicare "star ratings" and how are they measured? Medicare rates Medicare Advantage and Part D (prescription drug plans) using something called Medicare stars. A 5-star rating is the best, while a 1-star rating is the worst. When you’re trying to choose a Medicare Advantage or Part D (pr...

07/24/2020

Many retirees keep this guideline in mind as they decide how much to spend during retirement.

It’s a question on the minds of those in retirement or nearing retirement. How much of your nest egg can you spend each year without running out of money in retirement? In 1994, financial advisor William Bengen published a paper that answered this very question. His paper—Determining Withdrawal ...