Newsletters

Medicare Coverate - Hospitalization and Blood

Medicare coverage for care in hospitals depends upon whether the items are reasonable and necessary to a hospital stay and to the treatment of a patient's illness. Coverage varies slightly from state to state, but the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services is the ultimate authority on coverage issues.

Cost Sharing

Several financial assistance programs exist to help certain individuals obtain Medicare and Medicaid coverage: the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program; the Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program; and the Qualifying Individuals (QI) programs. These programs are available to qualifying individuals who do not meet the income requirements for Medicaid.

Asset Management - Viatical and Senior Settlements

In a viatical or senior settlement, a person who owns a life insurance policy sells the policy for a lump sum payment, usually a percentage of the policy's face value, to a buyer. The buyer of the policy then becomes the beneficiary, pays the premiums, and receives the full amount of the insurance when the original owner dies. Viatical settlements can be risky for both the sellers and the buyers and should be evaluated carefully.

Group Annuities

A group annuity provides annuities (periodic or fixed payments) to a group of people covered under one master contract or policy. A group annuity policy is typically purchased by an employer, employee associations, and employer associations to fund retirement or pension benefits.

Housing - Reverse Mortgages - HECM

In an ordinary home equity loan, a homeowner borrows money against the equity in his or her home, making payments to reduce the loan balance after the funds are received. As payments are made, the principal balance of the loan decreases.