Senior Sunrise

Medicare, though beneficial for many elderly Americans, is often difficult to manage. Getting familiar with Medicare Parts A and B will help you or your elderly loved one in the long run. Part A covers hospital insurance, including hospital stays, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and home health care. If you receive benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board you automatically receive Parts A and B the first day of the month you turn 65.

Part B of the senior health insurance covers medically necessary doctor services, tests, outpatient care, home health services, durable medical equipment, and most preventative health services. Working older adults who are not receiving Social Security can still enroll in Parts A and B. People who opt out of Part B when they’re first eligible may enroll later, but will have to pay a late fee, unless they fit conditions relating to special enrollment.

Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid program. This is a public health insurance program which provides needed health care services for low-income individuals including families with children, seniors, persons with disabilities, foster care, pregnant women, and low income people with specific diseases such as tuberculosis, breast cancer or HIV/AIDS.  Medi-Cal is financed equally by the State and federal government.

Change in California State Law for Medi-Cal Benefits

Due to a recent change in state law, the Department of Health Care Services will no longer pay for some Medi-Cal benefits for most adults ages 21 and older.  This change of law goes into effect on July 1, 2009.

Availability of the following Medi-Cal benefits has changed for adults: dental services, acupuncture services, audiology services, speech therapy services, chiropractic services, optometric and optician services, podiatric services, psychology services, and incontinence creams and washes.  All other Medi-Cal services will remain unchanged at this time.

The following Medi-Cal beneficiaries will continue to receive these benefits:

• If you or a family member qualify for Medi-Cal services and are under 21 years of age, or reside in a nursing facility, your benefits and services will not change.
• If you are pregnant, you will continue to receive pregnancy-related services, and services for the treatment of other conditions that might complicate the pregnancy.

In May and June 2009, the Department of Health Care Services will provide additional information directly to health care providers and Medi-Cal beneficiaries and will notify many other interested parties.  Information on the Department of Health Care Services website will be updated as it comes available, and updated information will also be placed on the Medi-Cal website at http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov

Quoted from:

http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/ChangeinCaliforniaStateLawforMedi-CalBenefits.aspx

How many times have you, your family or friends sat and discussed the benefits offered by Medicare?  I know that I have conversations about Medicare on a weekly basis.  I don’t work for Medicare, but I find myself visiting their website, and looking for the answer to my questions or others’ questions quite frequently.  Well, in my weekly visit to the government website I located a page that took my breathe away.  If you can’t find your question answered on one of the 29 pages of FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) I’d be very surprised.

The link below will immediately redirect you. I wish you happy reading, and successful hunt through the 577 questions regarding Medicare coverages.

Medicare Frequently Asked Questions 

Everybody should have health insurance because you will never know when you will be hospitalized or when you will need constant medication.  It might be easy for younger people to get health insurance because they are still healthy.  But the elderly might not have the same coverage as their younger counterparts.

They should get senior health insurance that will have wider coverage.  The elderly will require a lot more health coverage because they are at that stage in their lives where diseases, illnesses and other health issues arise.  Some might even require prolonged hospitalization that will cost a lot of money.  And they will need more medicines to maintain their good health.  They won’t be able to afford their medical bills without health insurance.