New Sections for 2015 Edition: Truths and Myths Long-term care issues Medicare & Retirement/Financial Planning Written by a Certified Financial Planner(r), nationally-recognized expert (as Expert contributor on mymedicareanswers.com, powered by Humana, Inc, the nation's 2nd largest provider of Medicare plans), and frequent public speaker in person and on talk radio stations nationwide, Maximize Your Medicare provides analysis and advice you can use in plain-spoken English with NEW, UPDATED 2015 Premiums, and cost-sharing details. The book is not an endorsement of any carrier's product. It is written to distinguish differences among the numerous alternatives that face those affected by Medicare. There is no political agenda associated with this book: it is written for the benefit of the Medicare beneficiary, their families, and their advisers, both personal and professional. Medicare is frequently misunderstood for many reasons: confusing dates, perplexing rules, excessive advertisements . Maximize Your Medicare is intended to address these misunderstandings, so you can choose the right option for yourself. The book includes examples of real-life cases, which may be similar to the situation that you may face.

The bottom line: you are not alone and the situation you face may be similar to the situation that others have faced, are facing, and will face in the future. Maximize Your Medicare explains: * What Medicare is * How/when to enroll * Your rights and options when you become eligible for Medicare * How to Compare Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans * How private plans (group, Medicare Advantage, Medigap) interact with Medicare * How prescription drug benefits work under Medicare Part D * How to choose among employer (group) plans and private plans Maximize Your Medicare can help you from making costly errors. It is not enough to simply know the basics of Medicare. The fine print, and changing situation can mean the difference between saving money, or paying out-of-pocket expenses, that may have been excessive or unnecessary, if you had the correct information. Maximize Your Medicare offers tips on how to get extra benefits and shows you benefits that you may not have known existed. The book FULLY explains why your out-of-pocket expenses may be higher than you expected, and what to do to avoid them. In addition, there are special sections which describe some special groups of beneficiaries, from veterans to governmental employees to the seriously ill. Special attention is devoted to those that are part of employer-sponsored group plans.

Healthcare professionals can use this book to explain how Medicare works to the benefit of practices, and their patients. Physicians and medical facilities can help their patients, and themselves, if patients are making effective Medicare choices. Retirement planning rightfully begins here : healthcare expenses can drain the retirement savings if healthcare costs are not properly taken into account. To think that portfolio returns will exceed the potential expenses, should extensive healthcare costs be incurred, is ignoring financial market reality. To think that estate planning documents will save more than the costs of potential out-of-pocket expenses is ignoring legislative reality. Elder care attorneys/financial planners will serve their clients best by helping them with potential healthcare costs first.