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

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Your New Medicare Card is on the way! Watch out for scams!

Watch out for scams Your new Medicare card is on the way, so if someone calls and says you need to give them your personal information or money to get the new card, hang up! It’s a scam. Medicare will never call uninvited and ask for personal information or money for you to get your new Medicare Number and card. Learn what to do if you get a suspicious call like this. If you haven’t gotten your new Medicare card yet, don’t worry. Mailing cards to each group of states takes at least a month, so you might get your card at a different time than friends or neighbors in your area.… Read More

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Can I Work and Have Medicare?

Some individuals, maybe even you, will still be actively employed upon becoming eligible for Medicare. Can you enroll in Medicare while you’re still in the work force, and if not, will you get a penalty? If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, you’ll probably want to enroll in Parts A, B, and D upon becoming eligible for them. In this situation, Medicare usually becomes your primary coverage. If the employer has 20 employees or more, you may want to delay Parts A, B, and/or D if you have sufficient group coverage and know you won’t incur late enrollment penalties. Medicare usually pays second to group coverage from larger employers.… Read More

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Take Advantage of Medicare’s Free Preventive Services

  Many seniors are unaware that preventive tests, screenings and counseling sessions are now available for free, with no copays or deductibles, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. More than 60 million people took advantage of these services, at no cost to themselves, during the first three years after the services became free in 2011, according to government reports. Click the link below to download a list from Medicare for Dummies of Medicare preventative services. Medicares-preventive-services-chart13   Questions about Medicare eligibility, open enrollment, supplements, health plans or PDP drug cards? Total Benefit Solutions, Inc.  has a dedicated team of Medicare health plan professionals who are trained, annually re-certified, licensed and… Read More

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Fraud, Waste & Abuse-Did You Know?

Fraud, Waste & Abuse: did you know? As a nation, we spend over $2.7 trillion on healthcare every year, and it is estimated that tens of billions are lost each year to FWA.  One recent study estimated that fraud and abuse added as much as $98 billion to annual spending on Medicare and Medicaid. It affects not only the cost but quality of care received. Combating healthcare fraud in Medicare and Medicaid is an important priority for the Federal Government. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Federal agency responsible for administering these programs, takes its role in leading anti-fraud efforts very seriously and has issued strict requirements… Read More

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If an employee turns age 65 this month and enrolls in Medicare Part A, can he still receive/contribute funds into an HSA?

Question: If an employee turns age 65 this month and enrolls in Medicare Part A, can he still receive/contribute funds into an HSA until the end of the year or must he enroll in a different plan now? Answer: If an employee is enrolled in Medicare, then beginning with the first month the employee is enrolled in Medicare, he can no longer contribute to the health savings account (HSA). However, the money that is already there is still his. Note that whether or not the employee is eligible to make new HSA contributions, existing HSA account funds are not affected. Even if the employee is no longer HSA-eligible, he or… Read More

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Third Annual National Medicare Education Week Offers Help Before Open Enrollment Period

Educational events and online resources to help baby boomers, Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers learn more about Medicare MINNETONKA, Minn. (Sep. 08, 2014) —  The third annual National Medicare Education Week begins Monday, Sept. 15, exactly one month before the start of Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment Period (Oct. 15-Dec. 7). The observance was created to help people learn more about Medicare. Since National Medicare Education Week began in 2012, thousands of people have participated in educational events during the week in more than 60 cities across the country. This year, National Medicare Education Week events will be held for the first time in Boston, Salt Lake City and Richmond, Virginia; a… Read More

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2014 Updated Medicare Deductibles & Official Medigap Handbook

  Click the link below to download an updated sheet with the Medicare deductibles for 2014. Download also includes the official CMS Handbook Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare. Click this link to download: BA9917ST (04-13)_lo res

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IBC: Medicare as Secondary Payer

Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) requirements determine when Medicare is the primary insurance payer. If your company has 19 or fewer full- and part-time employees, Medicare is almost always primary. If your company is larger, various rules apply to determine whether your group plan is the primary or secondary payer. MSP requirements also apply for Medicare-eligible employees who are disabled or have endstage renal disease. The following information provides a summary of the MSP requirements. This information may help you to correctly target benefits for your Medicare-eligible participants and avoid potentially costly penalties and litigation. You should, of course, also refer to the actual laws and regulations with the assistance of your own legal counsel. Click… Read More

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