Your Vote Matters ~ Resources to Ensure Older Adults & People with Disabilities Can Vote
Read moreWith a critical election coming up on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, it’s important that each person has the opportunity to vote and that each vote is counted. The COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires can create potential legal and logistical barriers for people getting their votes cast. Below is a helpful list of resources put together...
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Problems Arising with Medicare Plan Finder Giving Inaccurate Information
Read moreMedicare beneficiaries across the country are in the midst of navigating their health care coverage options for 2021. Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment, which is from Oct 15 – Dec 7, is in full swing, and is the main time each year that beneficiaries can return to Original Medicare or change their Medicare Advantage and/or...
Medicare’s Open Enrollment is Happening Now ~ Review Your Options for 2021
Read moreMedicare’s Fall Open Enrollment, officially known as the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is happening now. It runs from October 15 – December 7, and is the time beneficiaries can change their Medicare health plan and Part D coverage and/or return to Original Medicare. Coverage changes become effective January 1, 2021. It’s an important time...
Medicare Open Enrollment is Coming! Know the Do’s & Don’ts of Medicare Advantage Plan Marketing
Read moreMedicare’s Annual Open Enrollment begins October 15, and with it beneficiaries will once again be faced with a dizzying array of coverage options. Should I stay in Original Medicare with a Medigap policy to supplement my coverage, an option that allows me to see any doctor or use any facility that accepts Medicare? Or...
California’s Public Health Emergency Due to Wildfires Brings Extra Medicare Protections & Support
Read moreLate last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) declared a public health emergency (PHE) in California due to the unprecedented wildfires. And with that declaration, CMS has taken several actions to help ensure that amidst all the challenge, stress and loss with the wildfires, beneficiaries don’t have to worry about their...
Help Us Assist People in Getting the Right Medicare Coverage for Them
Read moreMedicare’s Open Enrollment Period is only one month away. Once again beneficiaries will be faced with many choices. Whether to stay in Original Medicare or join a Medicare Advantage plan? Whether to switch MA plans, or to return to Original Medicare and buy a supplement plan? The options can be overwhelming and confusing. We...
Need Help Understanding Medicare Benefits & COVID-19? HICAP Is Here to Help
Read moreDo you or someone you know need help in understanding Medicare benefits and COVID-19? Or, help with eliminating a Medi-Cal Share of Cost? Or are you new to Medicare? If so, our partners at the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) are open and here to help with your Medicare, Medi-Cal and other...
New Resource Helps Ensure Californians Released from Prison Get Their Medicare & Medi-Cal
Read moreDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, state prisons are releasing some inmates early. Securing health care is one of the many challenges former inmates face when re-establishing their lives in their communities. For this reason, our partners at Justice in Aging created a new guide for advocates to help formerly incarcerated people who are 65...
You Can Now Sign Up for Medicare Part B Online, by Fax or Mail
Read moreEarlier this spring during the COVID-19 pandemic, we highlighted the need for a change in Medicare’s enrollment process. Many working older adults who had delayed their enrollment in Medicare Part B were either loosing or quitting their jobs to stay safe during the pandemic. Yet, with most Social Security offices closed due to COVID-19,...
Watch Out for Inappropriate Denials of Home Health Coverage for “Lack of Improvement”
Read moreBe alert for inappropriate denials of Medicare home health coverage based on lack of improvement or on “stability” – particularly for individuals with chronic conditions. The Jimmo vs. Sebelius settlement requires Medicare coverage determinations to be based on individuals’ need for skilled care, not on their potential for improvement or on their stability. Skilled...