Our country has a patchwork of different types of health insurance coverage, including individual insurance policies, employer-based insurance coverage plans available through the new Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Medicare – the … [Read more...] about 29. Medicare Needs to Address Enrollment Confusion and Notify People When it’s Time to Enroll
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28. Medicare Makes Health Care Affordable
"If it were not for Medicare I could not possibly afford the health care that I get."- R.B, A Medicare Beneficiary from New Mexico … [Read more...] about 28. Medicare Makes Health Care Affordable
27. Medicare Covers Preventive Care
Medicare is not just an acute care benefit. It covers skilled maintenance nursing and therapy; in some cases it covers long-term home care. Also, importantly, Medicare covers many preventive services, which, when utilized, can help limit the … [Read more...] about 27. Medicare Covers Preventive Care
26. Medicare Needs a Timely Way for Patients to Appeal Hospice Denials
By Howard Back, a Medicare Beneficiary from CaliforniaMedicare funding for hospice services is a wonderful thing.But there is a missing element in the system: there is no timely way a hospice patient can appeal failure of a hospice to provide … [Read more...] about 26. Medicare Needs a Timely Way for Patients to Appeal Hospice Denials
25. Medicare Can Be a Source for LGBT Inclusive Medical Care
By LGBT Aging Advocacy (Connecticut) and CT TransAdvocacy CoalitionA substantial number of physicians serving Medicare participants do not know the sexual orientation or gender identification of the LGBT elders they care for, although … [Read more...] about 25. Medicare Can Be a Source for LGBT Inclusive Medical Care
24. Medicare and Prescription Drug Coverage
When Medicare began to provide coverage for prescription drugs almost 10 years ago, under Part D, millions of people who previously had no drug coverage were able to access needed medications. By any measure, the drug benefit has helped many … [Read more...] about 24. Medicare and Prescription Drug Coverage
23. Medicare Should Fill Gaps in Coverage for Oral Health and Other Key Health Services
By Judith Stein, Executive Director, Center for Medicare AdvocacyWhen Medicare was enacted in 1965, over half of people over 65 had no health insurance. The fact that Medicare provided affordable, basic health insurance was a huge boon for older … [Read more...] about 23. Medicare Should Fill Gaps in Coverage for Oral Health and Other Key Health Services
22. Medicare Needs an Alert Watchdog
By Douglas Gould, President, Douglas Gould and CompanyMedicare has done so much good over the last 50 years, but it needs a tough watchdog to keep it effective in the years to come. Case in point would be the so called “Improvement … [Read more...] about 22. Medicare Needs an Alert Watchdog
21. Medicare is One of the Greatest Achievements of the 20th Century
By Gill Deford, Director of Litigation, Center for Medicare AdvocacyIn 1965, I had a summer job as a go’fer for the administrative head of a unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Hopkins Hospital was and is one of the great … [Read more...] about 21. Medicare is One of the Greatest Achievements of the 20th Century
20. Medicare is There When People Need it Most
By A Medicare BeneficiaryHaving Medicare saved my life, and I will be forever grateful. But I never thought of it before I was in the hospital, because I’d never really been sick. You have to fight for Medicare like your life depends … [Read more...] about 20. Medicare is There When People Need it Most