One Nation, Under God

Articles written by Lisa Baxter


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  • Planning for the Cost of Long-Term Care

    Lisa Baxter and Marsha Goetting, Aging Services Specialist and Extension Family Economics Specialist|Apr 3, 2024

    Around 70 percent of people over the age of 65 will require long-term care services at some point in their life. According to the Administration on Aging (AOA), the average woman needs long-term care services for 3.7 years, and the average man needs those services for 2.2 years. The time for someone with an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease may be much longer. One-third of people aged 65 and older may never need long-term care support, but one-fifth will need it for longer than 5 years. Long-term care is the largest out-of-pocket health c...

  • Senior Listening: How does Medicare FRAUD & ABUSE affect me?

    Lisa Baxter, Aging Services Specialist|Jun 14, 2023

    First what is the difference between Medicare Fraud and Medicare Abuse. Abuse is when Medicare is overcharged or unnecessary services are billed to Medicare. The net effect extra tax-payer funds are spent which depletes the Medicare Trust Fund. Medicare abuse is not always intentional but its effect on the Medicare program is the same. Examples of Medicare abuse are upcoding of a Medicare claim to a more complicated service or for longer time frames or adding billing modifiers for a higher level of service. Other examples include unbundling of...

  • Senior Listening: Medicare Enrollment

    Lisa Baxter, Aging Services Specialist|May 10, 2023

    If you get Social Security Benefits at least 4 months before turning 65, you are automatically enrolled in Part A and B when you turn 65. You will get a Welcome to Medicare packet in the mail which will include your Medicare card. You can decline Part B if you have other creditable health insurance coverage, just check the box on the back of your Medicare card and mail it back. You will then receive a new card with only Part A indicated. NOTE: you will need to remember to enroll in Part B and Part D (pharmacy) prior to losing your creditable...

  • Senior Listening: New to Medicare

    Lisa Baxter, Aging Services Specialist|Feb 15, 2023

    Turning 65, decisions, decisions... A few months before you turn 65, you should learn about Medicare coverage choices and consider important enrollment times and your coverage options. You should start at least 3 months before you turn 65. Visit Medicare.gov or call the State Health Insurance Program hotline: 1-800-551-3191 to be assigned a counselor near you. Your initial enrollment period (IEP) is three months before you turn 65, the month of your birthday and three months after. Most people w...

  • Medicare Part B Changes for People New to Medicare for 2023

    Lisa Baxter, Aging Services Specialist|Jan 18, 2023

    Starting January 1, 2023, the start dates for Medicare Part B coverage will change. Coverage will start the first day of the month after a person signs up, if they sign up during the last three months of their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) or during the General Enrollment Period (GEP). Before this change, if you signed up during the last three months of your IEP, your Medicare Part B coverage started two to three months after you enrolled. If you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B during your IEP, you have another chance every year during GEP...