Medicare Questions

1. Can I enroll in Medicare at any time when my wife loses her employer group health insurance?

   Since you're well under retirement age, it sounds like you're describing a situation in which you'll become eligible for Medicare not because you turn 65 but because of your disability status. Anyone who's been receiving Social Security disability benefits for 24 consecutive months becomes eligible for Medicare...
   1 Expert Answer

2. If I'm on disability but have good employer group health insurance, do I have to take Medicare?

   The answer depends on the fact that Medicare does not consider all employer-sponsored insurance the same. If you had employer-sponsored insurance from current employment, there would be no strong reason for you to enroll in and pay for Medicare Part B (enrolling in Part A is free, so there's no reason not to enroll)...
   1 Expert Answer

3. When Am I Allowed to Switch out of a Medicare Part C Health Plan?

   Choosing a Medicare Part C Medicare Advantage health plan doesn't mean you're stuck forever with that particular plan. If you later find a different plan you'd prefer, or you'd rather return to traditional Medicare Part A and Part B coverage, you can switch -- as long as you follow Medicare's enrollment rules...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

4. Does Medicare cover psychologist visits?

   Yes, it can, but only under certain circumstances, and only for part of the cost. If you are enrolled in Medicare Part B, it can partially cover diagnosis and treatment by a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker or other licensed mental health care practitioner...
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

5. Does Medicare pay for Lyme disease testing?

   Medicare Part B covers any medically reasonable testing, including laboratory work, to diagnose and treat any disease. Lyme disease is no different from any other disease. The trouble with Lyme disease is that it is often very difficult to diagnose (not to mention hard to treat effectively)...
   1 Expert Answer

6. How Can I Get Medicare to Send Me Parent's Paperwork

   Medicare -- through the Social Security Administration -- has a fairly simple procedure to help set things up the way you and your parent want it.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

7. What's the Process for Replacing a Medicare ID Card?

   The Social Security Administration issues Medicare cards. To get a replacement card, contact the Social Security Administration -- which issues Medicare cards -- in one of several ways. To get a replacement card online, go to the Medicare replacement card page on the Social Security Administration website...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

8. How Do I Find a Doctor Who Accepts Medicare?

   The Medicare website has a service called the Physician and Other Healthcare Professional Directory. Click on it and you can find doctors near you, listed by specialty, who accept Medicare patients. Or you can get the same information by calling Medicare toll-free at (800) MEDICARE ([800] 633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

9. Do Medicare assets affect a person's coverage in any way?

   Persons may be eligible for any of the four parts of Medicare regardless of how much they have in income or assets. The only thing about Medicare that income and assets might affect is how much a person pays for a particular part of Medicare coverage.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

10. financial aid for prescriptions

    Hello, Some of the pharmaceutical companies offer financial assistance to help pay for medications. I know Pfizer has a Patient Assistance Program at www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com or you may call them at 866-706-2400.
    1 Community Answer

11. How to go from caring for women only to comfortably caring for men?

    I would like to praise you for asking this question. We grow in our humanity by going beyond what we think we can do.
    1 Expert Answer

12. Does Medicare pay for lift chairs?

    Medicare Part B covers what's called durable medical equipment, which includes "patient lifts." These are not chairs themselves but mechanical or hydraulic devices that help to safely lift a person out of or into a bed or chair. They not only make it easier get in and out of bed or chair but also help avoid injuries to patients and caregivers...
    1 Expert Answer

13. Will Medicare pay for an automatic, locked, pill dispenser for Alzheimer's patients?

    A wide array of medical equipment is covered by Medicare Part B, but an automated pill dispenser is not one of the pieces of equipment that Medicare normally covers. However, there may be some exception in the Medicare rules or guidelines that permits coverage of such a pill dispenser if prescribed by a physician for an Alzheimer's patient...
    1 Expert Answer

14. What are Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts in 2010?

    Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts change each year for Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. (For people who receive their Medicare hospital and medical coverage through a Medicare Part C Medicare Advantage managed care plan, premiums, deductibles, and co-payments are determined by the plan itself, not by Medicare...
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

15. What are the 2009 figures for Medicare Part D prescription drug plan premiums, deductibles, co-payments, and coverage gaps?

    Every year, the premiums, deductibles, co-payments, and coverage gaps change for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Here are the figures for 2009:
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer

16. How Can I Increase the Odds That Medicare Will Cover My Medical Service?

    It's usually obvious whether a medical service is covered by Medicare Part A or Part B, or by a private Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) plan. But occasionally Medicare, or a Medicare Part C plan, denies payment for care that a patient expects to be covered...
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 15 Community Answers

17. When Can I Join or Switch to a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan?

    You can join a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan as soon as you first become eligible for Medicare Part A or enroll in Medicare Part B (either when you turn 65 or become eligible for Medicare because of a two-year, continuing period of Social Security disability benefits)...
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

18. Should I Join a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan if I Have Other Drug Coverage?

    Usually not, for two reasons: First, if your other drug plan covers all the prescription drugs you regularly take, enrolling in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan would be a waste of money -- one plan or the other can pay for a single prescription, but not both...
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer

19. Is Any Help Available to Pay Medicare Costs If My Income and Assets Are a Bit Too High for Medicaid?

    If you have low countable income (which means that your actual income can be much higher) and few assets, not counting your home, a car, and other personal possessions, but your income or assets are slightly too high to qualify for Medicaid, you may still be eligible for another program that provides...
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer

20. FAQ: What Are the Changes to Medicare Part A and Part B Costs for 2012?

    Every year on January 1, Medicare makes changes to the premiums it requires participants to pay for their coverage, and for the deductibles and coinsurance amounts an enrollee has to pay out of pocket when using Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B coverage. Here are the changes for 2012.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer