Hundreds and possibly thousands of members of Alignment PPO AVA 007 and Aetna Choice PPO Medicare Advantage plan will be impacted by the plan’s termination in San Diego, CA. Alignment and Aetna have decided to sunset these plans by 12/31/2024. Impacted members need to find a new plan to replace their termed plan. The Medicare…
Since January 2024, Scripps Health has no longer accepted Medicare Advantage plans and isn’t in-network with all Medicare Advantage plans as it used to be. There is one exception to this. The existing members from the Alignment PPO plan who were enrolled before January 2024 were grandfathered for another year, meaning they can still access…
The Medicare Program Will Soon Take on Postal Service Retirees Health Benefits. Why is the government doing this? As with so many decisions, money is likely the driving force. In 2018, about 500,000 retirees received health benefits, with the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund paying most of the costs. To address the fund’s shortfall,…
At this time of the year, I often receive many inquiries about dental and vision insurance and whether Medicare covers dental or vision Care. This is also because of the ads people see on TV or the Internet that offer dental and vision benefits to entice Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in a plan. So, does…
I’d like to address a hot topic that came out from the matter that Scripps Health (Coastal and Clinic) will no longer be accepting Medicare Advantage plans in 2024. To keep your Scripps doctors and hospital, the recommended way is to have Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement (Medigap), plus a Part D plan. However, when…
Our walk-in Medicare Resource Center is open year-long and staffed with Medicare representatives from Medicare Central, weekly on Fridays from 11 AM—1 PM. Transitioning to your Medicare health insurance is an important turning point that is frequently confusing. At the Medicare Resource Center, I provide Medicare education, guidance, and year-round consultation and support to ensure you…
The standard Part B premium in 2023 will be $164.90/mo. This is lower compared to its 2022 premium, which was $170.10. In the meantime, the annual deductible for Medicare Part B is $226 /year. This is important to know if you have a Medicare supplement plan G or N because you must meet the part…
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes a broad package of health, tax, and climate change provisions. The law includes several provisions to lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and reduce drug spending by the federal government. These provisions will take effect beginning…
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…