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With congressional approval of the Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act, significant changes are coming to Medicare. Most of these changes are fantastic and long overdue for many Medicare Beneficiaries. However, these rapid changes have a cause-and-effect relationship that needs to be explained.

Last Month, Amazon announced the expansion of eligibility for its RxPass prescription medication program. This new program is the Amazon RxPass Prescription Plan. This program allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive unlimited popular, generic (Tier 1 & Tier 2) prescription medications for just a $5.00 Subscription Fee Per Month.

Some of you may remember the Article we wrote last year after it was announced that Medicare would start negotiating Prescription Drug Prices in 2024. Medicare will deal directly with drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Initially, they would select the 10 most-prescribed (Non-Generic) Medications for 2024. Then they would continue to negotiate 10 per year. Although the new pricing will not go into effect until January 1, 2026, I wanted to  show you their progress

What are Medicare Advantage Plans? Medicare Advantage Plans cover all Medicare services.  Some Medicare Advantage Plans also offer extra coverage, such as vision, hearing, and dental coverage.   

Perhaps the most significant benefit is choice and portability. A Medicare Supplement or Medigap plan allows you to choose ANY Doctor, go to ANY Hospital ANYWHERE in the United States, and you are covered, as long as the Doctor and Hospital both accept Medicare's Assignment/Fee Structure.

MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS You must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B to be eligible to enroll in Part D. Medicare drug coverage is only available through private plans. If you have Medicare Part A and/or Part B and you do not have other drug coverage (creditable coverage), you should enroll in a Part D plan.

Getting older can be challenging.  The healthcare options available to you may seem confusing or unnecessary.  Your inexperience in this new chapter, coupled with ongoing health concerns, creates a recipe for disaster.   With age comes wisdom, and knowing how to navigate the system will demonstrate it.  Getting the coverage and protection that you need is much easier than it seems.  Here are three essential parts of enrolling in Medicare that will help guide you through the p

But as with anything, life becomes more complex and more complicated over time and the world continues to grow and evolve.  Nowadays, Final Expense Insurance can cover Credit Card Debt, be used to pay off Mortgages,,Automobile Loans, Student Loans, Medical Bills all in addition to just "Funeral Expenses".

A Medicare Supplement plan is an excellent option for people who prefer the government-run Medicare program but want a few more of their costs covered. This article explains what a Medicare Supplement plan is, how it works, the benefits each plan offers, and mo

MA and MA/PD (Medicare Advantage Plans) were created as alternatives to Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement/Medigap insurance.  By joining one of these plans, you direct Medicare to pay the Advantage Plan a set monthly amount for your care.  In return, the plan will deliver all of your Part A & Part B benefits and services.

Both Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B are 80% government-paid, with the remaining 20% borne by the beneficiary or patient. With Original Medicare, you are free to choose a Doctor or Hospital that accepts Medicare Terms for payment. (Approximately 94% of all Doctors accept Medicare.

One of the interesting aspects of enrolling in Medicare is the fact that you apply for Medicare benefits through the Social Security Administration.  The SSA processes each Medicare enrollment application because it has access to all of your personal information, and it is more efficient for them to vet each prospective Medicare beneficiary first.  Once your application is approved, you will receive a letter confirming your enrollment and that your Medicare Card will arrive b

All Medicare Advantage plans offer their own summary of benefits, and these benefits, as well as the plan’s formulary, pharmacy network, provider network, premium, and/or co-payments/coinsurance, may change on January 1 of each year.

The best way to compare Drug plans for your specific medications is to speak with your Medicare Broker. They typically can offer plans from multiple Insurance companies. Here at Braden Medicare, we are contracted with every Medicare Part D Plan in Arizona. They will compare your medications, whether you have Original Medicare with a Stand-Alone Medicare Part D Drug Plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes Prescription Drugs.

However, there is a stark difference. Medicare is the National Health Insurance Program for Americans age 65 and over, as well as those with ALS or Renal Failure, or those who have been issued a Disability designation by the Social Security Administration. Medicaid operates at the state level and helps provide Health Care and other vital services to low-income individuals, seniors, single mothers, and children.

When you are new to Medicare and Enrolling in Medicare, your first chance to sign up for Medicare is during your Initial Enrollment Period, which we’ll discuss a bit further in the next section.

The best available rate may depend on factors such as your age, gender, smoking status, marital status, and location. To ensure that you are getting the best available rate, you may want to check with your SHIP. If you purchase a Medigap during your open enrollment period, policies are limited in their ability to exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions, meaning conditions you had before you enrolled.

Medicare HMOs are common because of the lower premiums they often offer. In some plans, that premium may be as low as $0. However, you must remain enrolled in and pay for Medicare Part B. You usually must also use in-network providers, except in an emergency.  MEDICARE ADVANTAGE HMO PLANS = MEDICARE HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION PLANS In HMO Plans, you generally must get your care and services from providers in the plan's network, except:

Most Americans do not realize that you apply for your Medicare Card through the Social Security website. Then, once you have received your card, all of your Medicare questions and inquiries will go through the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov or by calling Medicare 24/7 at 1-800-MEDICARE. This is the easiest and best way to apply for Medicare. You can do it online at www.ssa.gov. It is straightforward and takes about 10 minutes to complete.Look for the Blue Tab that say

Each plan that offers prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D must provide at least the standard level of coverage set by Medicare. Plans can vary the list of prescription drugs they cover (called a formulary) and how they place drugs into different "tiers" on their formularies. (A formulary is a listing of all of the drugs/medications that a particular plan has available to its members.  All Medicare Part D Plans must have two drugs available in each category.