Some Medicaid Coverage Is Going Away
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“Omaha Insurance Solutions made Medicare understandable
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for me. They answered all my questions and kept explaining until I understood.” –Chuck T.
The Dept. of Health and Human Services estimates that between 8 to 24 million people may lose Medicaid throughout the country soon. The reason is that Medicaid rules were relaxed and expanded during the pandemic. The exceptions that allow people Medicaid coverage will stop at the end of May. I have a few clients who are on Medicare and Medicaid. The way the two work together is that Medicare pays first, according to Medicare payment rates. State Medicaid comes in and pays the Medicare Part B premium for the beneficiary on the lower level of Medicaid. At the higher levels, Medicaid will also cover some or all copays and coinsurance. Those on FULL Medicaid and Medicare are eligible for the various Medicare Advantage DUAL plans offered through insurance companies. Dual plans may maximize your needs. Sometimes, people fall out of the Medicaid program because they do not respond to correspondence from the Dept. of Health and Human Services and Medicaid. The state generally reconfirms income levels every couple of years. If you do not complete the proper paper work, you may lose your Medicaid coverage, along with your Dual Special Needs plan. Some beneficiaries have a “ spend down. ” A spend down is when a person purchases health insurance plans to reduce their income. The reduction in income makes them eligible for Medicaid. (Bizarre rule.) Sometimes, people forget to pay their health insurance or there is no money in their bank accounts when the insurance company makes the auto draft. The policy then cancels. Income goes up. Medicaid is turned off. I have been through this scenario too many times. Right now, the special pandemic allowance for Medicaid is ending. I’ve spoken to several clients. DHHS and NE & IA Medicaid have contacted them by letter. Most will lose their Medicaid. Some need to reapply under a different set of criteria and will qualify. Those who lose their FULL Medicaid status will also lose their dual plan. The problem is that they do not automatically go to a regular Medicare Advantage plan. If they remain on the dual plan, they will be charged more for their Medicare plan, and the out of pocket costs may be larger than if they enrolled in one of the other Medicare Advantage plans.
Seafood Pasta Salad
Inspired by TheSpruceEats.com
If you can’t get to the beach this summer, bring the ocean to you with this refreshing seafood pasta salad. Ingredients
• 4 cups fusilli noodles • 2 cups crab meat or shrimp • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese • 2 cups ranch dressing • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed • 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped red peppers • 1/2 cup diced onions • 1/2 cup shredded carrots • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes • 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions 1. In a large pot, bring the fusilli noodles to a boil and cook until al dente, then drain. 2. In a large bowl, combine noodles, crab or shrimp, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, peas, green and red peppers, onions, and carrots, then mix together gently. 3. Refrigerate the pasta salad for 3–4 hours. If salad is dry upon removing from refrigerator, add more ranch dressing. 4. Once you’re ready to eat, top salad with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese if desired.
I call clients, advising them I need to switch them to another plan. Unfortunately, you can only lead a horse to water. You can’t make it drink.
I recommend you call us if you are in this situation. For friends in this situation, please encourage them to call us to speak with a licensed and experienced insurance agent professional. Ignoring it will not make it go away.
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