Tag: Medicare

  • Disability Benefits Q&A

    I’m applying for disability benefits. Do I automatically receive Medicare benefits if I’m approved for disability benefits?

  • Is It Time for Medicare?

    Were you a high school senior in 1972, singing Alice Cooper’s classic hit, “School’s Out” (for Summer)? Then you may be turning 65 soon and wondering if you need Medicare insurance. Figuring it out on your own may leave you clicking through a lot of scam websites and staring at a mountain of brochures and…

  • Keep that “Spring” in your Step!

    As a Medicare educator and radio host, it’s my passion to keep up with changes that impact Medicare beneficiaries. My radio listening audience is well into their 60s and 70s and octogenarians listen, too. Some are ’69 and ’70 graduates of Roosevelt, Kalani, Kaimuki, and McKinley high schools. Each year, they sponsor “Battle of the Bands”…

  • Hawaii Five-0: Old Made New Again

    Hawaii Five-0 flawlessly executed the eighth season’s Sunset on The Beach premiere. The event attracts thousands of fans from across the world, cheering as the cast arrive at the red carpet, like former Honolulu resident Judy Glassmaker, who returns every year and who grew up watching the original series.

  • You’ve Got Mail: New Medicare Cards

    New Medicare cards will be issued and mailed to beneficiaries between April 2018 and April 2019. In an attempt to protect your identity, the new cards will have a unique number for you instead of your Social Security number, or the number of someone through which you receive Medicare benefits. When you receive your card,…

  • Bumper-to-Bumper Service Checks

    Have you taken your car in for its 10,000-mile service checkup? If you are like most car owners who need a reliable car that can go the distance, you schedule an appointment the moment your mechanic sends a reminder. The bumper-to-bumper inspection requires a trained professional to perform an extensive list of tests, including a…

  • Medicare Identity Theft

    Medicare Identity Theft is a serious and growing problem that impacts the lives of millions of seniors every year. A variety of reasons, including the expansion of technology and the Internet, allow personal information to be stolen and sold worldwide. Furthermore, the sheer magnitude of Medicare provides both incentive and opportunity for thieves to take…

  • Who Should Think About Medicaid?

    An unpleasant fact of life is the prospect of needing long-term care someday. Statistics tell us that 70 percent of Americans will need long-term care for some period of time before death. So it is not just possible, but very likely that you or someone close to you will need long-term care. In Hawai‘i, the…

  • Medicare and Alzheimer’s Disease

    The Hawaii SHIP is repeatedly asked this question, “Does Medicare cover Alzheimer’s Disease?” Medicare’s coverage is based on “medically necessary” procedures, not disease diagnosis. For example, if I go to my doctor and he orders blood to be drawn to see if my medication is at a therapeutic level, Medicare would pay for both the…

  • Medicare Frequently Asked Questions

    Here are some very common questions that people ask our SHIP staff and volunteers. If you have a question, visit our website, call us or schedule an appointment. We have the answers. If you want to help your community, become a SHIP Volunteer — it’s a very satisfying job. THREE COMMON QUESTIONS: Is Medicare only…