Author: Kate Ashford, CSA®

[ad_1] Your own home is your sanctuary, nevertheless it’s additionally one in all your largest price range gadgets. And after you retire, it might really feel like extra home than you want. However on this housing market, when a smaller dwelling with upgraded options could also be about as costly because the one you’re promoting, is it nonetheless good to downsize? In some instances, downsizing is suitable, however not essentially money-saving. You could possibly promote your own home and purchase one thing cheaper, nevertheless it may additionally make sense to downsize to maneuver nearer to household or have much less…

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[ad_1] Now that retirement spans extra years than ever, you would possibly have to rethink the way you’re envisioning that stage of your life. Though People are retiring a bit of later than they did 30 years in the past, they’re additionally residing longer. Retirement isn’t a blip on the life radar — it’s a major chunk of time. Whereas your dad and mom might have retired and by no means labored one other day of their lives, you might discover that part-time work once you grow old fulfills your psychological wants and helps your retirement financial savings final. You…

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[ad_1] Many individuals select Medicare Benefit plans with out exploring their choices or noticing what modifications their plan might have made, in response to analysis from KFF, a well being coverage nonprofit. However now {that a} new yr has began, chances are you’ll understand the plan you picked throughout Medicare’s fall open enrollment doesn’t give you the results you want. Or perhaps you caught together with your outdated plan and it modified this yr. (That may occur, too.) “It’s arrange particularly for individuals who start the yr enrolled in a Medicare Benefit plan and permits them to make sure modifications,”…

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[ad_1] Barely greater than half of Medicare-eligible persons are enrolled in Medicare Benefit — however hospitals across the nation have been dropping Medicare Benefit plans resulting from points with prior authorizations and denials. Hospitals and well being techniques in at the least 11 states introduced in 2023 that they’d be out-of-network for some or all Medicare Benefit plans in 2024, based on reporting from Becker’s Hospital Overview, a medical trade commerce journal.“It’s an actual downside for individuals,” says Katy Votava, who holds a doctorate in well being economics and nursing and is president and founding father of Goodcare, a consulting…

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[ad_1] Every calendar yr brings a brand new set of modifications to Medicare, from premiums and deductibles to guidelines and rules. To get essentially the most from Medicare in 2024, it’s useful to grasp what might be completely different.Right here’s a primer on 2024 Medicare modifications:Half A prices will largely go upMedicare Half A covers your hospital care in addition to care in a talented nursing facility (SNF). Most individuals get Half A free of charge, however for many who haven’t labored sufficient quarters to get free Half A, premiums will keep about the identical. If you must purchase Medicare…

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[ad_1] Cigna Medicare Benefit presents plans in 29 states and Washington, D.C., and the corporate’s member expertise scores, together with metrics like care coordination and customer support, are above common for main suppliers. Blue Cross Blue Protect, which is a collective of 33 unbiased firms, presents plans in most U.S. states, however scores range throughout firms. Advantages out there additionally range by BCBS firm.Right here’s a take a look at how Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Protect examine. Cigna Medicare Benefit Cigna3.76CMS Star RankingCommon Medicare star ranking, weighted by enrollment. Star scores are decided by the Facilities for Medicare &…

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[ad_1] Greater than 1 in 4 retirees say they’re spending greater than they’ll afford, in accordance with an October 2022 survey by the Worker Profit Analysis Institute. With inflation at 7.1% in November, it’s not stunning that financial savings aren’t going so far as they used to. However there are methods to usher in further earnings with out taking up a full-time job. Some part-time gigs — corresponding to tutoring, pet sitting or serving to with tax prep — permit retirees to work a number of hours at a time, and the additional earnings could make an enormous distinction. Listed below are…

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[ad_1] Medicare open enrollment begins at present, however 7 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries say they don’t examine Medicare plans throughout this era, in response to a 2021 evaluation by KFF, a well being coverage nonprofit.That’s not nice, since Medicare Benefit plans — which function very similar to the personal insurance coverage you’ll have had by means of an employer — change from yr to yr. One in all your docs could have fallen out of community or your prescription drug costs could have gone up. And folks with Unique Medicare ought to examine their Half D prescription drug protection.Right here’s…

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