This is because Medicaid and Medicare are federally-funded programs that offer standardized health care. These programs provide health care insurance for people in special situations, so applying for these isn’t exactly the same as applying for private insurance.

Medicare Insurance Quotes

What are your Medicare options? You can choose between Medicare Original (Parts A and B) and Medicare Advantage (Part C). If you opt for Medicare Original, you can buy supplemental private insurance, called Medigap, to fill in the coverage gaps.

Whether you choose Medicare Original or Medicare Advantage, you can also opt for Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D*), which covers some of the costs of prescription medications.

Alternatively, if you’re interested in Medicare Advantage, Medigap, or a Prescription Drug Plan, you can request a free senior health insurance quote right here. Submitting a request will help you find local insurance companies that offer the Medicare policies you’re interested in.

When purchasing Medigap insurance from private companies, it’s important to know that all Medigap policies are standardized in terms of the benefits and services they provide. However, these policies do differ in terms of fees and chargers that you incur. That means when comparing policies from different companies, it’s more important to compare the costs of those policies than the services they offer.

*You may be able to get extra help to pay for your prescription drug premiums and costs. To see if you qualify for getting extra help, call:

• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY/TDD users should call 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day/7 days a week;
• The Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m.7 p.m., Monday through Friday. TTY/TDD users should call, 1-800-325-0778; or and
• Your State Medicaid Office

photo credit: Daquella manera

The days of having to get up early for work are slowly coming to an end. Thinking about settling down in a few years and accepting the fact you are close to 65 years old. This may be a good time to begin thinking about retirement. After 40 years of working hard, you deserve a little rest and relaxation. Hopefully, you saved up some money and can afford a nice house by the beach where you can begin focusing on the things that you did not have time for and dreamed of doing once you retired.

With Senior Health Care, Timing is Everything

Ten years ago, the economy did not have an effect on people the way it does today. Unfortunately, people thinking about retirement are barely hanging on to their jobs due to a high unemployment rate and recession. The most difficult aspect for some is getting laid off before turning 65 years old and having to determine whether to go with COBRA or an alternative.

The Economic Stimulus Plan and COBRA

Many workers are losing their jobs these days and their health insurance goes with it. If you have health insurance through your company, it is usually cheaper to continue your coverage through COBRA while you look for work. You have the option of continuing your coverage for 18 months which can be costly considering you are paying the premiums that your employer used to pay for you as well as your own share from the group plan. This may cost well over $1,000 per month and considering the fact that you were planning on retiring in a few years and are looking for a job, this could destroy some of your retirement dreams.

The stimulus package proposes to address this issue by picking up 65% of the total cost of premiums accrued over the first nine month period. This gives you 9 months to find a job and still have the health coverage that you deserve while you are out looking for a new job. If you lost your job after September 1st and did not attain COBRA coverage, you will have 60 days to apply. The stimulus package was implemented in order to avoid some of the negative aspects of people that are close to retirement getting laid off and looking for work.

Alternatives to COBRA for Retiring Seniors

When you lose your job, the last thing you want to add to your stress is another expense for health insurance. Some people choose to avoid the cost completely and be extra cautious while out looking for a new career. This can be extremely risky considering you are out and about looking for a new job. It is always better to be safe than sorry, especially if you are driving more or taking public transportation.

As a senior you may also be susceptible to all sorts of new bacteria and disease in your day-to-day environment. On top of it all, you are close to retirement and any health conditions you may have can make it difficult to get approved by insurance companies that do not accept preexisting health conditions. If your senior health insurance plan does accept preexisting conditions, chances are the premiums will be much higher than COBRA.

Have a Job? Keep Truckin’

If you currently have a job during these tough economic times, appreciate it and enjoy the benefits that come with it. If you are close to retirement, don’t put your feet up on your desk just yet, and if you just lost your job, keep truckin’ and something will come your way.

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Reflect on the Health of Your Relationship

Take this opportunity to reflect on the current state of your relationship, as well as the fond memories you have of the first time you felt love for your significant other. The current state of your relationship may not be exactly what you had dreamed of — and that is perfectly healthy — but if it is causing sadness or depression it may be a good idea to speak with a mental health professional.

Speaking with a therapist could be both therapeutic for your own peace of mind, and it could also improve your relationship with your loved one long after retirement. Most senior health insurance providers offer coverage for mental health patients within their network.

Take advantage of the benefits that come from just letting all of your emotional stress out and sharing it with someone that can help steer you in the right direction. If your loved one wants to join in, the better-couples therapy can turn a potential separation into a renewed matrimony! Combining individual therapy with couples therapy, the flame will inevitably burn for eternity. The communication patterns that cause a relationship to spiral out of control can be reversed with the help of a trained professional.

What Could a Therapist Do to Improve the Health of My Relationship?

Sometimes a therapist that provides an ear and a shoulder to cry on is just not enough. In this case, medication may help get you back on track. If a mental health professional determines that medication will help resolve the current issues you are facing, check to see if your insurance provider covers the prescribed medication. If it does not cover it, you can find the generic brand and still receive the same benefits for a fraction of the cost.

Could Four Minutes Cure Osteoporosis?

It turns out that Osteoporosis is not a disease. You can cure Osteoporosis. How do I know? My friend has figured out the cure. He has developed a bioDensity machine that cures Osteoporosis and provides a good workout in only four minutes. I had the opportunity to experience the filming of a video that will be distributed to health insurance companies across the globe and listened to the amazing stories of all the people that use this new technology.

Filming a Break-Through in Senior Health Science

Sometimes film is unable to capture all aspects of an event. This is apparent when there are no actors and actresses; just people telling their story. The goal of the film is basically to show doctors and health insurance companies that there is a simple cure to Osteoporosis and that people are able to prevent it while improving upon their posture and bone density.

I listened to an 80-year old woman, who told me how the bioDensity has changed her life. She loved to scuba dive and, as she grew older, her doctor told her that her bones were becoming too weak to be scuba diving. Her twin decided not to try the bioDensity machine and you can see the difference. The posture of the one that chose to utilize the machine is dramatically different from her twin sister.

Is this the Future of Exercising for Seniors?

Whoever said that exercise had to take place at a gym? New machines that send your workout information through a computer to your insurance company are beginning to appear in some of the top senior living facilities around the world. The bioDensity machine combined with a “Powerplate” is all one needs to stay healthy while building bone density and toning muscles. A ten-minute workout is the equivalent of running four miles everyday and then going to the gym for a few hours and using all of the machines. The new equipment should be arriving at a senior living facility or fitness center near you within the next year.

Healthy and Active in Your Golden Years

This is not one of those products that you see on TV at 4 o’clock in the morning, which often sounds too good to be true. The future is here and scientists along with some of the biggest names in the fitness industry have been working on a machine rather than medication that will cure Osteoporosis. Most people think that Osteoporosis is a disease that is a result of a lack of Calcium D in the body.

Surprisingly, while researching the disease for a thesis paper in college, my friend discovered that if a person puts “load” upon the body and builds up their bone density in this way, they will reverse the development of Osteoporosis. After writing the thesis paper, he decided to devote his life to creating a machine that would allow people of all ages and sizes to put “load” upon their bodies through three different exercises without injuring themselves. It is hard to imagine a machine that can simplify working out and cure Osteoporosis. I guess you will just have to try it out some day.

Generic vs. Brand Name Prescription Drugs

One of the ways to keep your costs down is to ask your doctor to prescribe a generic version of the medication you’re buying now. Many plans charge a much lower co-pay amount for generic-brand medications than the much higher brand-name drugs. Be sure to check if the medication you’re taking now has a generic substitute that your health care plan will cover before you have your doctor change your prescription.

Even if the higher-costing brand name medicine you’re taking now doesn’t have a generic equivalent, there may be another drug on the market that could treat your medical condition at a lower cost. Always be sure to check with your doctor before you make the decision to switch drugs.

Buying Drugs in Bulk

Another way to save on drug costs is to buy in bulk whenever possible. Many drug plans offer volume discounts when you purchase three-month supplies of medication at once.

Finding Cheaper Pharmacies

You can also look for a cheaper pharmacy to buy your medications. Target and Wal-Mart have plans in place that allow them to sell most generic drugs for as low as four dollars per prescription. There are also many mail-order pharmacies that offer discounts for orders placed through the mail.

Ordering from Canada

Many people needing medications every month are finding cost relief by shopping for their medications in Canada. You can now purchase a 90-day supply of drugs without having to stop at the border by customs agents. U.S. government officials will also no longer seize mail-order prescription drug orders from Canada.