Medicare & Insurance

My wife turned 65 April 30 and wanted the supplement plan g she previously had an advantage plan,signed up for plan g, was approved coverage starting August 1st 2024, requested disenrollment in advantage plan, was not disenrolled requested disenrollment July with application, disenrolled August, disenrolled Sept, disenrolled Oct and disenrolled Nov was not disenrolled even after hours on the phone saying I was disenrolled. The favorite tactic is to say advantage plan cannot see the supplement plan and vice verse to call them. Contacting CMS was told they do not have jurisdiction over Medicare. I Paid the $153 extra per month August thru December 2024, for the plan g. I was told I had to wait for the annual enrollment period, they could not understand there is a window when you turn 65 to join and I was well within it. Finally Jan 1st 2025 advantage plan was terminated.   As a result and countless hrs on the phone I am left with $1600 or more in copays plan g would not pay. They al

     NPR.org 03/07/2025 - Walgreens agrees to be acquired by private equity firm for almost $10 billion    Change is always pretty inevitable - sometimes you just have to do what is necessary to stay afloat.   from the link ~  A buyout to take the drugstore chain private would give it more flexibility to make changes to improve its business without worrying about Wall Street's reaction. The company has already been making some big changes as it seeks to turn around its business. Walgreens has been a public company since 1927.

  I think the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services should cut their losses on this one - If they have NOT won the case by now maybe they should stop wasting money with continuing it.  Perhaps they should just stick to making the instructions for assessing higher risk patients clearer to all the insurers that participate in Medicare Advantage plans.   Continuing the case over and over when several ruling have already been made to vindicate the insurer is WASTEFUL spending on the part of the government (CMS). KHN 03/04/2025 - UnitedHealth Wins Ruling Over $2B in Alleged Medicare Advantage Overpayments  from the linkThe Justice Department’s years-long court battle to force UnitedHealth Group to return billions of dollars in alleged Medicare Advantage overpayments hit a major setback Monday when a special master ruled the government had failed to prove its case. In finding for UnitedHealth, Special Master Suzanne Segal found that the DOJ ha

Why are we always limited to $2,000.00 in the checking and savings accounts according to the Social Security Administration and Medicare? It is very hard for me to pay bills, food, and other items I need for my medical issues without bumping bills. Not only that since I was discharged from the second Health and rehab center on November 12, 2024, I went home that day. I have had to make arrangements for home health care. This is ongoing now. I have finished updating my checkbook from June 2024 to Now. I have also gone through all the most current bills and have organized them so that I can have them listed and review when My funds are in the checking account.  Does AARP know of any Financial advisor or an attorney, who could come and talk to me about what else I can do to pay these bills? I have also been threatened with possible foreclosure by my mortgage company, which caused me to pay a large amount of my social security funds.  I made a large payment to the mortgage c

Since I am moving, I need to switch Medicare C plans. Will the Part D out-of-pocket limit be reset to $2,000 when I switch to a new plan, or does the prior value carry over? Will the $450 drug deductible I paid to first plan be applied to new plan's out-of-pocket limit?

 I received a phone call from 978-802-3052 claiming to be United Healthcare AARP wanting to speak to my dad.  I am his POA, and my cell number is listed on the account.  It was a voice activated survey, and I said I would not answer the questions.  Then I turned around and called the number back, and they said 2 names are associated with this number. Is this (dad's name)?  Mom is also associated with the number for UHC AARP, so it seemed like they really were from UHC AARP.  The questions only asked for dad's birth year which is public information.  Everything else was health oriented about his pain level, days of exercise, mental well-being, ability to meet needs, etc.  Weird thing is, dad has had dementia for years, and the questions did not make sense for a person with dementia.  At the end of the call, it said, if you have any questions, call UHC at 800-523-5800. That is the UHC AARP Med Supp customer service number. I called and spoke t

FROM THE ARTICLE: Congress Faces March 31 Deadline to Extend Medicare Telehealth Coverage.Benefit for home-based care begun during the pandemic will expire without lawmakers’ action. By Susan Milligan, AARP. Published February 27, 2025. Unless Congress acts before March 31, millions of Medicare patients who have been able to use telehealth as part of their medical care since 2020 will lose coverage for the pandemic-era benefit starting in April.The coverage has been a boon for those who have difficulty getting to an office to see a doctor, including older adults living in rural areas or with mobility problems. Caregivers strapped for time to transport their loved ones also have benefited. USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2025/medicare-telehealth-coverage-deadline.html

Between  January 01 and March 31 every year, a beneficiary can CHANGE their Medicare Advantage Plan. Look for the heading of Medicare ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT at this site -Medicare.gov - Medicare Open Enrollment 01/01 - 03/31  So if you don’t like the MA plan you have now, your can change to another MA plan during this period.    

  Do you routinely monitor and verify your Medicare usage on your Medicare Summary Notices ?  If for no other reason than to verify the charge is yours?

IRA drug caps are why your drug part D premiums increased.  AARP makes billions of dollars selling products from UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest insurer. And insurers made out like bandits in the IRA — the new “negotiations” (read: price controls) on pharmaceuticals help pad their bottom lines, as does the extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies in the law, paid for by raiding the Medicare program.  AARP always claims that policy, not politics, dictates its stances. But when the organization’s tax filing with the IRS admits that “gross revenue of AARP and its affiliates … are considered in employee compensation,” and royalties, primarily but not exclusively from UnitedHealth, constitute over 60 percent of the organization’s revenue — and growing — each and every AARP employee has thousands of reasons to toe the UnitedHealth line, in the form of their paychecks.

  Here is the situation:     1. I know someone whose sole income is just about $1200 per month from Social Security     2. Her health is bad:   she only has  (had) Medicare   3,   She was recently approved for Medicaid.    She was told that she would no longer have Medicare, and that she would no longer be billed monthly for Medicare, because she was now entitled to receive care under Medicaid.   4.  She was receiving about $90 a month in SNAP benefits, but those benefits have been cancelled because she is now on Medicaid.   5.  Finally, will  her change in status affect her ability to receive reduced heating billing because of her low income? My big question:  who is qualified to explain these things in a manner which is understandable?   I want to advise her about who she can talk to about her situation.  It is often impossible to find someo

Good morning!   I just turned 64 and am trying to get some information about Medicare.  I will be eligible next year but have no idea where to go to find out what to expect in way of premiums, etc.  My husband is still working and we have insurance through his company, can I stay on his work policy and pass on Medicare until I need it? If someone knows where I might find this information, I would appreciate the help! Best regards!Jenny 

I hope I'm in the correct area to post this.  I will be 64 in a few weeks and I am starting to freak out over Medicare.  I have no idea how to find out what my premiums will be.  I'm a big time planner and want to get info before I need it.  Also, since my husband is still working, will I have to take Medicare or can I stay on his plan? Thanks in advance! Jen

First time posting here and let's see if this comes out right... I am based in the US but spend about half of the time travelling in other countries.  Any recommendation on insurance plans that can supplement US-based Marketplace plans for emergencies when I travel?  I guess the cheaper base plans typically do not cover things when one is out of town. Thanks.

    I hope all those that voted for DJT & Republicans are happy now that you thought they would lower prices for you. DJT just rescinded Biden's EO to lower prescription drug prices for all of you. You have been scammed.  https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/hours-into-presidency-trump-rescinds-attempts-to-lower-prescription-costs-rolls-back-some-aca-rules/

Last year i ended up in a GA hospital while visiting family. I live in New York State and had Blue Cross Medicare Supplemental Insurance at the time. The original hospital ER sent a bill to Medicare and Blue Cross. The hospital for the last 11 months has said the secondary payer has not paid the bill and want me to pay it. After numerous hour long conference calls in the spring I discovered the problem. The hospital (or Medicare) had sent the wrong hospital name and address for the bill. The hospital had been taken over by a large regional hospital, but this had happened 2 years before I was there. For the first few months the hospital claimed they had not received the original Blue Cross check but later they admitted they had it. It was decided among all parties that a corrected form would be sent by the hospital to Blue Cross and then Blue Cross would send a new check and void the old one. I am now told, months later, that form was never sent and my account has not been fully paid. I

Beginning in 2025 my state (Connecticut) has a new law that requires medical insurance companies to cover the cost of cardiac calcium scans. Unsurprisingly, no one involved with my upcoming scan--cardiologist, insurance company, or radiology center--knows anything about this law. It's a state law, and AARP touts its legislative advocacy branch--how would I get them involved to try to attack what appears to be willful ignorance of this law? Thanks.

 I am sure that the changes to part D planes next year will help a lot of people but not all.My mother will be paying over $1,000 more out of pocket for her medicine due to these changes. Same drugs same insurance but she will be paying $1998.70 out of pocket next year compared to just over $900 this year. One of her medicines that cost her $2 a month for 10 months this year and $142 a month for the last 2 months of the year will cost her $142 all 12 months next year. I feel bad for those with much higher drug costs and I am glad they are getting some relief, but it seems the relief is not coming from the drug or insurance companies or from the government but from people like my mom. Fortunately, she can manage it for now, but some may not be able to. Is this happening to anyone else? 

Does anyone know how the $ 2000 'limit' for medications is calculated? With the previous 'doughnut hole' method, the combination of what the insurance company paid and what the individual paid was used to calculate the amount to get you to the 'doughnut hole.'  Once the individual reached the 'doughnut hole,' ONLY what the individual paid was used to calculate the amount needed to reach the catastrophic coverage level.   This article uses the word 'sharing.'  Does that imply that both the insurance company's and the individual's payment(s) will be combined to reach the $ 2000 limit?  Or are we to assume that only what the individual pays counts towards the $ 2000 limit? Thanks.  This could make a significant difference in whether or not to use the extended payment program offered in 2025. Dave

You trust your doctor. He prescribes a test, image or treatment but wants you to sign an ABN (Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Non Coverage) - So what is your choice on the ABN if you trust your doctor?  I know what I do - but what do you do? Option 1: You want items or services that Medicare may not pay for. Your provider or supplier may ask you to pay for these items or services now, but you also want your provider or supplier to submit a claim to Medicare.If Medicare denies payment: You’re responsible for paying. However, since a claim was submitted, you can appeal to Medicare.If Medicare does pay: Your provider or supplier will refund any payments you made (not including your copayments or deductibles).Option 2: You want items or services that Medicare may not pay for, but you don’t want your provider or supplier to submit a claim to Medicare. You may be asked to pay for the items or services now. Because you asked your provider or supplier not to submit a claim t

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! 5 Actions to Take for 2025 During Medicare Open Enrollment. Tips for choosing a Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription plan in a year of historic change. By Kimberly Lankford, AARP. Published October 04, 2024. Be prepared for one of the biggest changes to the Medicare prescription drug program ever: In 2025, out-of-pocket costs for covered drugs will be limited to $2,000 annually. The new cap applies to stand-alone Part D and Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with drug coverage. But the change is rippling down to other costs and coverage. https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2024/open-enrollment-action-plan.html

Really good article here on AARP and how they make 3 times as much money from insurance sales commissions from United Healthcare (yes that one) than they do from member dues.  https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2024-12-11-how-aarp-shills-for-unitedhealthcare/ Everyone here should understand AARP finances and if this post is removed by the moderators then you know they do not want to be honest or transparent with us.  Follow the money

Apologies if this posts twice, first one "authentication failed."My 91 year old mother-in-law lives in an independent living facility near us. She is having a partial knee replacement in January. She needs a cane or walker to get around and can walk up one step, maximum. She does not have a driver's license. Talking with the doctor's nurse yesterday, I was informed that she is ineligible to receive home physical therapy after surgery (but will need PT 3 times a week for 6 to 8 weeks). The nurse said that: not driving is not a criterion, she can take a ride share; this is elective surgery so she can't have in-home PT; she "does not qualify for that level of ". I looked at the Medicare handbook, as did she, and we are interpreting this differently! Also just had a friend with a knee surgery get in-home PT so not sure what to do next! Any thoughts on how to pursue this? This is a well-known surgical center and I've had friends (younger) who have gone there with no problems; we like the do

Just so everybody is clear - A royalty payment is a regular fee paid by a licensee to a licensor, in exchange for the use of the licensor's intellectual property. This happens when both parties enter into a licensing deal, which could be as part of a franchising arrangement or as a more standard intellectual property licensing agreement. Business owners (for profit and non-profit) receive royalties for their intellectual property or real property assets. A royalty payment is a payment made to an owner for the use of their intellectual property, creative works, or natural resources. The payment is made through a license or royalty agreement.  In the case of AARP - AARP ®️ the letters put together as their logo is their registered trademark, and is their marketable intellectual property.  

Hi,AARP's Medicare Supplemental Medicare Insurance sounds great... but I decided that before I purchase it I should read the reviews.I was astounded! Consumer affairs reviews were the worst I have EVER seen for any product or service from any company. People were talking about outright misrepresentation of services, copays, non-existent customer service. Representatives simply hanging up on customers, drug formularies not covering many common medications. Increasing co-pays. A litany of misrepresentation and worse. Now I understand the Internet. You will always find people more willing to badmouth a product or service than to praise it... but I looked for positive reviews and found none... http://www.consumeraffairs.com/insurance/aarp_medicare.html Is it really this bad? If so why does AARP tolerate this if they are, as they claim, an organization that exists to promote the best interests of senior citizens? Have I simply been looking for reviews of AARP United Heal