The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently opened the much-anticipated federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Portal, a component of the No Surprises Act section of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the Act) that protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services,…
Guidance on choosing healthcare facilities and providers is frequently skewed by online search engines and paid advertisements, but real data doesn’t lie. Medicare collects star rating data and patient survey information to provide this valuable information for you to shop and compare. Find and compare doctors, nursing homes, hospitals, home health, hospice care, and other…
You may know someone who has a Medicare CalMediconnect plan (it’s shown on the member ID card).Or you may have these Dual Look-Alike plans such as Scan Plus, Anthem Coordination Plus, Blue Shield Coordinated Choice, UHC Assure, Humana Value Plus. If yes, please read below. On January 1, 2023, the Cal MediConnect plan will change…
Our walk-in Medicare Resource Center is open and staffed with Medicare representatives from Tuesday to Thursday from 9 AM- 1 PM. However, I’ll be there personally every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 11 AM—1 PM with Medicare 101 seminar starting at 12 PM. Transitioning to your Medicare health insurance is an important…
We are thrilled that as of July 1, 2022, the asset limit for Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) serving older adults and people with disabilities will be $130,000 for an individual and $65,000 for each additional family member. This huge increase should allow many people to get on or stay on Medi-Cal without having to impoverish themselves….
Steps you can take now to feel safe and secure when traveling internationally. While the past few years prevented many from traveling, the desire to take that previously scheduled trip or long-planned vacation hasn’t subsided. With all the cheap flights and vacation deals, you may be thinking that 2022 is finally the right time to…
At some point in our lives, about 60 percent of us will need assistance with things like getting dressed, driving to appointments, or making meals. Planning is critical, but many people are not sure what is covered by insurance, and people are often misinformed about what is covered by Medicare. Things You Should Know Long-term-care…
Beginning January 1, 2022, new federal protections championed by the Biden-Harris Administration will shield millions of consumers from surprise medical bills—unexpected bills from an out-of-network provider, out-of-network facility, or out-of-network air ambulance provider. The protections, implemented under the No Surprises Act, ban surprise billing in private insurance for most emergency care and many instances of…
A Deductible is a specified amount of money that you must pay before an insurance company will pay a claim. The deductible will reset every calendar year. Since we have entered the new year, your deductible will start over in January. If you have a plan with a deductible such as Medicare Supplement Plan G…
Due to the circumstances associated with COVID-19, Covered California is expanding its Special Enrollment Period for 2020. Effective immediately, any eligible consumer can enroll in health coverage without experiencing a qualifying life event or other special circumstance. This new policy will be in effect until June 30, 2020. The moves come amid widespread disruption in…