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Medicare vs. private insurance: Which costs less
Wonder why some doctors grumble when a Medicare patient walks in the door? It’s likely because the government program typically pays only 80% of what private insurers do. Medicare has the bad rap of being a big, bloated government program, but…
Using Retirement Accounts to Fund a Business Startup Draws IRS Scrutiny
IRS is increasing scrutiny into a complex practice for using retirement accounts to fund a business. The practice may trip up business owners who take advantage of it. In the end, it could cost them not only their retirement nest…
Doctors say Medicare report only half of story
It took more than a decade of full-time training for Dr. Gohar Salam to be able to perform the complex eye surgeries he specializes in at his private practice. A retinal specialist in ophthalmology, he can operate on the delicate tissues…
Medicare reimbursement rates low for local providers
Dozens of local health care providers saw Medicare reimbursement rates dip under 20 percent while some got half the amount they billed for, according to new data recently released by the federal government showing Medicare claims and payments. For the first…
Your 2013 tax bill probably rose; here’s why
Whether you filed your taxes months ago or just finished your return, millions of Americans saw their 2013 tax bills go up. The “fiscal cliff” deal that Congress hammered out at the beginning of 2013 seems like ancient history, but it’s…
Social Security to resume benefits statement mailings
Paper Social Security benefits statements, which used to be mailed out every year and then fell victim to budget cuts, are going to make a partial comeback. Starting this September, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will resume mailings at five-year intervals…
Social Security Benefits From Your Ex
“I don’t think it is right for longtime divorcées to receive the windfall of a widow’s benefit,” writes a reader. “Social Security could save some money there.” She’s referring to your right to tap into your ex-spouse’s survivor’s benefit if you…
Generational equity and the ‘Next America’
In the week since we published The Next America data essay, a few critics have portrayed our report as an effort to foment a “generational war” over Social Security and Medicare. Let me respond. While the essay (and companion book) is mainly about the sweeping demographic changes now…
Frequently asked questions about Medicare
Since 1966, residents 65 or older have been able to sign up for Medicare, the federal government’s health plan for seniors. But there are now private plans available, as well as a drug plan, giving people more options — but also…
Medicare payment data opens a whole new avenue for political attacks.
I can’t think of any other American industry that has undergone as many sweeping competitive and regulatory changes in such a short time as health care. But one change – the release of data on Medicare payments made to health…