Health Care Article


Health Insurance after Retirement

Health Insurance after Retirement

Understanding your health care rights, sorting through insurance policies and finding a way to pay your medical bills can be daunting tasks. But there are resources to help educate you about your rights and help you weigh your options.

You may be entitled, by law, to continued coverage under your employer’s group health insurance plan for a short period of time. In addition, some employers actually maintain health insurance for their retired employees. But obtaining private individual coverage as a senior can be expensive and difficult, particularly if you have a pre-existing condition.

As a senior you do have other options. Medicare, Medigap policies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), long-term care insurance, AHCCCS or veterans’ benefits may help cover your medical and long-term care expenses


Comments:

QUESTIONS

  • My Mom is an 80-year old senior with legal status, diable, no income, arrived in the US November 2007. She was just recently approved for AHCCCS Federal Emergency Services. I made an appeal to AHCCCS that she be granted a regular full coverage because of her current medical condition. What are the rights of the seniors in Arizona with the same case of my Mom in terms of health care. She has heart disease, severe arthritis, acute glaucoma that needs to be followed-up by specialists. She has been due for medical check up and needs continuous medication for the above illnesses. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
  • Don't qualify for AHCCCS,to young for medicare, if there is a catastrophic health issue I do not want all my savings wiped out so where can this money be put where the debtors can not touch it. Trusts?Where can my money be protected?Financial help/applications will want to know all about your accounts and will take every dime you have. I have paid my bills in the past. This is just a hypothetical question in case of a major illness. I simply cannot afford health insurance beginning in 2019
  • I have a question dealing with statute of limitations. I had cosmetic surgery in July 2017. Afterwards I had Ramsey Hunt Syndrome in my left ear. I have lost balance and dizziness problems due to the damage. I had tests performed by a doctor in fall of 2019 which diagnosed the extent of damage from this. Would the statute of limitations be from date of Ramsey Hunt diagnosis or could it be from the date the damage was measured and diagnosed by a doctor?
  • My parents are on social security income only and we are evaluating whether to put my Dad in a nursing home. He would most likely be eligible for ALTCS. My parents own their home and it is the only asset left to support my mother. I heard that a nursing home can take half the house value if the house is sold within 3 years of my father entering a facility. Can the home be put into a trust for my mother or sold to a family member before my father enters a nursing home to avoid this?
  • I have a Health Care Advance Directive from another state. Some of my friends say it is valid, others no. I suspect it is really up to the local hospital/doctor whether to honor it. Can you tell me if there is an AZ law that REQUIRES hospital/doctor to follow it? If so, can you tell me the law (statue??) that applies so I can refer to it if necessary? Thank you
  • My mother's second husband (married 3 years) agrees with my brothers and I that my mother has progressing memory degeneration. We have asked her to get a check up for her own good. Her husband will not help us get her to go for a check up. Is there anything we can do?
  • My wife is permanatly disabled under social security disablity. Part of her disablitiy is problems with comprehension. Between her learning disablity and hearing impairment, she has a really hard time comunicating with doctors and insurance companies. She just can't comprehend these things. She wants me to be her Medical Power of Attorney so that she doesn't have to deal with insurance companies customer service. The only information I can find is related to seniors. Can you help us? Where to go.. who to see?
  • My father-in-law just got approved for AHCCCS. He had originally signed up for Humana so wondering if he can still use the Humana?
  • Can I request "in-home" assistance thru AHCCCS? We are in need of assistance for someone with mild Alheimer's as reminders for taking medicine and for personal health & safety a few hours a day. Is this possible thru AHCCCS?
  • My mother had quad bypass surgery 10/07. Upon coming home from the hospital we needed a caregiver to help my mom take her meds go to the bathroom , feed herself , bathe herself etc. After 90 days my mothers LTC kicked in. We filed a claim with Humana , which is the provider that administers her medicare , on 04/20/07. We called a couple of weeks later and were told it takes 30 days to process. We then called the end of May and were told they have it but to wait another 30 days. We called at the end of June and were now told it was in the wrong dept but it would now be expedited. I called mid July spoke to a "manager " Joe Clark who said it was still in the worng dept but he wopuld expedite it and call me back in 1-2 days. NO CALL 10 days later I call and speak to Stephanie, and she tells me her sup. will call me back NO CALL. i call 5 days later speak to Woodley , he tells me he has no idea about the delay but will rush it. I call at the end of July speak to yet another manager who tells me they "changed" vendors and need me to refax the entire claim. She asks me what the claim is about I tell her and she tells me that what I described to her is really more "housekeeping" work and not covered. KEEP IN MIND she hasn't even reviewed the claim. I am now approaching 4 months since we first submitted this and I am at wits end. What are my options to get this expedited one way or another

STORIES

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FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

RELATED ARTICLES

Life Care Planning Packet (Advanced Directives), Information and Documents from the Arizona Attorney General

Medicare

Medigap

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

AHCCCS Informational Brochures

MEDICARE IS HERE TO STAY

LINKS

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

Arizona Department of Economic Security

Medicare On-line

Area Agency on Aging

Arizona Dept. of Insurance

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