Switching Medicare Plans If You Move
If you are over 65 and preparing to move to another county or state, be sure to add "check Medicare plan" to your to-do list....
Read moreEach fall, Medicare advertising intensifies as the open enrollment period for coverage takes place. From October 15 to December 7, seniors nationwide have the option to sign up for a new Medicare plan.
With dozens of plan choices available, shopping for Medicare can be overwhelming. Not to mention, so many people over the age of 65 have proven vulnerable to misleading Medicare marketing and advertising practices that, over the past year, the federal government has instituted laws and proposed other changes seeking to regulate inaccurate and predatory marketing. Regulations focus on everything from curbing deceptive television ads to unsolicited sales calls.
Local Elder Law Attorneys in Your City
Recent research reveals that older adults are encountering a high volume of advertising during Medicare’s open enrollment period. In addition, the barrage of options they face may in fact steer them away from considering other plans that could lower their costs.
The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that strives to promote equitable health care in the U.S., published findings from a survey on older adults’ experiences with Medicare marketing and advertising practices. The results include the following highlights:
Older adults must keep a lookout for fraudulent and false Medicare advertising, misleading advertising tactics, high-pressure sales pitches, and violations of federal law.
For example, it is illegal to contact Medicare recipients or applicants to request their Medicare or Social Security number. Yet the survey results suggest that marketers are in fact targeting low-income seniors with these requests. Seniors should know that they never need to provide any of that information to anyone contacting them to advertise new coverage plans.
Some advertising practices are not illegal but misleading. Survey respondents reported having received inaccurate plan information through confusing ads. One in 10 seniors said that because of this misleading information, they enrolled in a plan thinking that their doctor was covered, later learning that they were not.
In addition to the above issues, some seniors report having received phone calls promoting time-limited discounts for Medicare private plans. These discounts do not exist. If a caller tries to sell you a special discounted plan, this is fraudulent. Disconnect the call and report the violation.
Low-income seniors appear to be at the highest risk of facing these problems with false advertising. Data from the survey suggests that inaccurate marketing practices target seniors who make less than $25,000 annually, and that seniors with less income may fall prey to misleading advertising.
Seniors must learn how to protect themselves against bad Medicare advertising practices. Keep in mind that it is against the law for a private plan representative to visit your home unannounced, call you if you do not have a plan with their company, or use Medicare’s logo to suggest that they are endorsed by or represent the federal government’s health insurance program. Consider the following to keep yourself safe from bad actors.
The study also found that most older adults did not know how to report an advertising practice that violates federal law. If you have fallen victim to a Medicare fraud or illegal advertising practices, you can report the violation to:
For guidance on navigating your Medicare options, you can seek out objective advice from trained counselor through your State Health Insurance Program (SHIP); search for your local SHIP online.
If you are over 65 and preparing to move to another county or state, be sure to add "check Medicare plan" to your to-do list....
Read moreFor the first time in more than 10 years, Medicare Part B enrollees will see some of their costs decline.
Read moreThe Medicare prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D) allows private health insurers to offer limited insurance coverage of p...
Read morePrivate fee-for-service (PFFS) plans are a way to give private insurance companies access to the vast Medicare market and are...
Read moreIn addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.
READ MORETo be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.
READ MORESpouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.
READ MOREIn addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.
READ MORETo be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.
READ MORESpouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.
READ MORECareful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.
READ MOREIf steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.
READ MOREThere are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.
READ MORECareful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.
READ MOREIf steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.
READ MOREThere are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.
READ MOREMost states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.
READ MOREApplying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.
READ MOREMedicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.
READ MOREMost states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.
READ MOREApplying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.
READ MOREMedicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.
READ MOREDistinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.
READ MORELearn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.
READ MOREUnderstand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.
READ MOREWe need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.
READ MOREDistinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.
READ MORELearn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.
READ MOREUnderstand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.
READ MOREWe need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.
READ MOREUnderstand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.
READ MORELearn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.
READ MOREWe explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.
READ MOREFind out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.
READ MOREUnderstand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.
READ MOREWe explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.
READ MOREFind out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.
READ MOREGet a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.
READ MORELearn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.
READ MOREExplore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.
READ MOREGet a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.
READ MORELearn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.
READ MOREExplore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.
READ MORE