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What Is An Advance Directive?

There are some things in life that go without saying, and others that you need to be very clear about. For example, you can’t assume that your loved ones will know what your wishes are when it comes to your end-of-life care. It is important to have a written document that spells out exactly what your wishes are in the event that you can no longer communicate them for yourself. This document is known as an advance directive, and because it is a legal document, you might be wondering whether you have to pay to have one drafted, and whether Medicare covers it.

Advance Directive Explained

An advance directive is a legal document that is drafted to ensure that you get the medical care you want if you ever become incapable of communicating your wishes. Essentially, this document spells out what you would like to be done for you at the end of your life. The advance directive will be used by healthcare providers and your family to guide them in different scenarios.

Your advance directive will allow you to give power of attorney to someone, who will then be able to make medical decisions for you if you are not physically or mentally able to. It will also include a living will that details your specific wishes regarding your medical care and even your after-death wishes.

How To Get An Advance Directive

You can get an advance directive drafted by an attorney, who will create a living will or power of attorney form. You can also get an advance directive from your local Area Agency on Aging, state health department, or through your doctor.

The best time to make an advance directive is when you are well, so you can be sure that you are making decisions with a clear head. Bring up the subject with your doctor, and provide them with a copy after you have had one drafted. Remember, your advance directive is not set in stone; you can change it at any time and, if you are able to communicate your wishes, your verbal instructions will always override your written directive.

Why You Need One

caucasian doctor writing down something on paper with a caucasian man sitting down in front of him — *Your doctor can draft an advance directive on your behalf, as long as he or she accepts Medicare assignment.*

It’s never easy to talk about the end of your life or the possibility that you could end up incapable of communicating your wishes. But it is something that you should think about and be ready for in the event that it does happen. Having an advance directive will put your family at ease, because they will know they did what you would’ve wanted regarding your medical care.

Medicare Coverage

Medicare will cover advance care planning as part of your “Wellness” visit. During this appointment, you can talk about an advance directive with your doctor, and they might be able to help you fill out the forms if you’d like. As long as your doctor accepts Medicare assignment and talking about your advance directive is part of your “Wellness” visit, Medicare Part B will completely cover advance care planning. If you go to the doctor for something other than a “Wellness” visit, Medicare will still cover advance care planning as part of your medical treatment, but you’ll have to pay your coinsurance and your deductible.

In general, Medicare Part B covers 80% of qualified medical expenses, leaving you to pay the other 20% out-of-pocket. Medicare Supplement Plans help pay that remaining 20%, which will save you money in the long run, especially if you are being treated for a chronic condition. In fact, having a Medicare Supplement Plan could save you hundreds of dollars each year. There are 10 different Medicare Supplement Plans to choose from, each with different levels of coverage at different price points. One of our agents will go over each plan and find the one that meets your needs. To get free instant quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to a licensed agent, call 888-753-7207. No hassle. No obligation.

Medicare & Thyroid Tests

Thyroid conditions are very common in people over 60, and chances of developing them increase with age. In fact, an estimated 20% of women over the age of 60 have some form of thyroid disease. Each kind of thyroid condition – hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism – has different symptoms and treatments associated with it, and being able to identify each of them can help you get the necessary treatment more quickly. But when it comes time to talk to your doctor about a thyroid condition, will Medicare cover the tests?

Thyroid Disorders

picture of man and woman's insides with the thyroid and other functions showing — *The thyroid gland can produce too little or too much hormone in your body, causing abnormal changes*

Your thyroid gland is located in your neck below the voice box, with two lobes on each side of the windpipe. It produces hormones that regulate your metabolism, T3 and T4, which are essentially chemical messengers that control your metabolism and mood. If your thyroid either makes too much or too little thyroid hormone, your body will experience certain changes. There are two different conditions related to too much or too little thyroid hormone:

Hypothyroidism– This is the most common type of thyroid condition in seniors, with up to 1 in 4 patients in nursing homes dealing with it. It is caused by the underproduction of thyroid hormones and results in a low metabolic rate. Symptoms include sleepiness, dry skin, joint and muscle pain, constipation, intolerance to the cold, and weight gain.
Hyperthyroidism- With this condition, your metabolism increases because your thyroid produces too many hormones. Symptoms include mood swings, hyperactivity, swelling in the neck, diarrhea, and muscle weakness.

If you experience any of the symptoms above, talk to your doctor so that you can get tested for a possible thyroid condition. In order to test for a thyroid condition, your doctor will take a blood sample, which can be done at their office or at a laboratory. If the lab work reveals that you do have a thyroid condition, you can get the proper treatment to help control it and decrease your chances of any other conditions developing or worsening.

Medicare Coverage For Thyroid Tests

Thyroid disorders that occur in older individuals can disguise themselves as other conditions, so in order to confirm or rule out a thyroid disorder, you need to get tested. Medicare covers thyroid testing and screening: anything that is done on an inpatient basis will be covered by Medicare Part A, and anything done in an outpatient setting will be covered by Medicare Part B, if your doctor orders the test. The criteria you will have to meet in order for Medicare to cover thyroid testing include:

Having symptoms that could be linked to your thyroid.
Your doctor confirming that it is medically necessary
Getting the test done at a Medicare-approved laboratory.

If you are not at risk for any thyroid conditions, a test can be performed 2 times per year. If you are at risk, have had thyroid cancer, or are adjusting to thyroid medications, your doctor can request more than 2 tests per year, and Medicare might cover it. If your doctor orders thyroid testing, Medicare Part B will cover 80% of the cost, leaving you responsible for meeting your Part B deductible and paying the 20% that Medicare does not cover.

Extra Coverage

Over time, the 20% coinsurance that you have to pay with Medicare Part B can really add up, especially if you have any chronic conditions that need to be managed. But, if you have a Medicare Supplement Plan, any coinsurance that you have to pay (the 20% not covered by Medicare) will be covered by the plan. All you will have to do is pay a monthly premium for the plan, and the plan will handle your coinsurance and other medical expenses.

If you are interested in exploring your Medicare Supplement Plan options, EZ can help you. Our agents work with the top-rated Medicare Supplement insurance companies in the country, and we can provide instant free quotes in minutes to you. We will go over your needs and each Medicare Supplement Plan to help determine which is right for you. We can help you save hundreds of dollars each year with a Medicare Supplement Plan. To get free instant quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to one of our licensed agents, call 888-753-7207.

Get Free Medicare Assistance With EZ

Making the transition from private health insurance to Medicare when you turn 65 can feel overwhelming. You might feel confused and like you just don’t know where to begin. For example, what plan should you go with? How can you save the most money? Will you have enough coverage? Unlike with employer-based insurance, which your employer researches for you, you have to do all the research into choosing a Medicare plan on your own. But it doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when you can get free assistance, guidance and services from an EZ agent. And the bonus of working with EZ? Unlike with other companies, when we say our services are completely free, we mean free – there are no hidden costs!

blood pressure machine with container in front of it with pills next to it — *First, you will need to figure out what your specific needs are regarding your health.*

Figuring Out Your Needs

Medicare can be confusing for people who are not familiar with it, but it can be broken down to be easier to understand. The two main parts of Original Medicare are Part A and Part B. Medicare Part A covers your hospital costs completely once you meet your deductible, and Medicare Part B covers outpatient care, including doctor visits, lab work and treatments. Unlike Part A, though, Part B only covers 80% of qualified medical expenses; that means you have to meet your Medicare Part B deductible and pay your premium, as well as a 20% coinsurance each time you use medical services.

Now that you know what Medicare covers and what it doesn’t, you need to think about your healthcare needs. Do you need more coverage because you have a chronic health condition that requires constant observation or medications, such as diabetes or heart disease? Or do you just need preventive checkups? If you fall on the more comprehensive side (which many older adults do), you might need to look into a Medicare Supplement Plan to help cover additional costs not covered by Medicare alone. One of our highly trained agents can help you with this by going over your health history and medical needs.

Figuring Out Your Budget

If you are retired or reaching retirement, as many Medicare beneficiaries are, you might be living on a fixed income. This means that you need to be smart with your spending and look for the best ways to save money. Before you look at your medical expenses, sit down and go over your finances and figure out your living expenses for the year, including groceries, rent/mortgage, car insurance, utility bills, medications, and any other extras.

Once you have done this, it’s time to budget for Medicare costs and choose a Medicare Supplement Plan that works for you. There’s no need to do this alone! One of our agents can go over your needs, and will help you figure out your annual medical expenses, including the cost of your medications based on Medicare’s drug tier pricing.

Figuring Out How To Save

stack of money rolled up with a rubber band on it — *The best way to save is to buy a Medicare Supplement Plan that will help cover medical costs.*

Medicare Supplement Plans can help you save hundreds of dollars each year, so you can worry less about your finances. An EZ agent will go over your medical needs and budget, and find a Medicare Supplement Plan that will save you money while filling the gaps that Medicare does not cover. There are 10 different plans to choose from, all with varying coverage and prices, and choosing one will give you peace of mind knowing that your medical expenses will be covered for the cost of a low monthly premium.

If you are interested in free assistance with navigating Medicare, an EZ agent will gladly help you at no cost. We created our business with the sole purpose of helping people get great insurance while saving money, without worrying about extra costs. We will go over your medical needs and budget, and will compare all Medicare Supplement Plans in your area for free. No hassle or obligation. To get free instant quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to one of our licensed agents, call 888-753-7207. We will make the transition to Medicare easier and cheaper!

Biden Signs Bill To Delay Medicare Cuts Until The End Of The Year

Congress has been weighing whether to cut Medicare spending since 2011, but it looks like, once again, these cuts are going to be delayed at least until the end of 2021. The Budget Control Act, which passed in 2011, included annual 2% cuts to Medicare spending as part of the government’s plan to reduce the debt and deficit; Congress has repeatedly voted to overturn the law, though, and the cuts have never gone into effect. When the pandemic hit last March, the cuts were again pushed off with the passing of the CARES Act, but were meant to go into effect on April 1. Now, President Biden has signed a bill to continue to delay these cuts until December.

The Budget Control Act

illustration of a hand holding a large pair of scissors — *President Biden has postponed Medicare spending cuts until the end of the year.*

The Budget Control Act of 2011 Act proposed caps on Medicare spending from the years 2012 through 2021 in order to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion over that period. The Act included cuts to other programs, which would have gradually decreased each year; but for Medicare, cuts would have remained at 2% every year from 2014-2021. The cuts would have impacted payments made to providers and insurance plans, meaning Medicare providers would have billed Medicare as usual, but would only have been reimbursed at a rate of 98 cents on the dollar.

Delaying The Medicare Cuts

These controversial cuts to Medicare, though, were never actually implemented, with Congress continually voting not to put them into place. The cuts were set to finally go into effect on April 1, so CMS held off processing any Medicare claims in April until Congress debated and voted on delaying the cuts. And now, with the pandemic, President Biden and the CMS have decided to push back the cuts again, so that doctors can get properly reimbursed for dealing with higher-than-usual patient loads during the current crisis.

Doctors have made clear their position on this bill and the cuts it includes: “We strongly oppose these arbitrary across-the-board Medicare cuts, and the predictably devastating impact they would have on many already distressed physician practices,” James L. Madara, MD, CEO and executive vice president of AMA, said in March.

“The months ahead will be difficult as our nation launches an unprecedented effort to vaccinate the vast majority of Americans, while we simultaneously face the spread of new and potentially more harmful COVID-19 variants. Health care providers across the spectrum are ready to meet this challenge, but we need congressional help now,” leading industry groups wrote to top lawmakers in February.The latest version of the law was passed by the House of Representatives in a 384 to 38 vote in favor of the bill, which had already passed 90 to 2 in the Senate. After the bill was passed, CMS directed Medicare contractors to release any claims held in April.

The new provision of the law will hold off any Medicare reimbursement cuts until December 31, 2021.

How To Deduct Medicare Expenses On Your Income Taxes

Tax season is here! Are you still working on filing your taxes? And are you, like most people, looking for ways to get the biggest refund? If so, you should know that itemizing your deductions on your income taxes is the best way to get some money back; you should also know that medical expenses are one of the many things you can itemize. This is true for you even if you are enrolled in Medicare, as long as you know the restrictions and exactly what you can deduct.

Expenses You Can Deduct

tax deductible written in red with a red rectangle box outside of it — *There are multiple Medicare expenses that you can deduct from your income taxes.*

If you didn’t know that you can deduct the cost of your Medicare premiums from your taxes, then you’ve been missing out on getting some of that money back. But that’s not the only Medicare expense you can deduct! If you want to deduct medical expenses, simply choose to itemize your deductions, and you can begin to claim:

Dental and vision expenses, including premiums, deductibles, and copayments
Lab tests
Hospital stays
Copayments
Any medication prescribed by your doctor
Medicare Part B premiums
Medicare Part A premiums only if you voluntarily enrolled in Medicare Part A and are not covered under Social Security.
Long-term care insurance premiums

Note that you can only deduct medical expenses that are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, or AGI, for the year.

Medicare Supplement Plan

So, what about Medicare Supplement Plans? Can you claim the cost of these back? Having one of these plans can save you hundreds of dollars a year, but many taxpayers don’t realize that they can save even more money by deducting the cost of their Medicare Supplement Plan as a medical expense. The same note applies to these deductions: you can deduct any amount that exceeds a certain percentage of your adjusted gross income, usually 7.5%.

How To Deduct These Expenses

a hand with a pencil in it pointing at a receipt with a calculator next to it — *First, you will need to collect all of your receipts and add them up.*

In order to deduct your Medicare expenses from your taxes, you will need to itemize deductions, not choose the standard deduction. To do this, gather all of your receipts for the year so you can determine how much you spent on medical expenses. Next, calculate 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, so you know how much you can deduct: remember, you can deduct any amount above that calculated amount. For example, if you have an adjusted gross income of $50,000, 7.5% of that amount is $3,750. That means, if you have a total of $7,000 in medical expenses, you can deduct $3,250 ($7,000 – $3,750 = $3,250).

Finally, once you have done all of these calculations, you will need to enter your qualified medical expenses on lines 1 through 4 on IRS Form 1040 or 1040 SR.

Medicare is great, but the truth is that it does not cover your medical expenses 100%. This is why the majority of seniors who enroll in Medicare also choose to purchase a supplemental insurance plan such as a Medicare Supplement Plan to cover what Medicare does not. These plans help older adults like you save hundreds of dollars each year, and you can deduct the premiums from your income taxes! If you are interested in finding out more about Medicare Supplement Plans, EZ can help. To compare plans for free, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to one of our trained local agents, call 888-753-7207.

Men’s Health: Medicare & Prostate Cancer Screenings

It’s a scary statistic, but every 15 minutes, an American man dies from prostate cancer. According to cancer.org, approximately 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. That means, for every 8 men you know in your life, 1 could be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that likelihood goes up the older they are. The average age for diagnosis is 66, with around 6 cases of prostate cancer in 10 being diagnosed in men who are 65 or older. June is National Men’s Health Month, so take this opportunity to learn more about prostate cancer, and get screened when it is recommended by Medicare! Medicare will cover prostate cancer screenings, as long as you follow the guidelines.

Prostate Cancer

The exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but it occurs when the prostate gland, which is below the urinary bladder and in front of the rectum, grows at an abnormal rate or to an abnormal size. There are 2 types of growth:

prostate with a red tumor on it and green viruses around it — *Malignant growths on the prostate can be life threatening.*

Benign growths- the prostate gland grows to squeeze the urethra, which it surrounds. These growths are usually noncancerous and rarely a threat.
Malignant growths– Cancerous growths that are life threatening.

A biopsy is required to determine which type of growth it is. 8 out of 10 tumors are found to be small and harmless, but if the growth is cancerous, the cells can begin to grow out of control and spread to other organs.

Risk Factors

Age over 55 (peak age 65-74) years
Ethnicity: prostate cancer is more common in African Americans
Genetic/family history
Poor diet containing high amounts of fat
Smoking
Drinking alcohol
Obesity
Lack of exercise
Hormonal changes

Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer

There are a number of different symptoms of prostate cancer. The 5 main warning signs include:

Bone pain
Compression of the spine
Painful urination
Erectile dysfunction
Blood in urine or semen
Pain in the lower back is a warning sign of prostate cancer.

Other signs of prostate cancer include:

Frequent urination
Loss of bladder control
Pain in the lower back, hips, or thighs
Anemia
Loss of bowel control

Diagnosis & Treatment

The word cancer itself is scary, but if prostate cancer is diagnosed early, most men can expect to live a normal life. Screening is the best way to detect prostate cancer, and is recommended for men who:

Are between 55 and 69 years of age
Are African American
Have a family history of prostate cancer

If cancerous cells or tumors are found, treatment will depend on the stage of the cancer, the age of the patient and their overall health. In the earlier stages, doctors will monitor the cells closely; for more advanced stages, treatment includes:

Surgery to remove the prostate gland
Radiation therapy
Cryotherapy to freeze and kill the cancerous cells
Drug therapy such as chemotherapy, which spreads throughout the body and destroys cancer cells.

Medicare Coverage

Medicare will cover prostate cancer screenings every 12 months for men 50 and older. There are 2 types of exams:

Digital rectal exam – the doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum.
PSA blood test – measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood.

Original Medicare will pay 80% of the yearly digital rectal exam, and 100% of the cost of the PSA blood test. Medicare will cover both inpatient and outpatient cancer treatment; Medicare Part A will fully cover inpatient hospital visits, but Medicare Part B will only cover 80% of costs for outpatient treatment. In order to get full coverage, you will need a Medicare Supplement Plan.

Most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive, as long as they catch it early on with annual screenings. If you are interested in a Medicare Supplement Plan to help pay for the cost of annual screenings and any treatments needed, EZ can compare plans in minutes for you. Our licensed agents will go over your needs and budget and find the plan that checks all of your boxes. To get free instant quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to an agent, call 888-753-7207.

Tag: medicare

What Is An Advance Directive?

Advance Directive Explained

How To Get An Advance Directive

Why You Need One

Medicare Coverage

Medicare & Thyroid Tests

Thyroid Disorders

Medicare Coverage For Thyroid Tests

Extra Coverage

Get Free Medicare Assistance With EZ

Figuring Out Your Needs

Figuring Out Your Budget

Figuring Out How To Save

Biden Signs Bill To Delay Medicare Cuts Until The End Of The Year

The Budget Control Act

Delaying The Medicare Cuts

How To Deduct Medicare Expenses On Your Income Taxes

Expenses You Can Deduct

Medicare Supplement Plan

How To Deduct These Expenses

Men’s Health: Medicare & Prostate Cancer Screenings

Prostate Cancer

Risk Factors

Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer

Diagnosis & Treatment

Medicare Coverage

Business

About Us

Individual

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