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The deadline for Medicare’s open enrollment is three weeks earlier this year that 2011, so boomers need to gather all the necessary information regarding changes and updates to care now to make the best decisions for the health and finances. The deadline of Dec. 7 is right around the corner and the more information boomers have about the plans, the better off they will be now and down the road.  A new federal ruling could transform the way that Medicare covers long-term care and allows more patients to receive home health care services. I sat down with Robert Quinlan, an [...]

“The Boomer” is a column written for adults nearing retirement age and those already in their “golden years.” It will also promote reader interaction by posting e-mail responses and answering reader questions. E-mail your questions or topic ideas to thefoxboomer@gmail.com. Medicare is one of the most popular federal programs in the country and its future is playing a starring role on the campaign trail. More than 1.5 million baby boomers become part of Medicare a year to help cover the rising costs of health care, but the fate of the program is uncertain as the budget deficit continues to widen [...]

Medicare is a useful program that helps elderly people that live all across the U.S. The program is Federal and it is split up into two different types of help benefits. One is known as part A which helps with covering inpatient care when the patient is in the hospital. The benefits of part A vary. Part B is a part of the benefits that help with paying for certain  [ Read More ]

Medicare was thrust into the presidential campaign spotlight when Republican Mitt Romney chose his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the author of a plan to dramatically overhaul the federal health insurance program for older Americans. Now, rhetoric from the Romney campaign and President Barack Obama’s camp has created what the nonpartisan, nonprofit media watchdog FactCheck.org labeled a campaign season of “Mediscare,” with both sides offering plans to control Medicare spending while accusing the other of “hurting seniors.” By now, you’ve doubtless heard enough spin to make your head, well, spin. So let’s start with a few basic facts. Created [...]

Medicare open enrollment season is just around the corner and beneficiaries who take the time to research different plans and compare prices can find solid coverage at affordable prices. Starting on Oct. 15 and ending Dec. 7, those about to be or already eligible for Medicare can enroll for the first time in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program or change their existing health coverage. Open enrollment is the one time of the year enrollees can see what changes are being made to Medicare and change benefits accordingly. While the Health Care Reform Act will usher in changes in [...]

Ninety-one people including doctors, nurses and other medical professionals were charged criminally in a new sweep of Medicare fraud involving seven U.S. cities and $ 430 million in alleged false billing, officials said on Thursday. It was the government’s second big raid in recent months after a similar effort in May alleged $ 452 million in fraud in Medicare, the U.S. health program for the elderly and disabled. The allegations include billing the government for unnecessary ambulance rides in California, writing prescriptions for patients in Dallas who did not qualify for them and paying kickbacks such as food and cigarettes [...]

Ninety-one people including doctors, nurses and other medical professionals have been charged with committing $ 430 million in Medicare fraud in seven U.S. cities, authorities said on Thursday. (Reporting by David Morgan)

Hospitals readmit nearly 1 in 5 Medicare patients within one month of discharge, with the return trips costing the federal government more than $ 17 billion a year as of 2004, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. But, beginning this month, hospitals with too many Medicare readmissions stand to lose some of their Medicare income under a new health care reform initiative called the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, or HRRP. The program is part of an effort under the Obama health care overhaul that’s aimed at reducing all hospital readmissions next year by 20% [...]

Dear Insurance Adviser, I am on COBRA trying to find health insurance for the gap until I reach age 65 and Medicare. I am 61 and have been denied insurance for pre-existing conditions. What are my options, and will I be able to get insurance with the new insurance law? –Denied in Delaware Dear Denied, The federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act program allows ex-employees to leave a job and be able to continue their group health insurance at their own expense for a period of time — usually 18 months. That’s a very good thing. The bad thing for [...]

The idea behind Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan is to slow growing costs and keep the program more affordable for the long haul. But it’s all in the details. The Republican-backed shift to private insurance plans could saddle future retirees with thousands of dollars a year in additional bills. That would leave the children of the baby boom generation with far less protection from medical expenses than their parents and grandparents have had in retirement. And there’s another angle consumers need to look at: Medicaid. The GOP vice presidential candidate has also proposed to sharply rein in that program and turn [...]