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The Money Maze

Extra Help and Low-Income Subsidy — Medicare assistance programs

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your parent opens a Medicare bill and the numbers make their stomach drop. The copays are too high.

The Money Maze

Medicare and hospice — how the benefit works

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. When your sister says the words "hospice," something in your chest tightens. Hospice sounds like giving

The Money Maze

Medicare Annual Enrollment — when and why to review the plan every year

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your father switched to a Medicare Advantage plan three years ago because the premium was lower than original

The Money Maze

Medicare and hospital readmissions — what happens when they bounce back

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your father came home from the hospital on a Tuesday. On Friday, he's running a fever.

The Money Maze

Appealing a Medicare denial — the process that actually works

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your mother had shoulder surgery. She followed the physical therapy plan. She went to all her appointments. Then

The Money Maze

Medicare and mental health coverage — what's available for depression and dementia

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. My father didn't want to leave his apartment. After my mother died, he stopped calling. He

The Money Maze

Medicare and preventive services — the free screenings worth knowing about

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. Your mother mentions in passing that her knees hurt. Your father says he's "fine, just

The Money Maze

Medicare and home health care — what qualifies and what doesn't

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. When my aunt had a stroke, the hospital discharge planner sat down with my uncle and me and

The Money Maze

Medicare and skilled nursing facility coverage — the 100-day reality

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. My mother had been in the skilled nursing facility for 87 days. She was doing better. The physical

The Money Maze

Medicare and pre-existing conditions — what's covered from day one

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. When my father turned 65, the first thing he asked about was his diabetes. "Will Medicare cover

The Money Maze

What Medicare doesn't cover — the gaps that surprise everyone

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. I got the call from my sister on a Tuesday. Our mother had fallen in the bathroom and

The Money Maze

Late enrollment penalties — the mistake that costs money forever

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances. There's a certain financial mistake that adults make with Medicare, and once it's made,