#Medicare – Page 5 – Total Benefit Solutions Inc

IBC Increasing Medigap Rates

March 15, 2022Ed MacConnell

Independence Blue Cross recently received approval from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to increase our monthly premium rates for MedigapSecurity plans A, B, C, D, F, F High-Deductible, G, G High-Deductible, and N. These rates will become effective April 1, 2022. MEDIGAPSECURITY PREMIUM UPDATED RATE SHEET Monthly Premium If you have … Beginning April 1, 2022, you will pay … MedigapSecurity – Plan A $164.95 MedigapSecurity – Plan B $195.65 MedigapSecurity – Plan C $224.55 MedigapSecurity – Plan D $204.95 MedigapSecurity – Plan F $224.70 MedigapSecurity – Plan F High Deductible $109.00 MedigapSecurity – Plan G $205.10 MedigapSecurity – Plan G High Deductible $91.95 MedigapSecurity – Plan N $181.30 Questions… Read More

WHAT IS MEDICARE PART B?

February 6, 2022Ed MacConnell

Medicare can seem complex on your own. We’re here to help! Medicareful is an easy-to-use Medicare plan finder that compares some of the available plans in your area and connects you with a licensed sales agent who will guide you through enrollment. Whether it’s a Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage Part C Plan, or a Medicare Part D drug plan, we’ve got you covered. https://medicareful.com/totalbenefitsolutions

When Can You Enroll on a Medicare Advantage or Drug Card?

February 6, 2022February 6, 2022Ed MacConnell

Medicare Part D: Disclosure Notice to CMS

February 4, 2022February 3, 2022Ed MacConnell

Additional Medicare Tax for High Earners

December 30, 2021December 30, 2021Ed MacConnell

Information on the safe disposal of prescription medication for in-home Health Assessments

December 29, 2021December 22, 2021Ed MacConnell

Medicare Part D Notification Requirements

September 23, 2021September 21, 2021Ed MacConnell

What Are Medicare Guaranteed Issue Rights?

August 24, 2021August 23, 2021Ed MacConnell

When can I buy a Medigap plan?

August 22, 2021August 22, 2021Ed MacConnell

Medicare Supplement Plan F or G?

August 20, 2021October 20, 2021Ed MacConnell

Many of our clients ask what is the “best” Medicare supplement that they can buy. While there is no overall “best”, the Medicare Supplement Plan F is generally considered the most comprehensive coverage among Medicare supplements due to the fact that most services are covered without any member co-pay or cost sharing at all. Keep in mind that Medicare supplements, like Plan F do not cover prescriptions and that a beneficiary with Medicare supplement will need to have other coverage for prescription drug coverage. A little known fact about Medicare supplements is that they do not have an annual “open enrollment” period so a beneficiary with a supplement can… Read More

Medicare Won’t Cover This Key Expense…

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019Ed MacConnell

Dental costs can take a huge bite out of seniors’ finances, even if they have Medicare. And many Seniors have to tap into their Retirement Funds to cover treatment.

The Future of Employee Benefit Offerings: Student Debt Repayment Assistance

March 27, 2019March 27, 2019Ed MacConnell

When looking for a job, the benefits offered to an Employee are definitely a big factor in consideration of accepting an offer of employment. Most people are willing to choose a company with a slight pay decrease if the benefit package compensates for the lost wages. With unemployment the lowest it has been since 2000 in the United States, attracting new talent isn’t as easy as it used to be and Employers are looking for ways to snatch up qualified applicants. When you think of benefit packages, you usually think of the basics: Health Insurance (with possibly an HSA, HRA, or FSA included), Dental and Vision coverage. “Good” benefit packages… Read More

Why Offer an HRA to Your Employees?

March 27, 2019March 27, 2019Ed MacConnell

Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement, typically referred to as an HRA, can be utilized by employers to reduce their overall healthcare costs without placing additional financial burden on their employees. An HRA allows the employer to pay for eligible expenses with pre-tax dollars. The employer decides what expenses are eligible, within the IRS guidelines, leaving a lot of flexibility in plan design. Typically an HRA is coupled with a High Deductible Health Plan and the HRA pays for either the entire deductible or a portion of the deductible. With this type of a plan the premium savings often outweigh the potential claims that the employer would have to pay if every employee… Read More

How To Find a Doctor You Trust

November 9, 2018November 8, 2018Ed MacConnell

How to Find a Doctor You Trust Get a list of in-network providers: Call your insurance company or look at their plan materials for a list of doctors in their network. You’ll usually pay less to see a doctor in your network than a doctor who’s out-of-network. You can also call your Broker and they can help assist you in getting the names of Doctors near you that accept your plan. Do your research: Ask friends and family if they recommend their doctors. You may even be able to read online reviews for doctors in your area. Online reviews are a great way to gauge things such as bedside manner and wait… Read More

What is Medicare?

November 7, 2018June 12, 2023Ed MacConnell

It’s important to know your benefits and how they work together. Here is an easy to understand article so you fully understand Medicare’s Parts in order to customize coverage that works for you! Here at Total Benefit Solutions, Inc we have highly trained and certified Medicare Enrollment Specialists to help you each step along the way. If your Medicare options confuse you, or you just want the piece of mind of having an impartial review your needs prior to selecting a plan, feel free to reach out to us at 215-355-2121! Medicare Part A helps cover hospital costs. This part is free for most and is provided by the federal… Read More

Important Info! HSA Limits for 2019

November 1, 2018Ed MacConnell

What is an HRA and How It May See A Major Change Soon..

October 30, 2018Ed MacConnell

Before we get into how rules for HRAs may be changing, we should discuss what an HRA is and how it works. A Health Reimbursement Account (sometimes referred to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement) is an employer-funded group health plan that reimburses employees, tax-free, for qualified medical expenses up to a certain amount per year. This type of policy does not replace Medical Insurance and is usually coupled with a High-Deductible policy. Unlike an Health Savings Account (HSA), the Employee can not help to fund the account. Like HSAs though, there are maximum allowed contributions. In 2018, an Employer can fund an HRA up to $5,050 for a Single Employee and $10,250… Read More

Common Questions: Rules For Your HSA After Becoming Medicare Eligible

October 16, 2018October 16, 2018Ed MacConnell

Medicare and Your HSA In 2017, over 22 million Americans have a Health Savings Account. Each year that number goes higher and higher as High Deductible Plans become more popular with Individuals and Employers. Once you turn 65 and enroll in Medicare, you can no longer open an HSA or deposit money into it, but what if you already had one with a balance? You don’t have to worry about a “Use It Or Lose It” clause. That money can still be used towards out-of-pocket costs! Here are some very common questions about how you can continue to benefit from your HSA and why keeping funds in it for your… Read More

Medicare Part D Notification Requirements

September 20, 2018Ed MacConnell

Employers sponsoring a group health plan with prescription drug benefits are required to notify their Medicare-eligible participants and beneficiaries as to whether the drug coverage provided under the plan is “creditable” or “non-creditable” prior to October 15th, 2018. Please follow this link for more information: Medicare Part D Notification Requirements As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this notification or your specific policy, please contact us at 215-355-2121

The History of Medicare

September 13, 2018September 17, 2018Ed MacConnell

A brief history of Medicare in America Landmark social program now covers 58.5 million Americans By Steve Anderson Discussion about a national health insurance system for Americans goes all the way back to the days of President Teddy Roosevelt, whose platform included health insurance when he ran for president in 1912. But the idea for a national health plan didn’t gain steam until it was pushed by U.S. President Harry S Truman.On November 19, 1945, seven months into his presidency, Truman sent a message to Congress, calling for the creation of a national health insurance fund, open to all Americans. The plan Truman envisioned would provide health coverage to individuals, paying for such typical expenses… Read More

Prevent Osteoporosis with Screenings

September 4, 2018Ed MacConnell

10 Facts About Osteoporosis By Kathleen Hall This silent disease significantly raises your risk for fractures and disability. 1. Losing bone density is a normal part of aging. We reach peak bone mass between ages 25 and 30, and then slowly lose begin to start losing bone mass at age 40. For women, reduced levels of estrogen after menopause accelerate bone density loss. “Women lose 1.5 to 2 percent of their bone density per year in the first 10 years after menopause,” says Laura Ryan, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. 2. You don’t lose… Read More

Confused by Medicare? Learn How Our Approach Leaves You Feeling Confident About Your Choices!

August 23, 2018Ed MacConnell

End of Summer Social Media Drive 2018

August 16, 2018Ed MacConnell

Please help us get the word out on social media in August & September You Could Win a $25-$100 Amazon Gift Card!!! While everyone is getting ready for the End of Season BBQs, gearing up for Back-to-School, and trying to fit in as much adventure as possible the next few weeks, we here at Total Benefit Solutions are getting ready for our busiest time of year: Open Enrollments! Your friends and family members may not be concerned with the open enrollment period.. YET, but it is quickly approaching and we’d like to help them! As always, We appreciate all the referrals and recommendations that we get online from everyone, but we… Read More

New Medicare Card Mailing Update!

August 16, 2018August 16, 2018Ed MacConnell

Check the Status of Your New Card *Cards have finished mailing to American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and to people who get RRB benefits. Three Things To Know Your new card will automatically come to you. You don’t need to do anything as long as your address is up to date. If you need to update your address, visit your My Social Security. Once you get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away. Your new Medicare Number is a unique combination of numbers and letters. Your new number uses numbers 0 thru 9. The letters S, L, O,… Read More

House Passes Legislation to Change HSAs

August 14, 2018Ed MacConnell

The House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation that, among other things, purport to improve and “modernize” health savings accounts (“HSAs”). While the bills call for significant changes to the current rules affecting HSAs, the specific details are very different. Both pieces of legislation have been sent to the Senate for consideration. Whether the Senate will take up these bills, let alone approve them “as is,” remains uncertain. There appears to be some bi-partisan agreement to loosen the current HSA rules, which means it is possible that we may see changes to these arrangements, which could be effective as early as January 1, 2019. When more information is available, we will… Read More

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