Articles About Medicare

1. How to Use Private Insurance to Help Pay for In-Home Care

   Article - To help pay for in-home care, investigate whether your loved one has long-term care insurance or a life insurance policy that can be cashed in.

2. Home Health Care Explained: What It Is, What to Expect, How to Pay For it & How to Find It

   Article - Home health care agencies provide in-home skilled nursing and other home health care services, such as physical and occupational therapy. Home health care agencies are licensed by the state, but must adhere to federal regulations as well.

3. Homecare Explained: What It Is, What to Expect, How to Pay For it & How to Find It

   Article - Homecare, also known as in-home care, is nonmedical care provided in the client's home. It includes custodial care and assistance with activities of daily living such as eating, bathing and providing medication reminders. Homecare workers are professionally trained caregivers who provide companionship...

4. Medicaid Explained

   Article - Alternatives to Medicaid are available in some states. Click here for more information.

5. Adult Day Care Explained: What It Is, What to Expect & How to Pay for It

   Article - Adult day care provides a safe and caring setting for adults within a social model program. Programs are structured and designed, often through the development of a personal care plan, to cover the daily individual needs of each participant, including a variety of social and supportive services...

6. Assisted Living Explained: What They Are, What to Expect, How to Pay For One & How to Find an Assisted Living Facility

   Article - Assisted living is a general term used to describe residential facilities that provide care for individuals who cannot live independently, but do not require twenty-four hour skilled nursing care. With so many choices, however, many adult children face dilemmas when it comes time to find assisted living facilities for Mom or Dad...

7. Medicaid Eligibility

   Article - Medicaid is a federally aided, state-operated program that provides medical care for certain low-income individuals and families who have limited resources. Medicaid eligibility is not tied to Social Security benefits; however, if an individual is receiving social security benefits, a part of those funds will go toward your medical expenses...

8. How to Hire Urgently Needed In-Home Care

   Article - When someone needs help at home, the ideal solution may be to hire an in-home caregiver. Follow these steps to find a good caregiver who can start right away.

9. Public Pay Options for Stroke Care: Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)

   Article - Health Maintenance Organizations are prepaid health insurance plans that give complete medical coverage for a fixed premium. Knowing whether an HMO is right for the person in your care requires careful study.

10. Exploring Options for Home Healthcare

    Article - Home healthcare costs add up fast, and some insurance and other programs won't cover them. Consider other options for paying for home healthcare.

11. How to Use Private Insurance to Help Pay for Home Healthcare

    Article - Private health insurance may help cover home healthcare for your loved one. Consider two ways insurance might pay for home healthcare.

12. How to Pay for Adult Daycare

    Article - Adult daycare can be a boon to older adults and their caregivers alike. Learn about different options for paying for adult daycare.

13. How to Use Public Benefit Programs to Help Pay for Adult Daycare

    Article - To help pay for adult daycare for someone with limited income, learn about the variety of public benefit programs that help cover adult daycare.

14. V.A. Medical Benefits

    Article - Most veterans are eligible for V.A. medical benefits -- with some restrictions. Learn who's eligible, what benefits are provided, and how to apply.

15. Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance): How It Works

    Article - How Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) Works. Who's eligible for Medicare Part A and what hospital care is covered by Medicare Part A?

16. How Medicare Works

    Article - How does Medicare work? What is Medicare? Who qualifies for Medicare? What does Medicare cover?

17. Medicaid Coverage of Nursing Home Care

    Article - Medicaid rules for coverage of nursing home care are complex and vary from state to state. Know the basics of Medicaid coverage of nursing home care.

18. 8 Preventive Screenings Medicare Will Cover

    Article - Medicare covers a considerable amount of preventive medicine, and beginning in 2011 it will cover even more. Medicare Part B covers a number of important screening tests -- as of January 1, 2011, paying 100 percent of the cost -- if the person you're caring for meets certain conditions...

19. Open Enrollment: How to Switch Your Medicare Drug Coverage Plan (Part D) for 2012

    Article - Annual open enrollment periods for Medicare Part D plans let you sign up or switch plans. How and why to switch, and what to look for in a new plan.

20. Open Enrollment: How to Switch Your Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plan for 2012

    Article - Open enrollment periods for Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans let you renew or change plans. When to change, and what to look for in a new plan.

21. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance): How It Works

    Article - Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) Medicare Part B is intended to cover doctor bills and outpatient costs. But what does it really cover?

22. Medicare Coverage of Home Care

    Article - Learn about Medicare coverage for care, including home care and skilled nursing care, and how Medicare coverage can help your elderly loved ones at Caring.com.

23. 8 Points to Consider When Choosing a Medicare Managed Care Plan

    Article - Medicare doesn't come in only one flavor. There's traditional Medicare Part A and Part B, supplemented by a medigap private insurance policy. But there are also Medicare Part C managed care plans, called Medicare Advantage, which blend the other types of coverage into one...

24. Medicare Coverage of Nursing Home Care

    Article - Medicare covers nursing home care -- with restrictions. Avoid confusion over long-term care by understanding Medicare coverage of nursing home care.

25. How Family Caregivers Will Benefit From Health Care Reform

    Article - The new health reform law contains lots of changes that help family caregivers. Learn the new provisions that may help you and your loved ones.

26. How to Pay for Long-Term Nursing Home Care

    Article - Possible ways to help offset the cost of a nursing home include public benefits, private insurance, and personal assets and family contributions.

27. How to Use Public Benefits to Help Pay for Home Healthcare

    Article - Home healthcare costs add up quickly, so it pays to look into public benefits such as Medicare or other programs that can help cover home care costs.

28. How to Pay for Home HealthCare

    Article - Costs for home healthcare vary widely. Learn more about some options to pay for home healthcare that's not covered by insurance or other programs.

29. How to Use Public Benefits to Help Pay for In-Home Care

    Article - To help pay for in-home care, find out whether your loved one qualifies for public benefits such as Medicaid, VA assistance, or other programs.

30. Medicare and Veterans Medical Benefits: Which One Can I Use?

    Article - How to determine whether to use your Veterans medical benefits or Medicare to pay for medical bills, prescription drugs, and other medical services.

31. How to Choose a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan

    Article - Choosing a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan isn't easy. Use this guide to help find the Medicare Part D plan that works best for you.

32. How to Get Medicare to Cover a Regular Physical Exam

    Article - How to get Medicare coverage for a regular physical exam -- without breaking Medicare rules.

33. Enrolling in Medicare Programs

    Article - A concise guide to how and when to enroll in Medicare based on someone's particular circumstances.

34. Saving Money on Prescription Drugs Not Covered by a Medicare Part D Plan

    Article - Information to help you save money on prescription drugs when someone is in the doughnut hole or just not enrolled in Medicare Part D.

35. How to Choose a Medigap Insurance Policy

    Article - Everything you need to know to choose a Medigap insurance policy.

36. Choosing Hospice Under Medicare

    Article - What is hospice? Hospice is an alternative to regular medical care for people in the final months of life. Instead of continuing to try curing or delaying the fatal disease or condition, hospice ends treatment altogether. Instead, its goal is to control pain and other symptoms and make the patient's last stretch of life as comfortable as possible...

37. Who's Eligible for a Medigap Insurance Policy?

    Article - A medigap insurance policy covers many medical costs that Medicare insurance may not pay for. If you're near or already age 65, you probably know that Medicare ends up paying for only about half of all medical costs. Part of this slack is taken up by Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, which pay some of the high cost of medicines...

38. Medicare Coverage for Mental Health and Alzheimer's Care

    Article - Read our mental health coverage article and find helpful mental health coverage information at Caring.com.

39. Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) Plans: How They Work

    Article - Read our Medicare Part C plans article and find helpful Medicare Part C information at Caring.com.

40. What Is Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plan)?

    Article - Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plans): Who's eligible for Medicare Part D coverage and how much Part D drug plans cost

41. Emergency Information

    Article - Have this information posted near telephones or on the refrigerator, where it can be used by anyone in the household in case of emergency.

42. Choosing a Doctor

    Article - Call your local medical or dental society for the names of doctors who specialize in the field in which you seek care. Think about using doctors who are allied with medical schools. They tend to have the most up-to-date information, especially about complicated illnesses.

43. Staying Actively Involved in the Health Care of Someone in Your Care

    Article - When you care for someone in the home, you must also manage that person's health care. This means choosing a good medical team, keeping costs down, arranging for medical appointments, and getting the best, least expensive medicines. It also means knowing what the insurance rules are and, most important, being an advocate for the person in your care...

44. How to Pay for Medical Equipment

    Article - If you need assistance in paying for medical equipment:

45. You're Turning 65: A Must-Do Checklist

    Article - Eight steps to take at age 65 to safeguard your long-term financial and healthcare security. You're Turning 65: A Must-Do Checklist

46. Help Older Adults Identify Aids to Deal With Low Vision

    Article - Modern aids make low vision far less troublesome than you might expect. Here's how to find the tools needed to cope with limited vision.

47. Health Care Team for Stroke

    Article - There are many levels of outpatient care programs. In some, therapists come to the home to deliver therapy; others may require the survivor to go into a facility. Either way, it will be a therapist and not a doctor who is involved with the survivor and family caregiver on a day-to-day basis...

48. Choosing a Doctor for Chronic Lung Disease

    Article - Call your local medical or dental society for the names of doctors who specialize in the field in which you seek care. Think about using doctors who are allied with medical schools. They tend to have the most up-to-date information, especially about complicated illnesses.

49. Equipment and Supplies

    Article - To provide proper at-home care, you will need certain supplies. There are two types:

50. Questions to Ask When Choosing a Hospice Program

    Article - There are more than a few important questions to ask when selecting a hospice care program for a loved one. Find out what to ask and why.