Posts related to Health Insurance

Undocumented Latino Seniors Struggle Without Pensions, Health Insurance

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by Agustin Durán. To read the original Spanish-language article in La Opinión, click here. (Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí.)

Estela García is not intimidated. She walks a lot, eats as healthfully as possible and stays positive. In general, this is the recipe that has allowed her, at the age of 84, to stay healthy. As an undocumented immigrant, living in the midst of one of the world’s most frightening pandemics, self-care and a positive outlook are what keeps her going.

“I just don’t panic,” she emphasized, but I don’t watch television either.” : “The news exaggerates so much that people believe everything and do not reflect on the veracity of what they hear.... Read More

             

American Workers’ Health Challenges Before Reaching the Golden Age

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by Agustin Durán. To read the original Spanish-language article in La Opinión, click here. (Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí.)

For several decades, activist Martha Ugarte has been counseling immigrants to protect themselves from abuse and defending them from becoming victims of authorities and unscrupulous businesses. But in January 2019, the immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, had to defend herself.

Suddenly, her husband began to have stomach pains, and they had no choice but to take him to a hospital emergency room. After paying a $240 co-payment and enduring four hours of exams, they were told he needed surgery to remove stones from his gallbladder. They sought a second opinion and he finally managed.... Read More

             

Three Ways to Save on Medicare Costs

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This article originally appeared on Medicare.gov.

You may be able to get help paying for your health and prescription drug costs. Even if you aren’t sure you’re eligible, it’s worth learning more about these three ways to save on Medicare costs:

Medicaid

If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for Medicaid—a joint federal and state program that:

Helps with medical costs Offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, like nursing home care and personal care servicesEach state has different rules about eligibility and applying for Medicaid. Call your state Medicaid program to see if you qualify, learn how to apply, and how Medicare works with Medicaid..... Read More
             

A Mouthful of Pain for Older People: Sen. Cardin Introduces Medicare Dental Benefit

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by Viji Sundaram. This article originally appeared in India West.

When Sanjog Kaur could no longer bear the pain around her upper molar that had been bothering her for months, she took a needle-nose pliers from her husband’s toolbox one recent day, sterilized it in boiling water, rocked the offending tooth back and forth a few times and yanked it out of her mouth. Then she put a sterilized cotton ball in the gap to suck up the blood

“I was scared, but I had no other option,” said the 70-year-old Indian American resident of the Bay Area, who asked that her real name not be used. “A visit to the dentist has always set us.... Read More

             

New to HealthCare.gov? Three things you should know

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This post originally appeared on the HealthCare.gov blog.

If you haven’t applied for insurance on HealthCare.gov before, here are three things to know about the Health Insurance Marketplace:

Open Enrollment for 2018 health insurance runs from November 1 through December 15, 2017. Plans joined during Open Enrollment start January 1, 2018. There are a few things you can do now to get ready. See if your income is in the range to save before you apply. Select your household size and state to see if you may qualify for savings. Marketplace plans must cover.... Read More
             

New Medicare Cards are Coming Soon

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by Seema Verma, CMS Administrator. This post originally appeared on the CMS blog.
To read this article in Spanish, click here.


When you get your new Medicare card in the mail, keep it safe! Guard your card to prevent fraud.

As you may have heard, or perhaps you’ve seen a recent TV commercial, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will soon be issuing every Medicare beneficiary a new Medicare Card, without Social Security Numbers, to prevent fraud, fight identity theft, and keep taxpayer dollars safe, and to help ensure that we always put the needs of patients first.

It’s unfortunate that criminals are increasingly targeting people age 65 or.... Read More

             

Open Enrollment Season is Right Around the Corner – Are You Ready to #GetCovered?

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This past week, I flipped my calendar from August to September, and I started thinking about pumpkins and sweet potatoes, hot chocolate, leaves changing color – and open enrollment for health insurance! This time of year is vitally important to diverse elders, because both Medicare and the Affordable Care Act have had a profound impact on our ability to age with health and dignity. Read on for more information and key dates around healthcare open enrollment, and make sure you’re ready to #GetCovered!

Medicare Open Enrollment
October 15 – December 7, 2017

Medicare has a huge impact on diverse elders’ ability to get care. Various studies have found that

46% of Latino older adults
43% of Asian.... Read More

             

Are you managing multiple chronic health conditions? Medicare can help!

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Managing your health can be challenging, especially if you have two or more chronic conditions or illnesses. The Connected Care campaign offers information to help you take advantage of new Medicare services that pay for comprehensive care management particularly needed by patients dealing with multiple chronic conditions. If you have Medicare and live with two or more chronic conditions, you may be eligible for chronic care management (CCM) services to help you maximize your health and spend more time with your loved ones.

What does CCM mean for you?

CCM means having a continuous relationship with.... Read More
             

Older Adults & the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace: What’s at Stake for 2018

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by Natalie Kean. This post originally appeared on the Justice in Aging blog.

Among its many achievements, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made great strides in covering more older adults who previously had no access to health care. Before the ACA, many low-income older adults who did not have employer-based coverage had no affordable coverage options to address their growing health care needs prior to becoming eligible for Medicare. Insurance companies were allowed to effectively price lower-income older adults out of the individual market or deny them coverage altogether based on pre-existing conditions. These.... Read More

             

ACA Repeal Would Send Native American Uninsured Rate Soaring

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by Jim McLean

The number of Native Americans without health insurance would increase sharply if Republicans in Congress succeed in repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, according to a new report.

The report, from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says that proposed cuts to Medicaid and to the subsidies that reduce out-of-pockets costs for low-income individuals purchasing private insurance in the ACA marketplace would jeopardize the coverage of more than 300,000 Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

The uninsured rate among Native Americans would climb by 27.4 percent in Kansas and 36.2 percent in Missouri, according to the report. Kansas is home to approximately 60,000 people who self-identify as either.... Read More

             

What LGBT Seniors Stand to Lose in ACA Repeal

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This post originally appeared on the Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation website.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) older adults face many of the same health and aging challenges other older adults face, but more pronounced. As a result, they are arguably more at risk if the incoming administration and Congress repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a replacement plan and/or makes significant and harmful changes to Medicaid and Medicare.

LGBT older adults face unique risks within the health care system due to the standard issues facing an aging population combined with their sexual orientation or gender identity, such as:

Aging Combined with Discrimination: Similar to the older population in general, LGBT older adults.... Read More
             

Repealing the Affordable Care Act without a Replacement Hurts Seniors

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by Jennifer Goldberg, Directing Attorney of the Justice in Aging Health Team. This post originally appeared on the Justice in Aging website.

Every day, whether seniors need to see a doctor, receive care in their home, or pay for prescription drugs, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are lifelines for older adults. However, the entire health care system upon which older adults rely is at risk in the new Congress. Changes to the ACA will dramatically alter the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and jeopardize the care seniors receive each day.

The ACA is under immediate threat in the next Congress. Over 30 million individuals risk losing coverage if the ACA is repealed. This.... Read More

             
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