If you have prescription drug coverage through a Medicare Part D plan, you need to know about the coverage gap, also called a donut hole. Most people never reach this gap phase, but it’s still good to know about it so you aren’t blindsided by the costs if you do. ...
medicare
You Have Until March 31, 2022 to Change Your Medicare Advantage Plan
If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Advantage Drug Plan and aren’t happy, you can make a change between January 1 - March 31, 2022. This special enrollment period is only for people who enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in 2022 What Can I Do...
Confused by all the Medicare Coverage Options?
Medicare Open Enrollment began October 15 and ends December 7, 2021. Many of my family members are covered by Medicare, and like a lot of you, they are confused by all of the options Medicare offers. The mail they get with plan information overwhelms them. They...
Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement
Every year, Medicare-eligible beneficiaries have to decide whether or not to go with a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement policy; the two most commonly used options to replace or supplement Original Medicare. Everyone’s health needs are unique, including...
6 Reasons to Review Your Medicare Coverage During Open Enrollment
Medicare’s open enrollment period runs from October 15 – December 7. There are a lot of things you can do now that you can’t do any other time of the year. You can: Move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.Move from a Medicare Advantage Plan back...
AMERICAN EXCHANGE Sponsoring the Heroes Outpost at RSM Classic PGA Tournament
American Exchange is proud to be a sponsor of the Heroes Outpost at the 2021 RSM Classic being held from November 15th through November 21st. As a thank you to all of the local healthcare heroes, frontlines, and military we are giving away FREE TICKETS to this event,...
Are You Equipped for the New Normal in Healthcare?
The new normal is emerging with the passing of each wave of Covid-19 spikes. This new scenario is one where employers are having difficulty finding employees, high rates of employee and administrative burnout, and maintaining health care practices are becoming more...
CONNECTING LGBTQ+ INDIVIDUALS WITH INCLUSIVE HEALTH BENEFITS: PART 3
Part 1 of this series discussed the cost and discriminatory issues members of the LGBTQ+ community face when trying to seek healthcare services. Part 2 provided an overview of how American Exchange helps members of the LGBTQ+ community find the right Federal...
Biden’s Proposed 2022 Budget Would Strengthen Healthcare Programs
Healthcare is a major focus of President Biden’s proposed $6 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2022. The funding request includes a 23.4% increase in the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget, raising it to 133.7 billion. Numerous other agencies and programs...
More COVID Funding a Much-Needed Shot in the Arm for Rural Communities
COVID cases and deaths are declining across the US, leading more states to open back up. But experts fear that COVID clusters, like those in North Carolina and Hawaii will occur, especially in rural counties where vaccination rates are lower (38.9%) than in urban...
Providers Can Get Reimbursed for COVID Vaccine Administration Costs Not Covered by Insurance
Healthcare providers, pharmacies, and mass immunizers can now recoup administration costs for COVID-19 vaccines given to underinsured patients whose plans do not cover administrative costs or that require some sort of cost-sharing, according to a May 3rd announcement...
HIV Cases Among Intravenous Drug Users Increase During COVID Epidemic Part 2: Comorbidities
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the rise in the number of HIV-reported cases among people who inject drugs. In this blog, we’ll look at how the increase in substance abuse could lead to the further spread of HIV and the impact of intravenous drug use on overall...
SEP Navigators Support Affordable Access to Care in Medicaid Restricted Markets
There has been a substantial increase in the number of individuals signing up for health insurance when compared to the previous years. Over 528,000 Americans signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act from the start of the 2021 Special...
HIV Cases Among Intravenous Drug Users Increase During COVID Epidemic: Part 1
The CDC estimated that at the end of 2018, 1.2 million Americans were living with HIV; 186,500 of those cases were a result of intravenous drug use (HIV Surveillance Report, 2020). This is a growing trend, as 2,492 newly diagnosed HIV cases were reported among people...
Expanding the Use of Nurse Practitioners in Illinois and Other States
What is the problem? Since the onset of Covid-19, there has been a shortage of primary care physicians nationally. Keeping consumers healthy is extremely important and that means maintaining primary care. Over the years, studies have shown that maintaining...
Confused by all the Medicare Coverage Options?
I have a lot of family members who are on Medicare, and my phone is already starting to ring as Open Enrollment, which runs from October 15-December 7, 2020, is getting underway. They, like many people, are confused by all of the options Medicare offers. Someone new...
Pandemic Scammers Prey on Medicare and Medicaid Recipients
As if 2020 has not been stressful enough, now scammers are using the COVID-19 pandemic to prey on Medicare and Medicaid recipients by promising free care to their patients in order to gain their personal and health information, including their dates of birth, social...
Medicare Coverage Gap
Whether you have a Part D Prescription Drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan, you have surely heard of the coverage gap or donut hole. If you are very lucky, it hasn’t affected you much, but for a lot of Medicare enrollees, the coverage gap can be very scary....
What Benefits are Covered by Medicare
"Medicare Benefits" is health insurance for people generally for those on disability or age 65 and older. There are four parts of Medicare and each part covers certain benefits. They are labeled as Parts A, B, C, and D. Part A and Part B together are...
ACA Sign-ups Rise, Medicare Payments Decline
As hospitals face decreasing Medicare reimbursement, enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans continues to rise. As part of the ACA, hospitals face reductions in Medicare reimbursement rates for excessive readmission, non-participation in reporting of quality data, and...