News

You may possibly qualify for a divorced spouse Social Security survivor's benefit that would be the same as what a widow would get, but you have a number of options that you need to carefully think through. If you receive survivors benefits as a divorced spouse now, you can switch to your own retirement benefit later if it is higher than your widow's benefit..The groups that have begun lobbying the administration include large hospital systems and health insurers, major trade associations, air ambulance companies and private equity-backed physician staffing firms..The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services continued its preparation effort for the new health care law by announcing Marilyn Tavenner as its new top official. The move comes as the organization seeks to increase insurance industry oversight amid the overhaul process. Tavenner replaces Donald M. Berwick..Medicare's extraordinarily high reimbursement rates for durable medical equipment like back braces and power wheel chairs have made it a particularly lucrative target for crooks and abuse billing practices. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently reported that an astonishing 66% of all durable medical equipment claims were improperly paid in the government's fiscal year 2012, costing Medicare more than billion..Joyce Heap was in end stage Alzheimer's disease, and living at a nursing home run by an Armenian couple, when her daughter Denise spotted suspicious charges on forms from her mother's Medicare drug plan. Denise Heap went online to find out what the drugs were, and she discovered her mother was supposedly receiving medications for conditions she didn't have, like breast cancer, asthma, and emphysema. Heap was convinced that someone used her mother's identity to bill Medicare for more than ,000 worth of medications in just three months..Finally, even though the full retirement age is rising, the eligibility age for Medicare is still 6It's important to apply for Medicare three months prior to turning age 6Failure to enroll in Medicare at age 65 might result in costly premium penalties..Premium subsidies are based in part on the premiums for a current benchmark plan in the area where you live. More plans are joining the market and there will be new bids for 2015, so the benchmark in many areas will change..Quite likely. Age 62 is simple to remember because it's the same for everyone. But figuring out your full retirement age is hard because it differs for every one. It must be looked up online, or you must call the Social Security Administration to confirm it. Only one-out-of three people even know their full retirement age. But your full retirement age, whether it's 66, 66 plus 4 months, or 67, and the amount you can expect at that age, still doesn't get you your maximum benefit! Only half of all retirees even know that waiting until age 70 to claim retirement benefits gets you the maximum amount that you qualify for..I started benefits at age 63 after losing my job in 201I was able to find new employment the following year in 201I received a letter from Social Security stating that I was overpaid for 2014 because they estimate that I earned 0,320, and that I need to repay more than ,000 in overpayments! Where did they get that? I only worked part time and earned ,200. What can I do?