No. You don’t have to sign up for Medicare when you are 65. You can sign up for Part A and Part B at any time. You may want to sign up for Medicare when you are first eligible. This is when you first turn 65 and are suitable for Social Security benefits. When you do, signing up for Medicare will give you the most freedom to choose your health plan. You can keep your current health plan or enroll in a plan offered by Medicare. When you sign up for Medicare, you can also sign up for Part D drug coverage at the same time. If you have original Medicare and you want to keep it, you don’t have to sign up for Part D drug coverage. If you are already on disability and have Medicare, you don’t have to sign up for Part D drug coverage unless you want to. You should do it when you first become eligible if you want to sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B. Otherwise, if you enroll in Medicare later, you will have a seven-month wait before your coverage begins. Kevin Leinum – your local Medicare Expert – can help you understand the many parts of Medicare and determine what the right fit is for you. Give me a call to discuss the options available to you.

Medicare Part A and Part B will not cover antidepressants or other prescription drugs.  Since Medicare considers antidepressants a protected class of prescription medicine, all Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans must cover a majority of antidepressants. However, you may have to switch from a brand-name antidepressant to a generic version depending on your Medicare Plan. Your options: – Purchase a separate Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that augments your Original Medicare coverage. – Purchase a Medicare Advantage plan that includes Part D benefits.  Either of these will provide you with Medicare coverage for antidepressants. To be eligible for coverage under these plans, you will need a doctor’s prescription for an antidepressant that has been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You’ll also have to be under a doctor’s care to have your prescription renewed.  Kevin Leinum – your local Medicare Expert – can help you understand the many parts of Medicare and determine what the right fit is for you. Give me a call to discuss the options available to you.

For Medicare beneficiaries wondering whether their Part B premiums could be reduced, the waiting continues. – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continues to evaluate the Part B premium, given changes that have occurred since the monthly amount was set last year. – About half the rise in the premium was attributed to the potential cost of broadly covering Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. – If a premium reduction happens, there’s a chance it could be applied to 2023 instead of 2022. More than three months after Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra ordered a reassessment of this year’s $170.10 standard monthly premium — a bigger-than-expected jump from $148.50 in 2021 — it remains uncertain when a determination will come and whether it would affect what beneficiaries pay this year. If a premium reduction occurs, there’s also the chance it could be applied for 2023 instead of 2022. There have been year-to-year drops in the Part B premium in the past for various reasons, including legislative changes to how the premium is calculated. Kevin Leinum – your local Medicare Expert – can help you understand the many parts of Medicare and determine what the right fit is for you. Give me a call to discuss the options available to you.

The scammers want to get personal or financial information for identity theft or outright theft. To thwart a Medicare card scam, follow some basic precautions. Medicare never will call you uninvited to request personal or private information to get a new Medicare card and won’t charge you for a new card. If you receive a call claiming you need to pay a fee to get a new or upgraded Medicare card, it’s a scam. The previous Medicare cards used your Social Security number, and the new cards contain a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) number. Medicare doesn’t need to “verify” your information and never threatens to cancel benefits. Hang up immediately if you get an unsolicited call from someone who claims to be from Medicare and asks for personal information. Please don’t believe a caller is a Medicare employee simply because they know some information about you. Scammers will have done their homework. Call Kevin Leinum – your local Medicare Expert about what Medicare covers or how enrolling in a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan can improve your coverage and reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

No. Medicare is strictly a health insurance program that covers costs related to illnesses and injuries (and, to some extent, their prevention). Based on a doctor’s recommendation, it will help pay for up to 100 days of rehabilitation or skilled nursing care after a significant health issue. But more extended stays, such as a permanent move into a nursing home, are not covered. What about Medicare Advantage? You can check to see if there’s a Medicare Advantage plan in your area that offers limited caregiving assistance. You may be able to find one that provides meals or pays for the installation of grab bars. A small number of so-called special needs plans offer some in-home support services. If a Medicare Advantage plan has a five-star rating, you may switch to it outside of the annual enrollment period. What about Medicaid? Medicaid pays for long-term nursing-home care, but only for people with low income and modest savings which can no longer handle basic daily tasks like dressing or feeding themselves. Gleckman says a good rule of thumb is that you likely qualify for Medicaid if you have less than $750 in income per month and less than $2,000 in financial assets (not counting a home). Call Kevin Leinum – your local Medicare Expert about what Medicare covers or how enrolling in a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan can improve your coverage and reduce your out-of-pocket costs.