The Bush Administration is proposing regulations to blunt inappropriately aggressive marketing of private Medicare insurance plans. The new rules would outlaw unsolicited visits and phone calls to beneficiaries and regulate commissions paid to sales agents. About 55 percent of Medicare recipients also subscribe to supplemental private plans such as Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans. Consumer [...] [...more]
File this under “thanks for nothing.” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt admits Medicare is heading toward an implosion, but admits it’s too late for the Bush Administration to do anything about it. Via Reuters: . . . the next administration will have to act to stop rising costs and get control of [...] [...more]
Most baby boomers don’t understand the basics of Medicare, according to a survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Investment News reports that 66 percent of boomer respondents said they were “not very familiar” or “not at all familiar” with the plan’s options, such as Part B, which covers some medical costs, [...] [...more]
Have you heard this year’s presidential candidates debate the Retirement Health Care Tax? No? Probably because there is no official tax with that name. But it’s out there, just the same. The Retirement Health Care Tax is a collection of expenses you’ll pay for health care after age 65. And it should be a topic within [...] [...more]
My recent columns on retiree health care and the timing of taking Social Security benefits prompted a number of questions from readers worried about insurance options for the pre-Medicare crowd, and the mechanics of Social Security. I went back to the experts on both of these topics to get the answers. Q: You wrote that pre-existing [...] [...more]
When I left the world of full time employment about a year ago, healthcare was a major worry. Years away from Medicare eligibility—and with a family to insure—I needed a health safety net. Fortunately, my wife was able to shift us to her employer’s insurance plan. (Aside from health insurance, my marital good fortunes are many—but [...] [...more]
AARP continues to challenge the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recent ruling permitting employers to eliminate or reduce health benefits for Medicare-eligible retirees, while retaining benefits for retirees under age 65. AARP is petitioning the Supreme Court to review whether EEOC had the authority to issue the ruling. Supporters of the ruling argue it will [...] [...more]
RetirementRevised.com is the companion website of Retire Smart, a column written by Mark Miller that appears in more than 30 newspapers each week. For millions of Baby Boomers, retirement is an opportunity for reinvention, rather than taking it easy. Mark is helping write the playbook for the new career and personal pursuits of a generation.
