Clinical Trials and Medicare
Toni: I will turn 65 in May and am currently covered by my wife’s employer group health insurance. Currently, I am fighting stage 3 cancer of the kidney and the prognosis is good because I am participating in a clinical trial for a new cancer medication which costs over $18,000 per month. With this clinical […]
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Can COBRA Cause A Medicare Part B Penalty?
Dear Toni: I lost my job July 2017. My wife and I have enrolled in Medicare Part B in January 2019 since COBRA’s almost over…Now I am finding out that there will be a penalty for us not enrolling when we should have. I have never received a Medicare & You handbook to know how or […]
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Concerned about Medicare Supplement Plan F Going Away in 2020?
Morning Toni: I am concerned about the difference in premiums between many of the Medicare Supplement plans and companies and it seems that plan F is considerably higher in monthly premium than Plan G. My husband, Joe enrolled in Plan F a few years ago and I’m concerned that his Medicare Supplement Plan F premium […]
read moreShould I Enroll in Medicare Part A When Turning 65?
Ms. Toni: I believe I have received wrong information from my friends who suggested that I enroll in Medicare Part A which I did by going online and delaying my Medicare Part b for a later date. Now I have a problem. I own a small law firm with a small group plan of 2 […]
read moreReader Alert…Medicare’s New Online Application Confuses Those Turning 65
Hi Toni: I am turning 65 in March and called Social Security for help with enrolling in Medicare. I was surprised when Social Security told me to go online to sign up. They did not want me to go to the Social Security office to sign up and that I now need to start a […]
read moreEnrolling in Medicare Online Can Be Confusing
Toni: Last week, you wrote about how to apply for Medicare online by having to start a “My Social Security” account. I had no problem opening the “My Social Security” account and answering the credit questions because I knew those answers. When it came to fill out the application for Medicare that was another story. […]
read moreYou Saved How Much With GoodRX?
Toni: I am a weekly follower of your Toni Says® Medicare column and would like to let your readers in on a wonderful experience I had regarding saving serious dollars on an expensive generic prescription. I recently received a generic prescription for my Parkinson’s disease. When I went to my Plan D preferred Walgreens pharmacy […]
read moreDoes Medicare Cover House Call Doctors?
Ms. Toni: My 86-year-old mother with Alzheimer’s needs 24-hour care and lives in a local personal care home. She is enrolled in a Medicare Advantage HMO and taking her to the doctor is quite an ordeal. Friends have suggested that I disenroll my mother from this HMO and return her to Medicare, then use a […]
read moreFrequently Asked Questions About Transitioning Into Medicare…
Hello Toni: You have been referred to me as a resource that can answer some of the questions I have about Medicare. I am turning 65 this December and have not received anything in the mail regarding what I need to do to begin Medicare? Like many in the Houston area, I have recently lost […]
read moreJust Released…. 2019 Medicare Premiums & Deductibles
Hello, Toni: I have recently enrolled in Medicare and have received my first Medicare and You handbook for 2019. Do you have any idea what the new Medicare costs will be? I didn’t see anything in the handbook. Thank You, Sandy from Sun City, CA Hello, Sandy: Every year the Medicare and You handbook […]
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