ArcaMax

Hello Toni:

In the new Medicare & You Handbook that I received about a month ago, I cannot find what the 2025 Medicare costs and premiums will be. I would like to know this information because I have been diagnosed with a heart condition and will need to undergo heart surgeries next year. I have looked online and cannot find the costs.

Do ...Read more

I received my new 2025 Part D premium with the plan increase going up by 250%, from $25.00 a month to over $60.00. I was informed that my diabetic insulin and one of my high blood pressure prescriptions are no longer covered beginning Jan. 1, 2025, on the Part D plan I am on.

Toni, please explain in easy-to-understand terms what I need to do...Read more

I began taking my RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) from my 401(k) when I turned 72, and my Medicare premium in 2024 is $454.20 for Part B and $53.80 for Part D. Did taking my RMD with my Social Security check raise my Medicare premiums? My wife, Karen, was working last year and made about $250,000. Are both of our incomes used to determine...Read more

Hello Toni:

I have a few questions about enrolling in Medicare since I am turning 65 this January:

-- Will my Medicare start automatically in January since I am still working?

-- If I retire when I’m 67, do I stay on COBRA or enroll in a Medicare plan?

-- What happens if I get another job?

Friends and co-workers tell me one thing about ...Read more

In August, my husband and I enrolled in a Medicare Supplement, which has not paid a medical claim because we are in a Medicare Advantage plan. We could not leave the Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare due to Medicare rules.

I was told that Medicare’s Annual Enrollment is when Sonny and I can disenroll from this Advantage plan ...Read more

Toni:

I understand that there is a major change to the 2025 Medicare Part D plan with the “Donut Hole” going away. I’m concerned because this year, I entered the donut hole in July and will exit it in November. This month’s Part D statement explained that my prescription drug costs have exploded for the remainder of 2024.

If the “...Read more

Reader Alert: Medicare Advantage and standalone Medicare Part D plans with specific 2025 plan changes and new prescription drug formulary updates should be released on the Medicare.gov website on Oct.1. This column was written before changes were announced.

Hello Toni:

Thank you for teaching us the value of finding the right Medicare option...Read more

Dear Toni,

My sister Sally has been qualified for Social Security Disability for the past 24 months, due to having heart issues, and is receiving her Social Security check. Last week, she received a letter saying that she will be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B beginning Nov. 1. She is 64 and her individual health insurance plan ends when ...Read more

Dear Toni,

My Medicare starts Oct. 1 and I received my first bill, due on Sept. 25, about a week ago. This bill is for 3 months (Oct. 1 - Dec. 31) and is over $525. I currently have more than $10,000 on my Health Saving Account (HSA) debit card through my past employer, and I was wondering if Medicare will accept payments made with an HSA ...Read more

Reader Alert: A recent “Social Security Data Breach” has affected 2.9 billion people worldwide. Be cautious if you believe this event could have affected you.

Hello Toni:

I was watching the news and discovered that my Social Security number and personal information could have been stolen through the Social Security Data Breach. This ...Read more

Recently I enrolled in Medicare and have not received my Medicare & You Handbook. I’m concerned about what I should do during the Medicare season that happens in the fall. How do I find out which options are best for me? I have some health problems, and I’m concerned about making the wrong change.

I know that I will be bombarded by ...Read more

You recently wrote an article explaining the hospice issues that you were experiencing regarding your mother. Please let your Toni Says Medicare column readers know other ways hospice comforts the caregiver when a loved one passes.

My mother’s hospice case manager and social worker made sure that I knew exactly what to do for her final ...Read more

Hi Toni,

In September I turn 65. I’m on COBRA from my job, which I retired from in May when I had heart surgery. The cardiologist informed me last week that the only thing that will improve my health is a heart transplant.

I need your guidance because I do not know what to do about enrolling in Medicare. Should I enroll in Medicare’s ...Read more

Dear Readers: This week I had my own experience with Medicare as my 92-year-old mother has reached her final stage of hospice. I feel it is important for me to explain hospice, so those with a terminally ill loved one learn the value of it. This information was given to me by the hospice provider taking care of my mother.

Dear Toni,

I ...Read more

Editor’s Note: Last week’s column about the “plastic Medicare card” scam stated that the most recent Medicare card update was in April of 2019. In fact, the rollout began in April 2018 and was completed 3 months prior to the scheduled completion date of April 2019. We apologize for any confusion.

Dear Toni,

Can you please explain ...Read more

Editor’s Note: The previous version of this column stated that the most recent Medicare card update was in April of 2019. In fact, the rollout began in April 2018 and was completed 3 months of the scheduled completion date of April 2019.

Reader Alert: You may remember reading about this scam in the Toni Says column several months ago. Below ...Read more

Toni,

My Medicare began June 1, and I received my first bill about a week ago. This bill is for 4 months from June 1 to Sept. 30 and is over $700. I thought Medicare was monthly. If I pay this amount, due on July 25, then I cannot pay my rent for August.

I was wondering if Medicare allows payments for Medicare Part B premiums to be monthly....Read more