Senior Care Archives - Premier Insurance Services

Bike Safety Tips for the Summer

WHEN THE weather warms up, people hit the roads and paths on their bikes. But for many people who don't ride often, they may make dangerous mistakes while sharing the road with vehicles. If a vehicle strikes a bicyclist, the ensuing injuries may be severe or potentially fatal. Most car vs. bike accidents happen during the spring and summer so it's good to understand the risks and how to prevent accidents. What bicyclists can do About 75% of bicyclists reported wearing reflective gear at night, and many reported properly following the rules of the road consistently in a survey. Follow…

Six Most Common Errors Medicare Enrollees Make

Mark Kofalt
August 19, 2019
Senior Care

Choosing the right Medicare plan is one of the most important decisions you have to make as a senior. Since there are hundreds of policies to consider when choosing, and an overabundance of information to plow through with each one, most people just get frustrated and guess when they choose a policy. But by taking that approach, they can end up hurting themselves by paying too much for a plan that does not cover their needs. These are the six most common errors to avoid when enrolling in Medicare: Signing up too late or too early The initial enrollment period…

Six Most Common Errors Medicare Enrollees Make

Mark Kofalt
August 5, 2019
Senior Care

Choosing the right Medicare plan is one of the most important decisions you have to make as a senior. Since there are hundreds of policies to consider when choosing, and an overabundance of information to plow through with each one, most people just get frustrated and guess when they choose a policy. But by taking that approach, they can end up hurting themselves by paying too much for a plan that does not cover their needs. These are the six most common errors to avoid when enrolling in Medicare: Signing up too late or too early The initial enrollment period…

Two Popular Medigap Plans Closing to New Beneficiaries in 2020

Mark Kofalt
July 9, 2019
Senior Care

Two of the most generous and popular Medicare supplement (Medigap) plans are getting phased out starting next year, but only to new beneficiaries. Beginning in 2020, plans F and C will no longer be available for those just joining Medicare. Plan F has been the top-selling Medigap plan for years, as it provides the broadest coverage of any of the Medigap plans. While premiums are relatively high, once you are enrolled you won't have to pay anything out of pocket for medical services covered under Medicare. What do Plan F and Plan C cover? The two soon-to-be discontinued plans both…

Helping Your Workers Care for Aging Parents

Mark Kofalt
June 17, 2019
Business / Personal/Family / Senior Care

As the costs of nursing homes and assisted living services soar, the financial burden of paying for those services often falls on the elderly individual's adult children. Many families cannot afford these services, so they are opting for their ageing parent to live with them. Unfortunately, as those parents get older and need more care, it can take a toll on their adult children and has forced many of them to quit their jobs and take care of their parents full time. A recent survey by Unum Insurance Company found that 39% of caregivers end up quitting their jobs to…

Medicare Changes Take Aim at Drug Costs, Push Telemedicine

A series of changes to Medicare programs may lead to lower drug prices for some Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage enrollees, expand services to include transportation and telemedicine, and bring hospice benefits to Medicare Advantage patients. Drug plan changes Under the Part D Payment Modernization initiative, the Center for Medicare Services is revising the way Medicare compensates private insurers, with the intent of increasing competition and creating incentives for companies to lower drug prices and reduce costs for plan enrollees. Under the current system, once a patient's spending reaches the "catastrophic" threshold, Medicare picks up 80% of the cost…