Category Archives: Medicare
How Does Family Pay for Parents’ Care?
Women 50+ who leave the workforce to care for a parent forfeit an average of nearly $325, 000 in wages, future Social Security benefits and retirement assets. Reducing their hours or leaving a job may mean buying health insurance, while also paying for caregiving-related expenses—like medications and gas for driving their parent to doctors…. Read More »
Affordable Long-term Care in the US is an Urgent Priority
The challenges ahead are many as AARP reports that the population age 85 plus, the most likely to need long-term care, will more than triple between 2015 and 2050. Elected leaders must rethink institutional care and its affordability and make improvements while creating innovative long-term care options for those Americans who are aging in… Read More »
Does New Federal Regulation Mean Lower Prescription Drug Prices?
HHS announced a rule that would require manufacturers to give Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the Part D prescription drug program the rebates that insurers and middlemen, known as “pharmacy benefit managers, ” use to negotiate and keep monthly premiums down. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this regulation would cause Part D… Read More »
Which Medicare Expenses will Increase in Cost Next Year?
Several premiums and deductibles for those seniors with the traditional Medicare health insurance are increasing for the new year, the federal government announced in early November. Money Talks News’s recent article entitled “These Medicare Expenses Will Jump in January” reported that the rising costs include the following: The 2021 Medicare Part B standard premium… Read More »
Know Your Parents’ Aging Strategies Before a Medical Crisis Hits
Many adult children in the US live far away from their parents. Managing aging parents or in-law medical events can be a serious challenge without proper preparation and understanding of what your parents’ strategy may or may not be, no matter where you live. Do you know what legal documentation your parents have in… Read More »
What’s the Difference Between Nursing Homes and Assisted Living?
US News & World Report’s recent article entitled “Nursing Homes vs. Assisted Living” explains that a big question is determining what type of facility is the best fit. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), long-term care residences include: Assisted Living Facilities Nursing Homes Board and Care Homes; and Continuing Care Retirement Communities…. Read More »
What Doesn’t Medicare Cover?
Medicare Part A and Part B, also known as Original Medicare or Traditional Medicare, cover a big part of your medical expenses after you turn age 65. Kiplinger’s recent article entitled “7 Things Medicare Doesn’t Cover” reviews what isn’t covered by Medicare, plus information about supplemental insurance policies and strategies that can help cover… Read More »
Caring for a Loved One from a Distance
Trying to coordinate care from a distance becomes a challenge for many, especially since as many as 80% of caregivers are working. Add COVID-19 into the mix, and the situation becomes even more difficult, reports the article “When your parent is far away and you are trying to care for them” from the Pittsburgh… Read More »
Can I Afford In-Home Elderly Care?
Staying at home isn’t always affordable, according to a recent US News and World Report article. The article, entitled “Can You Afford In-Home Elderly Care?”, says about 80% of seniors are concerned about being able to afford home health care costs, based on a 2019 SCAN Health Plan survey. Paying for personalized in-home senior… Read More »
What Can an Elder Law Attorney Do For You?
The senior citizen population of the United States is increasing rapidly as the baby boomer generation ages, and the influx of international migration continues. Although the US average life expectancy has seen a slight three-year decline, many Americans, men and women, live well into their 80s, 90s, and beyond. An elder law attorney works… Read More »