When Should My Husband Take His Social Security Check??
Toni: My husband has recently been laid off from his job and I am having a real stress moment. He has always provided the main income, but now my job is paying the monthly bills. My husband will not touch his 401K or cash in any CDs. Friends are advising him to go...
Medicare Says…Don’t Wait to Enroll In Part B with COBRA
Dear Toni: I just lost my job and I have had coverage through my job on myself and my husband who is a cancer patient. I am 70 and my husband is 69. My question is: If we elect to take COBRA, should we enroll in Part B of Medicare or wait until COBRA ends to enroll...
Why am I Charged Extra for My Part D Drug Plan?
Hello Toni: I have your Medicare Survival Guide, but I still am confused on an issue. My husband retired from an oil company with full benefits. We have both turned 65 this year and will now be going on Medicare. His company has automatically enrolled...
New to Medicare!! What do I do NOW??
Dear Toni, I will be turning 65 on September 2nd and absolutely don't know anything about Medicare, how to apply, when to apply where to apply? How to select to what and when?? Which Medicare plan is good and which one is not?? I own a small business (Just me and my...
Enrolling in Medicare Correctly… Absolutely Puzzles Me!!
Toni: I have a very different Medicare problem concerning how to enroll than any problems, I've seen in your Medicare column. I turn 65 on February 23 of this year and will retire on March 10th when my wife turns 65. Company benefits will end March 31st and I would...
Why Enrolling in Part D is IMPORTANT!!
Dear Toni: Does Medicare Part B cover prescription drugs in an outpatient setting, like emergency room or under observation? You wrote about this last week and we are having this problem. My mother was in the hospital for 2 days and because it was considered “under...
“Under Observation”…Two Words Costing Medicare Patients Thousands
**Reader Alert: This week, I have received several emails about an email blast on the NBC Nightly News report called “Two words costing Medicare patients thousands”. This news story is about how your hospital bill is being coded and what you should know to protect...
Can I Delay Medicare to Keep Funding My Company’s HSA?
Hi Toni: I have a few questions about Medicare and our employee benefits. I am the benefits administrator for a company and I need to provide information to our employees since, we have 2 health plans, a PPO and a high deductible HSA. Most of the employees have...
Self Employed with Retiree Benefits… Why Do I Need Part B??
Good Day, Toni: We saw your answer about Medicare Part B in an article online and our situation is different. My wife and I have recently turned 65, me in Dec. 2013 and Carol this January 8. We have signed up for Medicare Part A only. I retired 2 years ago...
Why Doesn’t Medicare Pay for Long Term Care?
Toni: Recently in your Medicare column, you discussed home healthcare for the elderly. I would like to know about Long Term Care. I always thought Medicare covered long term care but now I am finding out I was totally wrong. My mother has...
Rumors about the Affordable Care Act and Medicare?
Toni: I will be 70 on June 20, 2014 and have decided to retire effective June 1. I have always had company benefits and because of healthcare reform my company is no longer covering retirees. Now I have to make new Medicare choices. I would...
What is the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program?
Toni, I have a client who just received a bill for her mother's Medicaid Long Term Care that was done at her house instead of a nursing home during the last few years of her mother’s life. My client had no idea that Medicaid was running a tab; otherwise she would have...
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