If you’ve had private health insurance, you’ve probably had to get referrals before seeing certain doctors. These referrals are pre-approvals that you need to get from your primary care physician before seeing a specialist within the same network; we often associate them with certain types of private insurance plans. But now that you’re on Medicare, or are about to enroll, you might be wondering: do you need referrals to see specialists if you’re on Medicare?
Are Referrals Necessary?
The good news is that Original Medicare (Parts A and B) doesn’t require referrals for specialist care. However, if you have Part A or Part B coverage through a Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plan, you might need a referral before seeing a specialist.
In addition, if you have a Medicare Supplement Plan, you will not need a referral to see a specialist: you will be able to go to any doctor, hospital, or other provider in the country who accepts Medicare. This means that Medicare Supplement Plans offer some of the best coverage out there: all you have to pay is your monthly premium and you get all the benefits of Original Medicare, plus a lot of extras. For example, your plan will cover what Original Medicare does not, including the 20% coinsurance that you need to pay when you receive medical treatment.
In addition to the ability to see a specialist without a referral, all Medicare Supplement Plans also offer coverage for at least part of:
Medicare Parts A and B deductibles
Skilled nursing facility costs (after you run out of Medicare-covered days)
Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up)
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment
Part B excess charges
Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
Blood (first 3 pints)
Two Medicare Supplement Plans (Plans K and L) include an out-of-pocket limit. This means that once you have reached a certain amount spent on Medicare-covered services, the plan will cover 100% of Medicare-covered costs for the rest of the year.
As stated, Medicare Part B, which covers the costs of most medical services, only covers 80% of these costs. This will leave you with the remaining 20% to pay out-of-pocket, but a Medicare Supplement Plan can help you pay for the medical expenses that aren’t covered by Medicare Part B. One of these plans can help you save hundreds, or maybe even thousands of dollars each year.
There are 10 different plans to choose from, and depending on which plan you choose, you could get anywhere from 75% coverage of your medical expenses up to 100%. Each plan offers a range of coverage at different price points, and can help save you money and keep you from stressing over medical bills, leaving you with more time and energy to focus on your health.
EZ can compare all 10 Medicare Supplement Plans and find the one that will meet your financial and medical needs. Our agents work with the top-rated insurance companies in the nation, which makes comparing plans easy, quick, and free – our services come at no cost to you because we just want to help you save money so you can focus on your health. To get free instant quotes on plans that cover your doctors, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to a local licensed agent, call 888-753-7207.
As you get older, your health can change, and you might find yourself dealing with new medical issues. Fortunately, if you’re 65 or older, Medicare will take care of you. But Medicare isn’t only there to help you manage your conditions, you can – and should – also use it to get the screenings you need to keep on top of your health!
And right now, we’re talking to all the men out there: there are various health screenings suggested for men 65 and older that many men often put off, or don’t take seriously enough. But whether you’re avoiding getting a screening because you don’t think you need it, or because you think it will cost too much, you could end up missing the early warning signs of a disease that could be life-threatening. Medicare will cover the following three health screenings that every man should have, so talk to your doctor today!
About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their life.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer for men in the United States, after skin cancer. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their life. Many men will not experience any symptoms when prostate cancer is in its early stages, so it’s important to get an annual exam to check for early warning signs, and catch any abnormalities as soon as possible.
For this reason, Medicare will begin paying for this screening starting at age 50. Medicare will cover both a digital rectal exam and a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test once a year.
2. Colorectal Cancer
Over the past couple of decades, colorectal cancer rates have been increasing. In fact, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance believes that the risk of men developing colorectal cancer in their lifetime is now 1 in 23. A lot of men put off having a screening for this type of cancer because they worry about invasiveness, or they might not realize that they are already in a risky age group, but delaying could mean missing a diagnosis. This is especially true since most men do not experience symptoms until the cancer has spread.
If you’re worried about the test for colorectal cancer, know that you have options: Medicare will cover various preventative screenings, including a physical occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy.
Medicare Part B will cover glucose lab tests if you have risk factors for diabetes.
Diabetes can lead to other serious medical conditions such as heart disease and stroke. In fact, did you know that nearly 70% of people with diabetes who are 65 or older die of some form of heart disease?
Medicare Part B will cover glucose lab tests if you have risk factors for diabetes including high blood pressure, obesity, high blood sugar, and a history of high cholesterol levels. Medicare will also cover a diabetes screening if you are overweight or have a family history of diabetes.
Extra Coverage
Taking care of yourself is important, and Medicare makes it easy to get the screenings you need. So don’t put off getting screened for the above conditions, because doing so could help you live a little longer.
And if you need more help paying for screenings and other medical expenses, a Medicare Supplement Plan can help. These plans can cover your Part A deductible and coinsurance costs, as well as your Medicare Part B copayment, coinsurance, and deductible. There are 10 different plans to choose from, and depending on which plan you choose, you could get anywhere from 75% coverage of your medical expenses all the way up to 100%. Each plan offers a range of coverage at different price points, so you’re sure to find one that’s right for you.
Need help finding the right plan? EZ can compare all 10 Medicare Supplement Plans and find the one that will meet your financial and medical needs. Our agents work with the top-rated insurance companies in the nation, which makes comparing plans easy, quick, and free – our services come at no cost to you because we just want to help you save money so you can focus on your health. To get free instant quotes on plans that cover your doctors, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to a local licensed agent, call 888-753-7207.
As you age, you’ll find that your immune system is not as strong as it used to be, meaning you might get sick more often. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of the illnesses that you might be more susceptible to can help you take the proper measures to get better as quickly as possible. For example, you might be more susceptible to getting strep throat, but you might not recognize this infection, because it is often mistaken for a simple sore throat. It’s important to recognize strep, because if it lasts for a week or more, it could leave you open to further infections and illnesses that can put your health and wellbeing at serious risk.
What Is Strep Throat?
Strep throat is a bacterial infection that lives in the nose and throat, and can make your throat feel sore and scratchy. It can also present as an upset stomach, though, and can even spread into infected sores on the skin. Strep throat can also cause complications such as:
Kidney inflammation or disease
Rheumatic fever, a type of heart disease
Ear infection
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Sinus infections
Abscesses around the tonsils or in the neck
Although strep throat is most common in children, it does affect people of all ages, including seniors.
Signs & Symptoms of Strep Throat
Because strep throat can turn into a serious issue, especially for seniors, it is important that you seek care from your doctor as soon as you experience any signs or symptoms, including the following:
Throat pain that usually develops quickly and becomes severe almost immediately
Pain when swallowing
Difficulty swallowing
Swollen tonsils
Redness and streaks, or patches of pus, on the tonsils.
Red spots along the hard or soft palate of the roof of the mouth
Swollen lymph nodes that are tender to the touch
Fever
Headache
Nausea
Aching throughout the body
If you experience any of the following, you need to see a doctor immediately:
Painful lymph glands
A high fever that persists for more than 48 hours
A rash that appears along with a sore throat
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Lack of improvement after following doctor’s guidelines for medication and treatment after receiving a diagnosis of strep
Seeking Care
Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat strep throat.
If you are diagnosed with strep throat, your doctor will treat it with antibiotics, like penicillin or amoxicillin. The antibiotics will help shorten the length and severity of the illness, prevent bacteria from spreading to others, and prevent any serious complications like rheumatic fever from occurring.
Medicare Part B can help cover the cost of treatments for strep throat. Part B is medical insurance, which covers doctor visits, any necessary tests needed to make a diagnosis, and any therapy or medications. Medicare Part B will cover 80% of your medical services, but you will have to meet your Part B deductible, as well as pay for the 20% that Medicare does not cover.
If you need to be hospitalized for strep throat, Medicare Part A will cover the cost of the hospital stay and any in-patient rehab.
If you want extra coverage, you can opt to get an affordable Medicare Supplement Plan. Medicare Part B covers a lot, but as we pointed out above, it will only cover 80% of expenses, leaving you to pay the remaining 20% out-of-pocket. This can be quite expensive, especially if you are living on a fixed income, as many Medicare beneficiaries are. Fortunately, though, you can save money on medical expenses and get extra coverage by purchasing a Medicare Supplement Plan.
There are 10 different Medicare Supplement Plans to choose from, each offering different coverage options and rates. It’s worth looking into a Medicare Supplement Plan to save as much money as you can, so speak to an EZ agent for all of your options. EZ’s agents work with the top-rated insurance companies in the nation and can compare plans in minutes for you at no cost. To get free instant quotes for plans that cover your current doctors, simply enter your zip code in the bar on the side, or to speak to a licensed agent, call 888-753-7207.
Now that travel restrictions are finally being lifted, and people are getting back to traveling, you might be thinking that it’s time for you to get back out there, too. But before you do, you should check a few things off of your list: along with grabbing your passport, vaccination card, and itinerary, you need to make sure you are fully insured before you travel! This is especially important if you are older and on Medicare, because Medicare coverage for overseas travel is limited. If you travel to another country and get hurt, you’ll have to pay your medical bills out-of-pocket, unless you are properly insured.
Medicare will cover you anywhere in the U.S. but not when you travel outside of the U.S.
If you are a Medicare beneficiary and are traveling within the U.S., you will have coverage anywhere in the U.S. and its territories. This includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. As long as the hospital and/or doctor that you visit accept Medicare assignment, you will be fully covered. If you are traveling abroad, however, it’s a different story.
When Medicare Will Cover You Abroad
There are very few scenarios in which Original Medicare will actually cover you when you are in a foreign country. These include:
If you live in the United States and have a medical emergency, but the nearest foreign hospital is closer to you than the nearest U.S. hospital.
If you have a medical emergency while you’re traveling to Canada, without unreasonable delay, between Alaska and another U.S. state, and the closest hospital that can treat you is in Canada. Medicare will determine on a case-by-case basis what qualifies as “without unreasonable delay.”
If you live in the United States and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital, you can get coverage for certain healthcare services, whether it is an emergency or not.
If you are on a cruise ship and you need to receive medically necessary care while the ship is in U.S. waters or a U.S. port (or within six hours of arrival or departure from a U.S. port).
If you want extra coverage when traveling, then a Medicare Supplement Plan can offer you that at an affordable price.
All of this means that you won’t be fully covered by Original Medicare when traveling abroad, so the best option for getting adequate coverage is a Medicare Supplement Plan. These plans work alongside Original Medicare to provide you with coverage for things, like foreign travel, that Medicare does not cover. Medicare Supplement Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N all provide some sort of foreign travel coverage.
There are 10 different Medicare Supplement Plans to choose from, each offering different coverage options and rates. It’s worth looking into a Medicare Supplement Plan to save as much money as you can, so speak to an EZ agent for all of your options. EZ’s agents work with the top-rated insurance companies in the nation and can compare plans in minutes for you at no cost. To get free instant quotes for plans that cover your current doctors, simply enter your zip code in the bar on the side, or to speak to a licensed agent, call 888-753-7207.
Most of us know how important nutrition is to our overall health, but unfortunately, we don’t always eat the way we should. Instead of planning and eating healthy meals, we often grab something quick. or something that tastes delicious, but lacking in nutritional value. But as you age, focusing on nutrition becomes especially vital, because poor nutrition can lead to a number of chronic diseases, or make some of them worse. If you’re struggling with your nutritional habits, you should know that nutrition counseling is available – but will Medicare cover it, so you can make better choices?
According to the CDC, 6 in 10 adults have a chronic disease brought on by lifestyle choices, including poor nutrition. In the short term, poor nutrition can lead to stress and tiredness; in the long term, it can contribute to the risk of developing conditions like being overweight or obese, type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, and even some cancers.
If your diet is less than ideal, you’ll probably notice:
Decreased energy levels– Eating processed foods, or foods high in salt, sugar, and starch, can lead to a spike in your blood sugar, leaving you feeling lethargic afterward.
Reduced immunity– Eating food that does not fuel your body will mean your body will be less able to fight off illness.
Disrupted sleep– Unhealthy diets can lead to obesity, which is linked to sleep apnea, snoring, and restless leg syndrome.
Increase in memory problems– Many studies show a link between a poor diet and long-term cognitive decline.
Medicare & Nutrition Counseling
Nutrition counseling, or medical nutrition therapy (MNT), has been shown to lower the chances of getting sick or developing conditions associated with poor nutrition, and improve your overall quality of life, especially if you have a chronic disease. So, since 2002, Medicare beneficiaries have been given access to medical nutrition therapy benefits, depending on their health status.
For example, if you have diabetes or kidney disease, you could be covered for MNT under Medicare Part B. If you meet the qualifications, you will pay nothing out-of-pocket, because your nutrition counseling will be considered a preventative service.
If you qualify for MNT, you will get services including:
An initial nutrition and lifestyle assessment
Individual and/or group therapy sessions
Help with managing your chronic disease
Follow-up visits to check your progress
Medicare will generally cover three hours of MNT in the first year, and up to two hours of MNT for each year after.
Medicare Supplement Plans can help cover costs that Original Medicare does not cover.
If you choose to get nutrition counseling that is not a preventative service, you will pay coinsurance as well as your Part B deductible. Remember that Medicare Part B only covers 80% of the cost of treatments, leaving you the remaining 20% to pay out-of-pocket. This can be quite expensive, especially if you are living on a fixed income, as many Medicare beneficiaries are. Fortunately, though, you can save money on medical expenses and get extra coverage by purchasing a Medicare Supplement Plan.
There are 10 different Medicare Supplement Plans to choose from, each offering different coverage options and rates. It’s worth looking into a Medicare Supplement Plan to save as much money as you can, so speak to an EZ agent for all of your options. EZ’s agents work with the top-rated insurance companies in the nation and can compare plans in minutes for you at no cost. To get free instant quotes for plans that cover your current doctors, simply enter your zip code in the bar on the side, or to speak to a licensed agent, call 888-753-7207.
It’s no secret that Medicare is great, but still doesn’t cover all of the costs of the medical services you receive. This is why a Medicare Supplement Plan comes in handy; one of these plans will pick up the rest of the costs that Medicare does not cover. And these plans are 100% worry-free: all Medicare Supplement Plans are standardized and regulated by federal and state laws. There’s no doubt that these plans are well-managed money-savers, which is why they are so popular. So don’t leave money on the table! Come to EZ to find a Medicare Supplement Plan – we can help you find the best plan with the most savings and the right coverage for you!
One of the many great things about Medicare Supplement Plans is that you have options. There are 10 different Medicare Supplement Plans, meaning there is a plan that will meet your medical needs and fit your budget, since each plan offers different levels of coverage at different price points.
To find the right plan for you, it’s important to review your lifestyle and your medical needs. For example, do you need a lot of coverage or just the basics? How much can you afford to pay each month in premiums? Do you like to travel, and need a plan that will cover you overseas? The best way to figure this out is to work with a licensed EZ agent. Our knowledgeable agents work with all the top-rated companies in the country, and can find the perfect plan for you.
Talk about convenience! If you think you missed your opportunity to get a Medicare Supplement Plan when you turned 65, you’re wrong. Medicare Supplement Plans are available all year round and yes, you can get a plan whenever you feel like you want to save some money. The only difference between getting a plan when you turn 65 and getting one later on is that you won’t have guaranteed issue rights, so you might have to answer some health questions. These rights are offered to you when you first enroll in Medicare when you turn 65, and mean that you are guaranteed to be approved and will be given the standard rate, no matter your health. But if you want a Medicare Supplement Plan today, don’t let health questions stop you or scare you off!
Even if you have health conditions, you can still find a great, affordable Medicare Supplement Plan. EZ has helped thousands of people find the right Medicare Supplement Plan for them, a plan that has allowed them to get more coverage and save more money. Medicare Part B bills can become overwhelming, so a Medicare Supplement Plan is just what you need to keep your medical expenses under control.
At EZ, we are trained to be on your side and to help you get the best plan to fit your budget. We want to help you get coverage, not help insurance companies get right. We know how hard it is to deal with a ton of phone calls and agents hounding you, so we’ll never hassle you or bounce you around from agent to agent – we work for you. Let us help you today! To get free instant quotes for plans that cover your current doctors, simply enter your zip code in the bar on the side, or to speak to a licensed agent, call 888-753-7207.
