There are many problems with Medicare

According to Social Security estimates, around 10,000 people turn 65 every day in America and this will continue for another 18 years.

Because the Affordable Care Act has extended the implementation of the Employer Mandate for another year, group plans will still be underwritten during 2014 and this means that insurance companies will still consider age and health conditions when calculating a group’s insurance rates.

When an employee turns 65 and continues to work, they need to fully understand their Medicare choices. For example, they should know the difference between a Part B and a Plan B. They should know the difference between a Medicare Advantage plan and a Medicare Supplement plan.

Understanding Medicare can be overwhelming to seniors on the plan. There are sources they can check with for information and guidance. The Medicare website is a great tool for information. Older workers can see which plans are available in their area. It provides plan details for their area and details for each of those.

If they enter their prescriptions, the site will rank the plans in order of expected annual cost based upon the medications they take.

For those turning 65, they have a seven-month window to make their election. Once enrolled in a Medicare plan, there is an annual open enrollment period in which all seniors can make changes.

This period runs each year from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. There are special circumstances such as loss of job or coverage where seniors can make changes throughout the year.

All of these factors should be considered at each senior’s appropriate time. All seniors should be informed and make the best decision for their needs and their situation. If a senior needs help in making those decisions, they should contact those who can help them.

House Speaker John Boehner and top Senate Democrat Harry Reid reached agreement in late March on legislation to stop a looming 24 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors and it passed the House on March 27. At this writing it was not known if the Senate passed the bill also.

The bill passed the House on a surprise voice vote after an hour-long delay that signaled GOP leaders were having difficulty mustering the two-thirds vote to pass the bill under fast-track procedures as some Democrats withheld support as did some Republicans, which led top leaders in both parties to call off a roll call vote and ease the measure through with a wink and a nod.

The vote was engineered by Majority Leader Eric Cantor with cooperation from top Democrats such as Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The vote came after several leading Democrats were against the bill, which would “patch” the Medicare fee system for 12 months.

There is much support for legislation to permanently solve the problem, but no agreement on how to pay for it.

The measure represents the 17th time Congress had stepped in with a temporary fix to a poorly designed Medicare fee formula that dates back to a 1997 budget law.

Hospital Medicare admittance has also changed under ObamaCare. You must be admitted by your primary physician in order for Medicare to pay for it. If you are admitted by an emergency room doctor, it is treated as outpatient care where hospital cost are not covered.

The Medicare deduction from seniors’ Social Security checks continues to increase, and those in Washington need to act now to stop this. Seniors who rely on their Social Security check to purchase their groceries and other necessary items need larger checks each month and not smaller ones.

HHJ News