How “No Surprises Act” May Help With Unexpected Medical Bills

The No Surprises Act is a federal law enacted to protect patients from unexpected medical bills incurred on or after January 1, 2022. It aims to address the issue of surprise medical billing, which can occur when patients receive unexpected charges for their medical...

RSV Vaccine Options for U.S. Seniors to Become Available

Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have each developed a vaccine to protect older adults from a virus known as RSV. People over 60 are at significant risk of serious complications if they contract RSV. Fortunately, with the recent FDA approval...

Home Health Services Underutilized by Seniors, Study Shows

Health Affairs estimates that 4 million older adults can only leave their homes with assistance, making accessing care challenging. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1.3 million Americans receive care in nursing homes. According to A Place...

Why Georgia’s New Medicaid Program May Impact You

In June 2023, Georgia announced the implementation of the Pathways to Coverage program, effective July 1, 2023. If successful, it could allow able-bodied adults who have not previously qualified for Medicaid to join the program and have access to health coverage if...

Medicare Extra Help Program Set to Expand in 2024

Seniors and disabled citizens will receive more access to the Medicare Extra Help Program as of the beginning of 2024, the federal government announced. This expansion of benefits could enable up to 3 million people to reduce their prescription drug costs. What Is the...

What Is a Medicare Flex Card?

Some Medicare Advantage beneficiaries receive Medicare flex cards, pre-paid debit cards for qualifying expenses, as part of their benefits. The U.S. government does not issue Medicare flex cards. This benefit is only available on select Medicare Advantage plans, a...

The Consequences of Not Paying Your Property Taxes

When Geraldine Tyler, age 94, relocated to a senior community, she stopped paying property taxes on her home. After the property was foreclosed on, the county where Tyler’s home was located sold the property for $40,000 to recover about $15,000 in unpaid property...

How “Third-Party” Special Needs Trusts Differ From Other Trusts

Special needs trusts come in three main flavors — first-party special needs trusts, third-party special needs trusts, and pooled trusts. All three trust varieties are designed to manage resources for a person with special needs so that the beneficiary can still...