Q. Where can I get help with deciding whether to join a Medicare Advantage Plan or to buy long-term care insurance?
A. The Department of Aging offers free and impartial counseling through its Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP). Call 410-887-2594 for more information.
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Q. Do I have to enroll in Part B of Medicare?
A. Some people delay enrollment in Part B because they continue to work after turning age 65, but everyone else is better off enrolling when they turn 65. Unless you are working and have health coverage from your employer, you will be penalized by the government, adding a 10% surcharge to your premium for every year that you delay enrollment after your 65th birthday.
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Q. What is long-term care insurance?
A. It's a special insurance - different from Medicare, Medigap or Medicare Advantage Plans - that pays for custodial care at home, in nursing homes and other settings.
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Q. Does Medicare cover nursing homes?
A. If you need inpatient skilled nursing or rehabilitation services after a hospital stay and you meet certain other conditions, Medicare helps pay for up to 100 days in a Medicare-participating skilled nursing facility in each benefit period. It is important to know that Medicare does not pay for "custodial care" when that is the only kind of care that you need. Custodial care is the type of care many people receive in nursing homes. It is care that could be given by someone who is not medically skilled (for example, help with dressing, walking or eating).
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Q. Should I enroll in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan when I turn 65?
A. Yes, unless you will have prescription coverage from your employer that is as good as or better than Medicare Part D. Even if you do not currently use many prescriptions, that may change in the future. If you wanted to sign up later, you would be assessed a penalty for each month you were eligible but did not sign up.
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Revised January 5, 2007
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