Tag: Medicare

Hospice & Part D Prescription Medications

Earlier this year the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarified the criteria for determining payment responsibility under the Part A hospice benefit and Part D prescription drug benefit for individuals who are under the Medicare hospice benefit. This was done to help prevent duplicate payments. CMS has issued a new guidance that requires…
Medicare and The Working Individual

Are you going to stop working when you are 65 years old? If you are like some people in Hawaii — you love your job and you aren’t ready to stop working just because you are eligible for Medicare. What happens then? Do you have to sign up for Medicare? Will you be penalized if…
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: A Tale About Medicare Eligibility

The Hawaii SHIP office recently received a call from a woman who left the message, “I looked in the mirror this morning and this young 50 year old was looking back at me. Then my high school classmate called and asked if I had enrolled in Medicare yet? I realized I will be 65 this…
Start a New Tradition with Social Security

The holiday season has arrived — a time of year that is steeped in tradition. We’d like to suggest that you start a new tradition. It actually starts with breaking the old tradition of trudging to an office when you need to do business with Social Security. Sometimes traditions evolve. Many of the things your…
Medicare: Making the Most of Your Health & Drug Plan

Congratulations! You have made your decision of the Medicare Health and Drug Plan for 2013. For many, this might mean that you stayed with the plan that you had in 2012 and for some, you may have looked at the options available in your area and have enrolled with a new Medicare plan. The decision…
Medicares’ National Mail-Order Program

On July 1, 2013, Medicare was scheduled to implement a national mail-order program for diabetic testing supplies. The program was designed to offer patients quality supplies at a discounted rate. Rather than having an approved amount of $78 for 100 test strips and lancets, Medicare’s approved amount is around $22 — and your co-pay will…
Al Harrington Discusses His Years … And Yours

At 77 years young, Al Harrington has seemingly lived the life of the American Dream—entertainer, actor, healer and educator. Yet, after experiencing cancer and diabetes, Al was compelled to build the healing spirit in Hawai‘i. For him, that meant illustrating how new and old methods of healing can work well together.
Medicare? Are You There Yet?

Remember the familiar line chanted by children being driven somewhere, “Are we there yet?” As I visit companies to conduct Medicare preretiree seminars, I hear employees nearing the age of Medicare eligibility, quietly asking each other something similar —“Are You There Yet?” Most can hardly believe they are reaching their 65th birthday and will soon…
Important Changes to Medicare July 1, 2013

We’ve received several calls from individuals who have received letters from the Department of Health & Human Services in Baltimore Maryland titled An Important Message for People with Original Medicare. So questions were asked: Is this letter legitimate? Yes it is. Individuals with Original Medicare may receive two letters depending on the county where they…
What’s So Good About Growing Older?

Every week I talk to people who are newly eligible for Medicare insurance or are already enrolled in a plan. While some are happy to be at the age to get those senior discounts at retail shops and restaurants, some, not so much. They would rather trade those discounts for the yonder days of platform…