Medicare Coverage of Counseling and Mental Health Services   Caring for your mental well-being is just as important as taking care of your physical health. As you get older, you might feel sad or frustrated sometimes, especially when you have health problems. However, if you’re feeling persistently sad or anxious or having thoughts of suicide, your doctor can be a good resource for helping you get the care you need. Medicare covers many mental health services to ...
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How Your Income May Affect Your Medicare Costs The federal Medicare program has costs that come with it. There may be premiums, copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles associated with Medicare Part A, Part B, and the optional Part D (prescription drug coverage). If your income is below certain limits, you might qualify for programs that reduce your Medicare costs. On the other hand, if your income is higher than a certain level, you might have to pay a higher Medicare Part B premium...
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An In-Depth Look at Medicare Costs for 2016   Health-care expenses are some of the major financial obligations that you may have to deal with each year, so it may be important for you to figure out how much you’ll have to spend on Medicare premiums, deductibles, and other costs. Here’s a look at the main out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare in 2016. Costs for Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) Original Medicare encom...
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Late-Enrollment Penalties for Medicare Part A, Part B, and Part D   Medicare coverage comes in multiple “parts,” such as Medicare Part A (hospital coverage), Part B (medical coverage), and Part D (prescription drug coverage). Each of these parts of Medicare may have late-enrollment penalties if you don’t sign ...
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Medicare Claims and Reimbursement   In most cases, you won’t have to worry about filing Medicare claims. Here are some situations where you might or might not need to get involved in the claim process. If you have Original Medicare, Part A and/or Part B, your doctor and supplier are required to file Medicare claims for covered services and supplies you receive. If your doctor or the supplier doesn’t file a claim, you can call Medicare at ...
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Does Medicare Cover Vision Benefits?   If you’re a Medicare beneficiary looking for Medicare coverage of routine eye exams or glasses, don’t look to Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, for these benefits in most situations. Original Medicare doesn’t cover routine vision care. Medicare Part A typically covers vision care only in circumstances where so...
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Medicare and Nursing Home Care   Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care per benefit period when the stay is medically necessary and follows a qualifying three-day inpatient hospital stay. Keep in mind that this is different from nursing home care that is considered custodial care, where a person is assisted with daily tasks such as dressing and bath...
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What to Do If You’re on Medicare and Need a Hearing Aid   Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, doesn’t cover routine hearing exams, hearing aids, or exams to get fitted for hearing aids. However, Medicare Part B may cover a diagnostic hearing test to determine hearing loss and decide if you need further treatment. In this case, you would pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount (subject to the Medicare Part B ...
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Medicare Coverage for Diabetes Services and Supplies   Diabetes is a condition where your body lacks the ability to use blood glucose (blood sugar) for energy, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). As a result, diabetics may have high blood glucose levels. In diabetics, the pancreas typically doesn’t make or use the insulin hormone efficiently. Your body uses insulin to turn sugar (glucose) into energy. Unused sugar can build u...
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Medicare and Dental Coverage   Aside from a few exceptions, dental expenses are excluded from Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, coverage. This includes most routine dental services and items such as: Oral exams Routine cleanings Fillings Crowns Bridges Extractions Dental implants Dental appliances, including dentures, retainers, and dental plates However,...
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