Medicare beneficiaries will see their standard Medicare Part B monthly premium increase by $5 monthly to $104.90 beginning in January. A small number of beneficiaries will continue to pay higher premiums based on their modified adjusted gross income, which depends on the extent to which an individual beneficiary’s modified gross income exceeds $85,000 ($170,000 for [...]
An explanation of Medicare
October 4, 2012
This article, provided by Palmetto GBA Railroad Medicare, outlines the various “parts” of Medicare and explains which types of services are covered under each. What Is Part A? Part A includes inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility (or SNF), nursing home, hospice and home health services care. It also includes long-term care acute care (LTAC). Part [...]
Medicare and ambulance services
September 23, 2012
Ambulances transport critically ill or injured passengers to hospitals every day. They also take patients with non-emergency conditions to hospitals, critical access hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes and other medical facilities to treat serious health conditions. Some of these transports are scheduled in advance, and some are not. Both emergency and non-emergency ambulance services [...]
Conservatives pressing attack on working families
March 30, 2012
Public transportation funding, transportation jobs, workplace safety, Railroad Retirement and Medicare are under a mean-spirited and sustained attack by congressional conservatives who are trying to muscle their agenda through Congress prior to the November elections. The UTU and Sheet Metal Workers International Association – now combined into the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) – [...]
It’s time for flu and pneumonia vaccines
November 10, 2011
The head-cold and flu season is upon us, making it time to lower your risk of disease and illness by receiving a flu shot and pneumonia vaccine – and if you or your spouse is covered by Medicare, you won’t bear the cost and do not require a doctor’s referral. The flu shot is an [...]
Medicare Part B premium will rise in 2012
November 3, 2011
The Medicare Part B premium will rise by $3.50 monthly to $99.90 monthly beginning Jan. 1, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This is the first increase in the Part B premium in two years. For Medicare participants who first enrolled in 2010 and 2011, and have been paying as much as $115.40 monthly, [...]
Preserving Medicare: We have a role to play
June 9, 2011
Would you accept a job paying $1 million to count out $2 billion in $1 bills? Think again, because working a 40-hour week and counting out $1 per second, you would require 266 years to count out the $2 billion total. Now that you have an idea how much $2 billion is, consider that in [...]
RRB to withhold Medicare Parts C&D premiums
May 31, 2011
The Railroad Retirement Board will begin June 1 to withhold from benefits checks premiums for Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage plans) and Medicare Part D (prescription drug plans). Withholding is voluntary, and beneficiaries should contact their plans to request withholding by the Railroad Retirement Board of these premiums from their monthly benefits payments. Part C [...]
Medicare changes could affect your wallet
May 4, 2011
Federal legislation affecting how Medicare reimburses physicians requires Medicare providers to reprocess claims dating back more than a year. This reprocessing, required by federal law, may result in your receiving a refund for Medicare services you received in 2010, or your being billed for additional amounts under your co-pay obligation. In some cases there will [...]
If your physician withdraws from Medicare…
April 6, 2011
Many physicians and medical practitioners are choosing to withdraw from participation in Medicare. This has a direct financial impact on all UTU members who are retired or intend to retire in the near future. If you are eligible for Medicare, and your physician or medical practitioner withdraws from participation in Medicare, you are faced with [...]
