Where to Spend, Where to Save: Managing Diabetes on a Budget
Your blood sugar is in check, you\’ve lost weight and you\’re feeling great. But your diabetes management plan is still in need of a tune-up: A financial one. Like many people, you\’re doing without some luxuries to save money. You may even be trying to cut costs on the necessities when you can. When it [...]
Dealing With Jet Lag
In many ways, air travel has had positive effects on the quality of our lives. We can jet to Asia to conduct business face to face. We can board a plane in Boston one evening and the next morning be standing before the Eiffel Tower. For our bodies, though, rapid air travel is not always [...]
How to Avoid Medicare Part D Coverage Gap or Doughnut Hole
Medicare Part D is supposed to provide seniors with access to affordable medicine, and for most people it does. But each year about one in four recipients runs into something called the doughnut hole. Despite its sweet-sounding name, the doughnut hole is anything but. It\’s actually a gap in coverage until you reach the maximum [...]
Paying for Health Care in Retirement: The 5 Best Options
Like it or not, retirement just isn\’t what it used to be. For one thing, health care has gotten more expensive. Not too long ago, it was possible to retire with full medical benefits. But those days are gone for most of us. Now experts say retired couples need more than $200,000 just to pay [...]
Ways to Cut Costs of Dental Appointments
Enroll in a dental discount club. Many insurance companies offer memberships in dental discount programs. This is not the same thing as dental coverage, though. For about $100 a year, you can save twenty percent to thirty percent on treatment costs. The catch? You have to use a dentist who participates in the program. Usually [...]
Medigap Plans to Supplement Medicare
Medicare can be a valuable resource, but it doesn\’t pay for everything. In fact, most people find it only covers about half their medical costs. The rest they have to fork over on their own. But health care is so expensive that paying out of pocket is often unaffordable. And getting private coverage is difficult [...]
Your Guide to Federal Benefits with the Medicare Program
If you\’re reading this, chances are you\’ve already heard of Medicare. As one of the largest of all federal programs, it covers the medical expenses of more than 40 million people each year. These include: American citizens who are 65 or older Foreign residents 65 or older who have lived here five years Those with [...]
Planning for Health Care in Retirement: the 5 Don\’ts
When it comes to retirement costs, nothing is more expensive than health care. Experts may disagree on exactly how much you need, but they all say it\’s a lot. Even conservative estimates call for more than $200,000 for a period of 15 to 20 years. And that\’s before you even mention long-term custodial care. But [...]
Medicare Parts A and B and How They Work
Now that you\’re retired and looking forward to your golden years, you need to make sure you\’re adequately covered for your medical expenses. For most people 65 and older, this means signing up for Medicare. Medicare is the federal health insurance program that covers senior citizens, along with: ALS patients People with permanent kidney failure [...]
Estimated Health Care Costs During Retirement
When it comes to life expectancy in the new millennium, there\’s both good and bad news. The good news is we\’re all living longer. The bad news is it\’s getting more expensive. The estimates vary, but they all basically agree. Health care in retirement costs a bundle. In fact, experts believe most married couples need [...]