Seniors have a variety of health issues to deal with from very simple and easily addressed situations to those that are more complicated and costly. Often, seniors enrolled in Medicare assume that they are covered for certain health issues or procedures and supplies that they are not covered for. 

Especially in light of the current Medicare changes and the resulting situation and confusion these changes have caused, seniors are often unsure of what they are covered for.  Hearing is one of those areas.

Hearing aids are not covered by Medicare.  Original Medicare and basic Medicare Supplemental Plan together cover the cost of a hearing evaluation.  The evaluation is quite extensive and covers exams determining the cause of hearing loss. 

Hearing aids, however, are considered “treatment” and are not covered.  If you have a Medicare Advantage plan you may have some limited coverage of hearing aids.  If you are still partially covered by your employer’s insurance, the hearing aid may be partially covered.  Also, Medicare Advantage will reimburse you from $50 to $300 toward your hearing aid, depending upon which plan you have.  There are also organizations that will help get state assistance to offset part of the cost of your hearing aid.

There are some things you can do to make sure you are paying as little out of your own pocket for a hearing aid as possible.  The first thing is to shop around.  Check various types of hearing aids, see how much they cost and see how well they do for you.  Cost isn’t everything.  Quite often, a less expensive hearing aid will do as well or even better for you than one that is extremely expensive.

You can also contact your local Office on Aging, Department of Rehabilitative Services (DORS), Medicaid office or County Health Department.  Depending upon your income, Medicaid may cover the cost of your hearing aids.  Another reliable source for information is the Hearing Loss Association of America, who can connect you with resources to help with hearing aid information and costs. 

Some legitimate websites to check for funding and financial assistance are: www.icdri.org,  www.hearingloss.org,  www.focusonhearing.org  and  www.listen-up.org.

Every year the Office of the Inspector General inspects the 15,000 nursing homes in the United States.  Every year, some of those nursing homes get low marks, some get average and some do better than others.  This was not your typical year.

This year nearly 95% of nursing homes received violations of various types when they were inspected.  Some typical violations included violations for infected bedsores, charging Medicare for procedures that were not performed and charging Medicare extra for patients who were listed as more critical than they actually were.

In addition to these violations – which are not the most serious – there were other more serious violations which were considered deficiencies that caused actual harm or immediate jeopardy to patients according to the Department of Health and Human Services.  17% of the nursing homes received these violations.  Some of these problems included the infected bedsores, lack of adequate nutrition, medication mix ups and abuse and neglect of patients.

There are usually 3 types of nursing homes.  They are for-profit, non-profit and government owned.  Surprisingly, the for-profit nursing homes received the highest number of violations at 94%.  The non-profits received 88% and the ones owned by the government received 91%.  These are extremely high numbers of violations.

Some violations are generated by complaints.  Inspectors received over 37,000 complaints about issues or conditions in nursing homes last year, and they were able to verify nearly 40%, which is a great many substantiated complaints.  The question that lurks in the back of one’s mind is how many legitimate complaints did not get filed for fear of reprisals, abuse, loss of benefits or other reasons?  Could there be as many or more complaints that are never reported or never heard? 

Regardless, the figures that have been released are critical and sobering.  After all, these are our parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles.  If they are not ours, they are somebody’s.  They are the very most vulnerable among our population and according to these figures nearly 95% of these elderly, vulnerable people in nursing homes are not being cared for adequately, much less respectfully, kindly and decently.

Medicare just put into place new rules governing what they will not pay hospitals for – mainly neglect and mistakes that are the hospital’s fault.  From looking at all the information and figures regarding nursing homes, it sounds like a good idea to do the same to protect seniors so that nursing homes have to do a much better job taking care of them if they want to be paid, as well.

A recent survey by the American Healthcare Insurance Plans discovered how essential Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans are to seniors – especially those with low incomes and also to minorities and rural beneficiaries.

The survey called the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey asked numerous questions trying to determine what worked well for seniors and what didn’t work so well when it came to Medicare benefits.

One of the most important results of the survey was getting information that confirmed the fact that most Medicare Advantage/Medigap participants have household incomes of $20,000 or less, meaning that without the coverage, they would have a very difficult time getting the health services that they need.  The coverage allows them to get more services and also plan better for any future issues.

According to Medicare statistics for 2006, over 30% of Medigap policy holders live in rural areas.  41% of these policy holders have incomes under $20,000 annually, and 2/3 or over 66% of Medigap policy holders have incomes of under $30,000 per year. 

Since over 44 million seniors are enrolled in Medicare, these figures involve millions of seniors who depend on Medicare Advantage/Medigap coverage.  These plans provide lower out of pocket costs and additional benefits.  They also encourage prevention and management of chronic conditions.

Even with some of the financial issues that Medicare has it is essential that the most vulnerable among us – seniors, especially with limited resources – can at least afford the basics.  Those basics absolutely must include healthcare, and Medicare along with Medicare Advantage and other Medicare Supplements takes care of those needs.

 Medicare recipients have been quite worried about what will happen if their premiums go up in 2009.  Because many recipients are on very limited incomes, even the slightest increase could create financial hardships affecting their quality of life.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the premiums for Medicare Part B will not go up next year, for the majority of seniors, which should be a relief to those who have been worrying.  Those whose income is below $85,000 for an individual or $170,000 for a couple will pay the same $96.40 that they paid this year.  This will be the first time in 8 years that the premiums will remain unchanged.

Since premiums are tied to earnings, those in the higher brackets will pay higher premiums than those in the lower brackets.  The deductible for Part A of Medicare, which pays for hospital stays, will increase by $44.00.  This means that if you have Medicare and are in the hospital for 60 days, it will cost you a total of $1,068.00 in 2009.  If you are in the hospital longer, different payment schedules are applied from day 61 through day 90.

In order to offset any additional expenses from day 61 through day 90, it is advisable to protect yourself with a Medicare Supplemental plan.  There are various plans available and you should contact Medicare or CMS to get accurate information.  The plans can be purchased through private insurance companies, however it is important to know what they cover and compare costs before you buy them.  If you purchase Part D from any insurance company the coverage is exactly the same, but one insurance company could charge you twice as much as another.

The outlook for Medicare for the coming year is not bad.  It is important, however, to review your coverage annually and make sure that you have what you need and what you can afford.

To reach Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE or www.medicare.gov.

Most of us aren’t too enthusiastic about marketing calls.  You know, the calls you get during dinner or during your family’s favorite TV show asking if you want to buy this or that or asking if they can have just a “moment” of your time which ends up taking 3 to 5 minutes of you trying to get the solicitor off the phone before you finally just hang up in frustration.

If you are a senior on Medicare, you are probably well aware of those calls, since there are a lot of insurance companies competing for you to purchase Medicare Advantage and other Medicare Supplemental policies with your precious dollars. 

Most recently, lawmakers have been trying to protect seniors from these calls because they are often aggressive and not completely honest.  There are more and more reports of companies strong-arming seniors to try to get them to purchase coverage from them because theirs is “the best” or “covers more” or any of a million other reasons.

This is the truth.  Each Medicare Supplement covers specific things no matter who you purchase it from.  If you purchase Medicare Supplement Plan L, for example (just using this as a letter, not a specific plan), whether you purchase it from company “A” or company “Q” the coverage is exactly the same.  The only difference is often the price.  Company A may charge you half of what Company Q charges for the exact same coverage.  That is why these companies are so aggressive at trying to get you to purchase from them.  They are making money from selling to you.

This is not to say that you should not purchase coverage.  In most cases, you should, and you should compare all the supplements and Medicare Advantage to see what would be the best for your situation.  One of the best ways to do this is to check with an insurance agent that you trust.  You can also check with organizations such as AARP and you can check the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov or www.cms.gov.

The good news out of all of this is that lawmakers have made it harder for insurance companies to pressure you into trying to buy their products.  With Open Enrollment season coming up, your decisions and purchase of any Medicare products and supplements should be much more stress and pressure free. 

One of the most expensive – and unexpected – costs of aging is the possibility of needing Long Term Care in a facility that can help you if you cannot stay home and take care of yourself or if it is impossible for your family to take care of you.  For instance, if you fall and break a leg or a hip and you happen to live on your own, you may need care for weeks or months.  It may be possible for the family to help out in many ways, as well as getting help from friends, neighbors, your church members and others.  However, the bottom line may be that you need more help than they can provide.

Perhaps you need more specialized medical care or physical therapy that would help you heal better and faster.  In many cases it is better for this type of healing to take place in a Long Term Care facility.

The problem is that there is no coverage for this type of facility unless you purchase it.  Long Term Care is an area that is often overlooked because individuals think that they are covered for it when they actually are not.

With the “Baby Boomer” generation getting older, this is something to think carefully about.  We worry about our parents, who could be in a situation where they need Long Term Care, and it is important to help them determine their needs and find appropriate coverage.  After all, if we are in our 50’s or 60’s, they are in their 70’s or 80’s and could very well need coverage before any of us realize it.

It is also essential that if we are Baby Boomers, we should look at our own situation.  Yes, we have all heard that 60 is the new 40, and that is great news, however, whether you are 40, 60 or 80, if you are in an accident of some sort or have a long term illness that requires Long Term Care and ongoing treatment, you need to do some research and find coverage now – while you are healthy.

This is not to say that there is no help available.  Medicaid will cover some nursing home costs; however, the coverage is based on need which basically means that the individual has no assets to liquidate and no money to pay for the expense.  That being said, the time to start looking at the viability of Long Term Care is now.  There are many plans available at affordable rates.  Google “Long Term Care” and start comparing.  Make sure you are ready, just in case.

If you have ever tried to figure out how Medicare works, what the supplements cover and what Medicare Advantage does, you possibly needed a good dose of headache medication when you were finished.  The sad part is that you very possibly did not get any understanding of the information you needed and were more frustrated about the situation than before you started to do your research.

If you have a disability or a pre-existing condition, you have probably found the information regarding Medicare coverage or lack of it even more confusing.

You will be happy to know that there is help available.  An independent company named Allsup has created a Medicare Advisor to help people determine the right coverage for their circumstances – especially if they have disabilities or pre-existing conditions that might not be covered if they chose the wrong supplemental plan.

As mentioned, Allsup is independent.  They do not get paid by insurance companies to try to sell certain products.  What they have created is a system that takes an individual’s health information into consideration along with other factors and eliminates the need for them to spend hours in utter frustration and confusion trying to figure out what coverage will work for them.

In fact, one of the issues that often comes up when individuals are looking at what coverage they need is that the supplement they get – including Medicare Advantage.  They don’t realize that there is a “donut hole” that basically appears once an individual has had claims for $2500 in prescriptions paid.  At that point, they must pay for all prescriptions until they reach a higher amount – in one woman’s case, it would have been $5700.  That is a great deal of money for someone who might have a disability and might be on a limited income.

What Allsup has done with its planning tools is to help people avoid these situations.  First, Allsup helps the individual determine what coverage is available for different disabilities and what coverage they actually need.  Then they work to close the gap.  They will identify Medicare Advantage plans that will cover the medications that the individual needs to the largest extent available, often saving thousands of dollars for people.

This planner from Allsup will be a great help to those who want comprehensive coverage and want to understand their options.

If you are trying to understand the options available to you, especially if you are dealing with pre-existing conditions or a disability, go to www.allsup.com or call 1-866-521-7655.

Lately we have been hearing more and more information regarding Medicare audits and the poor marks that Medicare received for fraud control, oversight and various services that were substandard or too slow.  Most of the low grades that Medicare received were for things that could have been avoided if the proper supervision and care were exercised.

A new report shows yet another area in which Medicare has fallen down on the job.  The truly frustrating part of the most current situation is that this particular audit was done to determine the quality of the very marketing materials that Medicare prepares for seniors to help them determine which benefits – especially prescription drug coverage – will work best for them. 

The audit determined that at least 85% of the marketing materials that Medicare was creating and distributing were done with little or no oversight by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  As a result, the materials do not adhere to government standards and regulations.

Most of the forms, marketing materials and enrollment papers are distributed by the private insurance companies who offer the plans; however, they are supposed to be regulated by CMS.  Because CMS has not been enforcing the regulations, beneficiaries are being put at risk by being given information that is inaccurate and not consistent with guidelines.

Lawmakers have leveled scathing criticism at CMS, and, in particular, the Bush administration for “total disregard for protecting the nation’s seniors.”  The Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General found that Medicare has been lax in too many areas, and this most important area of prescription drug coverage information leaves seniors trying to make critical decisions regarding healthcare coverage without proper information to do so intelligently.

To date, there have been no replacement marketing materials created or distributed.  Audits of Medicare are ongoing.

If you are a senior with questions regarding Medicare or Medicare Prescription Drug Supplemental Coverage, you can contact Medicare directly at www.medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.

Imagine that you are a senior receiving Medicare and Social Security benefits every month.  You rely on these benefits.  These benefits help you with your basic needs and your medical issues.  Barely.

You are notified that you will be receiving a refund from Medicare to offset your payments for your prescription drug premiums.  The notification – if you received it – says that you will receive the money by a certain date.  Some people receiving this payment did not receive a notification but were scheduled to receive the money anyway.

Medicare and Social Security payments are made via direct deposit as much of the time as possible in an effort to avoid fraud, stolen checks and the like.  As a result, you get your bank statement and find the extra $350+ payment has been deposited into your bank account.

Just in case, you call Medicare to be certain that there are no problems, no mistakes and the money is yours to use.  You are told that the money is yours and you should go ahead and use it.  You also call the local Social Security and Medicare office to double check because this extra money worries you a little bit.  They tell you that the money is yours, there was no mistake.  Go ahead and spend it on whatever you want or need to.

Finally, after mulling it over with a lot of hesitation, you go ahead and spend the money on some necessities and a couple of other small items that you have put off purchasing for quite a while.  So far, so good. 

Then the confusion starts.  You didn’t know it – and neither did all of the people you spoke to in order to confirm everything before you spent the money – but there has been a computer error in your state.  The money was actually not supposed to be refunded to you.  As if this was not bad enough, the money is going to be taken back from you, and this will happen by deducting it from your very next Social Security check.  The state tells you that you can request a waiver so that the funds are not collected from your Social Security check, however, the waiver won’t be processed until after the checks are processed, so it is possible that the money will still be taken back out of the next check you are receiving.

This is a true story and it has taken place in Nebraska during the past few weeks and put many seniors into financial hardship.  The state is currently working on the problem with the 9,500 recipients involved.

If you have any problems with Medicare or Social Security payments, contact  Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

This is a great question that has been raised by some lawmakers.  There are several reasons for this idea.

With Health Care Reform such a big issue in the United States, and with lawmakers working to come up with solutions to Medicare problems, there are varied ideas regarding how to work things out so that Medicare is actually doing what it should to support the people depend upon it.  With many of the issues at hand, it is important that all options regarding Medicare and Medicare Supplements be explored.

One issue that has been raised is that Medicare – if developed and run effectively – would not need supplemental policies.  Blake Cummings, who is running for Oklahoma’s U. S.  Representative District 4 seat, has stated that Medicare needs to be “shored up.”  He is not alone in that opinion.  Lawmakers have been working to fix Medicare for years.  There have been many suggestions as to how to do this effectively.

One of the ideas that has come out of some of the Medicare reform efforts to date has been Medicare Advantage, which has addressed some Medicare beneficiaries’ prescription drug needs.  There are other Medicare Supplemental Policies that have been expanded and changed, as well.

The problem is that the Medicare Advantage policy has a “donut hole” which is a financial hole that a senior can fall into and not be able to get back out of.  Basically, it is the point at which prescription drug benefits stop and the senior has to start paying out of their pocket for medication.  It could cost a senior more money than they can afford, thus, putting them in a position where they might have to go without essential medicine.

Cummings says that when a person reaches retirement they should be enrolled in a single payer plan that will cover them for their medical needs without supplements or other coverage.  With all the confusion about Medicare coverage and the supplements that are available, moving to a single plan might not be a bad idea.  After all, wouldn’t that eliminate some of that confusion, and just as importantly, wouldn’t it eliminate much of the cost both to the system and to the beneficiaries? 

This is a good question.  Hopefully Cummings will continue to explore the idea and others will explore it with him.

For years we have heard about the plight of seniors on very meager incomes who have to rely on Medicare and Social Security to survive and who have had to buy second-rate food – or even dog/cat food – so they can eat.

Medicare has been designed to help seniors with their medical expenses, especially prescriptions.  The prescription drug coverage, a supplement to Medicare, is essential to seniors, as much of their ongoing healthcare is dependent on their medication. 

This part of the Medicare coverage available should actually be the easiest to deal with.  No doctor, no hospitals, no tests, just medicine.  However, with the changes to Medicare, especially with Medicare Advantage on the scene, things have gotten somewhat dicey in the area of seniors and prescriptions.

On the surface, Medicare Advantage is a good idea, but once you look into it, there re dangers lurking just a little below the surface.  These dangers can leave seniors extremely vulnerable, because once seniors have reached a particular amount of coverage/paid claims for prescriptions, the bottom drops out.

What happens is that if a senior has a Medicare Advantage plan that pays up to $2500 in prescriptions, once they hit that amount, they must pay for further prescriptions out of their pocket – often to the tune of thousands of dollars.  Once they reach the next plateau, coverage kicks in again.

The problem with this situation is that if a senior on Medicare Advantage has spent the initial allotment of coverage for prescriptions in the month of August, they will be paying for medication out of pocket possibly for the rest of the year.  Many times, the cost of medication is more than their entire Social Security check or entire income that month.

Because of this, too many seniors are simply going without medicine.  Imagine being on insulin or heart medication.  How long could a senior with diabetes or a history of heart disease go without their medication before there are serious complications, or even fatal ones? 

Lawmakers are trying to fix Medicare.  This is one area where they have to pay close attention.  In the meantime, physicians can try to work with their patients on Medicare to prescribe generics – especially those that are $4 on many pharmacy plans – so that seniors don’t have to risk their health and their lives by going without.

The federal government has spent a lot of time and money working to make it easier for individuals to navigate through websites of various agencies such as Social Security, Department of Labor, FEMA and others.  As a result, it has become easier for people to get the information and assistance that they need without having to wait on hold for a long time, listen to a recording or wait for certain forms to arrive in the mail.

The Medicare web site, however, is playing to mixed reviews.  A study was done which reveals that even adults with adequate computer skills have a hard time getting the site to perform certain tasks.  The results of the study will be released in the next Journal of the American Medical Association.

In brief, what the study discovered is that participants had difficulty navigating the site and finding information.  They also had difficulty determining Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) eligibility, choosing a plan and finding out how much it would cost them and determining their eligibility for home health services. 

There were 112 computer literate adults over 50 years of age who participated in the survey.  None of them had any barriers to handling these tasks, such as problems speaking, reading or understanding English, seeing the screen, using the keyboard or using the computer in general.  Nor did they have vision, hearing or mental problems.  They were also comfortable using the internet and websites.

The participants took a survey at the end of the study, and they were allowed to leave comments.  They overwhelmingly said that they used the internet as a reliable source of medical information, however, they did not feel that the Medicare site was user friendly, and they commented that people who were comfortable on a computer would have a more difficult time than those who were part of the study.

Medicare says that they have looked at language, graphics and all of the areas that the study looked at and continually try to improve their site and other information.  They also pointed to the fact that the small study of 112 participants does not negate that over 44 million individuals with Medicare benefits use the web site on a regular basis.

This won’t be the first time you will hear about the confusion that exists regarding Medicare Supplemental Insurance, and it certainly won’t be the last, unfortunately.

The good news is that there are answers to just about all of the questions that come up regarding Medicare Supplemental Insurance, also called Medigap.  The not so good news is that it will take some time, phone calls and research to get those answers.

With some of the changes to Medicare during the past few years, the choices for Medicare Supplements has become different and more complicated than it was before, however, this has been done in the name of providing better coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, and in many cases coverage has improved for seniors using the newer supplements.

There are situations that come up for Medicare recipients that can be difficult and frustrating to figure out.  One example is that of an elderly grandmother who had good coverage under her original Medicare.  Her coverage had covered all of her medical bills including visits to the doctor; however, when she was taken to the doctor recently she was told that the doctor would not see her unless she paid $50 for the visit.  She had not made any changes to her Medicare plans and she and her family were confused about why she had to start paying for doctor visits.

In a scenario like this, there could be a few solutions to the problem.  First, the problem may not be with her Medicare coverage.  It is probable that she had coverage through Medicaid which was paying for what Medicare did not and for some reason something got a bit fouled up.  Checking with her local Department of Social Services or Medicaid office, she should be able to make sure that her Medicaid coverage is in tact, and if it is not, she should be able to fix it or re-apply.  Medicaid is often used as a supplement to pay costs that Medicare does not cover if a person is on a limited income.  If something like this has happened to you, contact your local Medicaid office or Department of Social Services.

In another scenario, a disabled individual was “auto-enrolled” for their Medicare Part D coverage into a plan that will not cover his medications.  His family was confused about what to do.  In this case, the solution was simple.  He is allowed to switch plans to the appropriate coverage by calling Medicare and determining which plan will work for him and making the changes necessary.

Even though dealing with Medicare supplements can be confusing, there are usually answers and solutions that are available.  Some of them take a little more work than others, but asking questions and being persistent will help solve the problem and will usually help you understand your coverage much better.

Medicare and Medicare Supplements, also called Medigap, have a number of parts and they are not always easy to figure out.  In fact, determining how all these parts fit together and what you need for your situation can be totally confusing.  This brief overview will give you information on the basic parts of Medicare and what is covered by them.

Medicare Part A and B make up the original Medicare.  Part A basically covers in-patient services including inpatient rehabilitation and inpatient psychiatric care.
Many of the services are covered completely; others will require a copayment from you.

Part B covers doctor’s services and other outpatient services determined to be “medically necessary” for you.   It also covers certain tests to determine if you have an illness.  There is a deductible, which is $135 for the year 2008, and it also carries some copayments with it.

Medicare Part C is also called Medicare Advantage.  The Medicare Advantage Plans are not part of the actual Medicare system, nor are they run by Medicare.  They are alternatives to Medicare and are run by private companies.  There are a variety of plans that work differently.  Some operate as HMO’s others as Fee for Service plans that allow you to go to any doctor as long as the doctor will accept payment from Medicare as payment in full.  It is essential to research and find out whether the Medicare Advantage Plan you are choosing will actually fit your medical needs.

Part D covers Prescriptions.  These are covered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare.  This coverage is important, and it is urgent to determine what type Part D coverage you need.  You should determine this in advance so that you can enroll immediately when you are eligible.  If not, you will be charged a substantial late fee.  If you enroll in a particular Part D plan and feel it isn’t right for you, every year you will have an opportunity to change between November 15th and December 31st. 
That was the easy part.  Now for the Supplements – the Medigap policies.  There are 12 policies that cover services that are not otherwise covered.  Each supplement is different and covers different things.  In addition, it is possible to purchase these supplements from private insurance companies, get them from you or your spouse’s employer or from various government programs. 

All Medigap Policies are standardized and approved by Medicare.  This means that for policies E on up the alphabet, each lettered plan offers the same coverage no matter what company you purchase it from.  An insurance company can charge you whatever they choose, so compare companies and rates.  Why purchase Part E from a company that charges twice as much as another? 

So, do your research and determine which Medicare Supplemental Insurance is the best for you and find the best price.  If you need information, check the web at www.Medicare.gov.

There have been reports of scam after scam regarding the sale of Medicare Supplemental Insurance plans across the country during the past few years.  It seems that people are coming out of the woodwork to take advantage of the fact that there have been changes and additions in the supplements, confusion about the differences in the supplements and misunderstandings about what is covered by Medicare Advantage vs. the supplements available.

Most recently there is yet another scam taking place.  It has been quite intense – groups of individuals going door-to-door trying to sell senior citizen “bad insurance” that could create a problem for them with their Medicare coverage.  These door-to-door sales people are talking unwary seniors into replacing their current, legitimate supplemental insurance with policies that offer inferior coverage or no coverage at all, leaving them vulnerable to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.

One of the most frustrating and dishonest things is that these door-to-do scamsters are telling unsuspecting seniors that they are from Medicare and/or the Social Security Administration.  It is bad enough to be out doing what they are doing – ripping out good insurance coverage and ripping off seniors – but to represent themselves as working for the federal government agency that is supposed to protect and help seniors and individuals with disabilities, make things so much worse!

These people are not from either agency.  The fact is that as far as officials know, the names of the main two companies that are actually involved in this situation are Ever Care and Bankers’ Casualty and Life.  When seniors have gone to pharmacies to get their prescriptions they have been told that the new insurance isn’t covering them, even though the old insurance did.  So these seniors now have to take money out of their pocket (if they have it) or go without, even though they have paid premiums for what they thought was legitimate supplemental coverage. 

In addition to Ever Care and Bankers’, two other questionable companies are Medicare Complete and Medicare Horizons.  It is important for seniors to deal with local companies, if possible, and seniors are warned not to let anyone into their homes that they don’t know.  Also, it is important that they do not allow themselves to be coerced into purchasing any products or replacing products that they already have – especially without getting a second opinion, just as they would if they were getting a diagnosis or having surgery.

If you are a senior and have been approached by any of these types of scams, it is important that you report it to your local County Council on Aging.