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The Affordable Care Act Expands Prevention Coverage for Seniors
What the ACA means for Medicare recipients
The Affordable Care Act—the health insurance reform legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010—will help make prevention affordable and accessible for all Americans, including those enrolled in Medicare. -
Presidential Proclamation on the 45th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid
“No American should be one illness away from financial ruin.”
When President Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law on July 30, 1965, millions of Americans and about half our nation's seniors lacked health care coverage, unable to afford basic health care services or weather a medical emergency. -
Medicare Glossary
Help is just a couple of mouse clicks away . . .
For those new to Medicare, it's easy to become confused by all the strange terms, initialisms, and acronyms. If that's the case for you, just visit the government's online Medicare Glossary for answers. -
Health Care Reform: Not Ready to Be Discharged Yet
Implications are myriad and poorly understood
America's health care reform may be out of the ER, but its prognosis remains sketchy. Passage of the historic 2,400-page legislation by no means ended the debate, say Wharton experts. It just splintered one massive question mark into many large new ones. -
The Sticky Business of Life Settlements
Policies are “banking on another person’s early demise”
A life settlement is the sale of an existing life insurance policy to a third party. The buyer (or investor) continues the premium payments and collects upon the seller’s death. How much depends on the life expectancy of the insured: the sooner the seller dies, the more the investor makes. The Washington Post calls these “ghoulish products.” -
Seven Ways to Keep Health Coverage If You Lose Your Job
No need to panic
The experts at the National Center for Policy Analysis suggest these options to consider as soon as possible after getting pink-slipped. -
Medicare Basics in an Easy-to-Read Format
Get up to speed fast
The NIH Web site for seniors offers a great primer on medical and hospital benefits, enrollment, billing, prescription drug costs, and home health care—and helps caregivers find answers to questions. -
Social Security and Medicare: Trying to Tackle Two 800-pound Gorillas
Behind the 8 ball
Looming shortfalls in Medicare and Social Security are what could ultimately sink efforts to revive the sagging U.S. economy. -
Medicare Buy-in Debate Is About to Take Off
Proposal from Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
If you’re in the 55-64 age group and can’t afford health insurance, the buy-in may be your ticket to future coverage. -
Why Consumers -- Not Companies -- Should Make Health Care Decisions
All the wrong objectives
The United States doesn't actually have a health care system. We have a lot of different systems that are glued together. Because we don't have a system, we have the wrong objectives. -
Nationwide, Services for Seniors Face Changes
New report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Services that help seniors stay independent are being slashed or coming with a steeper price tag. -
Even Insured Cancer Patients Face Heavy Burden
The insurance system often fails—right when it’s needed
A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Cancer Society finds that paying for life-saving care straps even those with coverage. -
Essential Facts About Medicare You May Not Know
Many new retirees confused about health insurance options
As the first waves of baby boomers start becoming eligible for Medicare, it’s time to understand what this government health coverage is all about. -
Impact of Medicare’s “Doughnut Hole” Is Significant
Fourteen percent of Medicare Part D enrollees hit the “doughnut hole” in the program’s first full year. -
Lower Medicare Part D Costs Than Expected in 2009
Beneficiary satisfaction remains high
Good news expected for Medicare’s Part D prescription drug program in 2009.



