Social Security & Medicare
Benefit changes, claiming strategies, eligibility rules, Medicare enrollment, Part D updates, and policy changes affecting retirees.
Latest in Social Security & Medicare
Social Security can now withhold up to 50% of a monthly retirement check to claw back an overpayment, up from a 10% cap
The Social Security Administration can now recover an overpayment by withholding up to half of a retiree’s monthly Title II benefit, a default rate five...
UnitedHealth, Humana and Aetna are all trimming Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, and nearly 3 million seniors may have to switch
Three of the largest Medicare Advantage insurers are pulling out of unprofitable markets for 2027, and the combined retreat could push close to 3 million...
Diabetic test strips and an insulin pump count as covered durable equipment under Medicare
Diabetes management runs on a steady stream of supplies, and Medicare folds much of that cost into a benefit older patients often overlook: durable medical...
A bone-density scan is covered by Medicare every two years for at-risk patients
Osteoporosis rarely announces itself until a bone breaks, which is why Medicare treats bone-density testing as prevention rather than reaction. The program covers a bone-mass...
Hearing and balance exams are covered by Medicare when a doctor orders them, but not hearing aids
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions of later life, yet Medicare’s approach to it splits neatly into two halves that confuse many...
Chiropractic spinal adjustments are partly covered by Medicare
For the millions of older adults who turn to a chiropractor for back and neck pain, Medicare’s coverage rule is narrower than the clinic’s menu...
A Medicare Advantage plan must cover everything Original Medicare does, plus its extras
Roughly half of Medicare beneficiaries now sit in private Medicare Advantage plans, drawn by the dental, vision, and gym perks that Original Medicare never touches....
Longtime smokers can get a free yearly lung-cancer screening through Medicare
Lung cancer kills more Americans than any other cancer, and it earns that grim rank largely because it is usually caught too late to treat....
Obesity screening and counseling with a primary-care doctor are covered by Medicare
Weight has quietly become one of the biggest drivers of medical spending in later life, and Medicare responds with a benefit that costs the beneficiary...
Smoking-cessation counseling comes at no cost under Medicare
Quitting tobacco ranks among the most powerful health moves an older adult can make, and Medicare removes one of the common excuses by paying for...
Home dialysis and its training are covered by Medicare for people with kidney failure
Kidney failure usually conjures images of a clinic chair three mornings a week, but Medicare treats the home as a fully covered setting for the...
A Medicare five-star plan lets you switch to it anytime, not just during Open Enrollment
A little-known enrollment right gives Medicare beneficiaries a way to upgrade their coverage while nearly everyone else is locked to the calendar. Most people can...
Leaving Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare can cost you a guaranteed Medigap policy
Millions of retirees treat the annual switch between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare as routine housekeeping, but the move can quietly strip away one of...
Medicare pays for dental work only when it’s tied to another covered procedure
Original Medicare carries a blunt rule when it comes to teeth: it does not cover the cleanings, fillings, dentures, and extractions that make up the...
Medicare pays for monthly chronic-care check-ins for people with two or more conditions
Between doctor visits, a beneficiary juggling several chronic illnesses is often left to coordinate all of it alone, refilling prescriptions, tracking a rotating cast of...
A Medicare SELECT plan trades a hospital network for a lower Medigap premium
Medigap policies are prized above all for the freedom they carry: buy one, and a beneficiary can see any doctor or hospital anywhere in the...
Medicare covers a second surgical opinion, and a third if the first two disagree
Before agreeing to elective surgery, a Medicare beneficiary holds a benefit that many never once think to use: the program will pay for another doctor...
A free Medicare colonoscopy can turn into a bill if the doctor removes a polyp
A screening colonoscopy is one of the few things Medicare pays for in full, with no deductible and no coinsurance, as long as nothing is...
Therapeutic shoes and diabetic foot care are covered by Medicare for people with diabetes
Diabetes quietly reshapes what Medicare is willing to pay for. A disease that damages the nerves and the circulation in the feet turns items a...
Medicare covers cataract surgery and one pair of glasses afterward, though not routine vision care
Vision coverage under Original Medicare confuses many people over 65, and for good reason: the program refuses to pay for the eye exams and everyday...