Fight health care fraud: guard your Medicare number!

The next Medicare Open Enrollment season (October 15 to December 7) is almost here, which means fraudsters and identity thieves will increase their efforts to get and abuse Medicare numbers from people like you.

Fortunately, there are many measures you can take to fight health care fraud:

• Guard your Medicare number. Protect it the same way you do for your credit card numbers. Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare number or other personal information. Don’t share your Medicare number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email or by approaching you in person, unless you’ve given them permission in advance.
• Don’t ever let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare number.
• If you’re looking to enroll in a Medicare plan, be suspicious of anyone who pressures you to act now for the best deal. There are no “early bird discounts” or “limited time offers”. Any offer that sounds too good to be true probably is.
• Be skeptical of free gifts and free medical services. A common ploy of identity thieves is to say they can send you your free gift right away—they just need your Medicare number to confirm. Decline politely but firmly. Remember, it’s not rude to be shrewd!
• Do your part to protect your friends and neighbors: remind them to guard their Medicare numbers, too.
• Check your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) to make sure you and Medicare are only being charged for services you actually had. Instead of waiting for the MSN, which comes in the mail every 3 months, you can access your Original Medicare claims at MyMedicare.gov. You’ll usually be able to see a claim within 24 hours after Medicare processes it.

You can report suspected fraud by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. To learn more about how to protect yourself from health care fraud, visit Medicare.gov or contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). To find the SMP in your state, go to the SMP Locator at Smpresource.org.

(972) 896-3851

robin@crusoninsurance.com

www.crusoninsurance.com

Independent Broker with your best interests in mind.  I work for you and not one specific insurance carrier.  I will find a plan that best suits your needs both medically and financially so you can make an informed decision.  Contact me TODAY!  I CAN help!

Posted by Medicare Made Clear

A 16% increase set the base Medicare Part B premium at $121.80 a month for 2016. That’s much less than the 52% hike that many feared. But most Medicare beneficiaries will pay the same amount in 2016 as they did in 2015–$104.90 a month. How can this be?

Hold Harmless Rule Holds 2016 Part B Premium Down for Most

The hold harmless rule states that the Part B premium increase in a given year can’t be more than the Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) adds to your check.

There is no Social Security COLA for 2016. This means that the Part B premium amount cannot go up at all for beneficiaries who are “held harmless.” Their monthly 2016 Part B premium will stay flat at $104.90. This applies to most Medicare beneficiaries who have their Part B premium deducted from their monthly Social Security checks.

2016 Part B Premium Increases for Some

By law, the premiums paid by Medicare beneficiaries must cover 25% of expected Part B costs for the year. Medicare costs are projected to go up in 2016. The hold harmless rule effectively shifts the cost increase to beneficiaries who are not protected by it. This includes you if:

• You are not collecting Social Security benefits.
• You enroll in Part B for the first time in 2016.
• You pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount.
• You are dual eligible and get both Medicare and Medicaid benefits. (Your state Medicaid program will bear the cost increase.)

The 2016 Part B premium is $121.80 a month for most people in the not-held-harmless group. It could be as high as $389.80 for those who pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount.

Federal Funds Help Bridge Gap

A federal budget agreement succeeded in keeping the 2016 Part B premium increase down to 16%. This is a relief for many who were facing the possibility of a much larger premium hike. But the budget agreement does not erase the fact that Medicare costs are expected to rise.

A transfer of federal funds will bridge the gap between the 16% premium increase and the actual amount needed to cover beneficiaries’ share of the projected Medicare Part B costs.

The funds will be repaid over time, starting with a $3.00 surcharge included in the 2016 premium increase for those not held harmless. The surcharge is expected to be added to the Part B premium for all beneficiaries starting in 2017.

Related Content

Medicare Part B Enrollment Forms and Resources at Your Fingertips

Part B Late Penalties Could Cost You Big Time

For more information, explore MedicareMadeClear.com or contact the Medicare helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048.  Please contact Cruson Insurance Agency here, or call (972) 896-3851, to speak with a Licensed Insurance Broker to help you get the answers you need about Medicare.  Thank you!

(972) 896-3851

robin@crusoninsurance.com

www.crusoninsurance.com

Independent Broker with your best interests in mind.  I work for you and not one specific insurance carrier.  I will find a plan that best suits your needs both medically and financially so you can make an informed decision.  Contact me TODAY!  I CAN help!

It’s that time of year again—flu season! But if you get sick, think twice before going to your doctor for antibiotics. If you get a cold or flu, antibiotics won’t help. That’s because these are viral infections, and antibiotics only cure bacterial infections. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them can be harmful. Every time you take antibiotics, they kill sensitive bacteria, but resistant germs may survive to grow and multiply. These resistant germs can lead to severe infections, hospitalizations, and death—especially among people over 65.

The CDC has marked this week as Get Smart About Antibiotics Week. Here are 3 things you can do to make sure you’re using antibiotics the right way:

1. Take antibiotics only to treat true bacterial infections. It should be for only as long as your doctor prescribed to treat the infection, to reduce your risk of getting the infection again, or to reduce the risk to those around you.
2. Always talk to your doctor before taking an antibiotic to be sure it will treat the infection you have.
3. Never take antibiotics for a viral infection, like a cold, cough, or flu. Antibiotics won’t cure your virus, they won’t keep those around you from getting sick, and they won’t help you feel better. In fact, taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do you more harm than good, because you increase your risk of getting an antibiotic-resistant infection later.

Antibiotics won’t help you recover from the flu, but you can keep yourself from catching the major flu viruses in the first place by getting your flu shot! It’s free for people with Medicare, once per flu season when given by doctors or other health care providers (like senior centers and pharmacies) that take Medicare.

(972) 896-3851

robin@crusoninsurance.com

www.crusoninsurance.com

Independent Broker with your best interests in mind.  I work for you and not one specific insurance carrier.  I will find a plan that best suits your needs both medically and financially so you can make an informed decision.  Contact me TODAY!  I CAN help!

Diabetes affects 22 million people in the U.S.—are you one of them? Tuesday, March 22 is American Diabetes Association Alert Day, and it’s a great time to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if you’re at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a disease where blood glucose levels are higher than normal. Type 2 diabetes develops most often in middle-aged and older adults.

Many people with diabetes don’t know that they have it, but Medicare covers screening tests so you can find out if you do.

If you have diabetes, Medicare covers many of your supplies, including insulin, test strips, monitors,lancets and control solutions. In some cases, Medicare also covers therapeutic shoes if you have diabetic foot problems. You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for these supplies.

Medicare also covers diabetes self-management training to help you learn how to better manage your diabetes. You can learn how to monitor your blood sugar, control your diet, exercise, and manage your prescriptions. Talk to your doctor about how this training can help you stay healthy and avoid serious complications.

Take control of your health—talk to your doctor today about screening tests and what supplies and training may help you stay healthy.

(972) 896-3851

robin@crusoninsurance.com

www.crusoninsurance.com

Independent Broker with your best interests in mind.  I work for you and not one specific insurance carrier.  I will find a plan that best suits your needs both medically and financially so you can make an informed decision.  Contact me TODAY!  I CAN help!

Have you ever had an injury from a fall or another kind of an accident? Each year, accidents like falls result in at least 6 million medically-treated injuries and more than 30,000 deaths. Many of these unintentional injuries happen to older Americans.

Every May, we recognize older Americans for their contributions and demonstrate our nation’s commitment to helping them stay healthy and active.  This year, our theme is “Safe Today. Healthy Tomorrow.”  We want to help you learn about safety and injury prevention so that you can protect yourself and remain active and independent for as long as possible.

Here are 5 things you can do to be safe today:

1. Talk to your doctor about activities that are appropriate for you.
2. Manage your medications.
3. Prevent falls.
4. Prevent fires and burns.
5. Drive wisely.

Learn more about these 5 safety tips so that you’ll be healthy tomorrow. You can also visit www.eldercare.gov to get information about services for older Americans in your area.

(972) 896-3851

robin@crusoninsurance.com

www.crusoninsurance.com

Independent Broker with your best interests in mind.  I work for you and not one specific insurance carrier.  I will find a plan that best suits your needs both medically and financially so you can make an informed decision.  Contact me TODAY!  I CAN help!