It’s mid-November and this is a super busy time during Open Enrollment. Normally, I wouldn’t take the time to write a blog post, but I need to answer some questions about Harken Health. This is my attempt to offer a review of sorts — a fair assessment of this new carrier.
Harken Health is an independently operated affiliate of United Healthcare. Currently, they are offering coverage on the Exchange (the Marketplace) and off the Exchange in Chicago and Atlanta.
The Most Popular Plan Over half of all people who enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan (Medigap) select Plan F. Plan F is the most comprehensive plan available and covers almost all out-of -pocket medical costs not covered by Medicare Part A and Part B. Medigap plans are standardized, so a Plan F with United Healthcare is (as required by Federal law) identical to Plan F with Blue Cross Blue Shield,
It would seem logical to call Medicare when you’re first eligible for Medicare, because of nearing age 65, losing employer coverage, or due to disability. However, the first step is to call Social Security regarding enrollment in Part A and Part B of Medicare.
Lots of folks are suprised to learn that their Medicare Part B and Part D premiums are based on their income. In fact, Medicare beneficiares can pay more than three times the current standard Medicare Part B premium of $104.90/month.
It’s still early in the summer, but we have some solid information this year on what to expect in terms of rate increases for 2016. All individual (and many group) plans are now based on a calendar year. In other words, new plans and premiums will be available during Open Enrollment — starting November 1 — for plans to begin in 2016. So, everyone needs to compare plans and make a decision for the new plan year.
Yes, this post is geared mainly towards people on Medicare, but it’s good information you can share with a family member or friend regardless of your age.
Almost every Medicare beneficiary carries their red, white and blue Medicare card with them. This card shows their social security number plus a letter — also known as the Medicare Claim Number. It’s a good idea to make a copy of your Medicare card and then black-out the last four digits of your social security number.
People who have been prescribed expensive brand-name drugs know how much it can hurt their wallet. The good news is that close to 80% of all brand-name medications have a generic counterpart. Oftentimes, generics are perfectly fine; other times a generic isn’t available or is not recommended by your doctor. So, most people accept the higher cost brand-name drugs and figure there’s not much they can do. Well, depending on the situation, there can be some very good ways to lower drug costs.
A recent article by Georgia Health News reports on the patient safety ratings for Georgia hospitals. According to the article, the intent of the hospital safety report is to aid consumers in their selection of hospitals based on a very important measure of care: “the ability of hospitals to prevent errors, injuries and infections.” They should have added “deaths” to the list.
The article cites a statistic that is quite alarming: “More than 1000 people die each day in the United States because of preventable hospital errors”
This post is geared towards people who might qualify for a health insurance subsidy based on their income. What I wrote below is actually an email I sent to my clients who currently have an Exchange policy they purchased within the past year. I thought it might be helpful for others in a similar situation. If you know someone who needs health insurance, but they think they can’t afford it, please direct them to this post. Thank you!
Open Enrollment for Medicare is quickly approaching. Otherwise known as the “Annual Election Period” or AEP, the season to make changes to Medicare Advantage Plans and Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), runs from October 15 through December 7.
I read an article in the New York Times today that gives some good basic information about Medicare Open Enrollment (not to be confused with open enrollment for those under age 65), so I’m providing the link here.
It’s the middle of August and Open Enrollment is still a few months away, but in my world, the emphasis is on PREPARATION! For those people who have personal health insurance plans, Open Enrollment is the period of time when almost everyone will want to evaluate their plan options for the next year. The time to do this has been compressed into a very short span of time — from November 15 to February 15. The vast majority of people will make their decisions before December 15,
