Medigap Subsidies in Michigan

Swogger, Bruce & Millar Law Firm, P.C.

The deadline to pick a Medicare supplement or "Medigap" policy is fast approaching. December 7th is the last day to choose a policy during the annual open enrollment and December 15th is the last day to get a subsidy for all of 2017.

Many Traverse City seniors have been shocked by the rate increases to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Medigap policies, including the popular Medigap Legacy Plan C. The rates have been frozen for 5-years and have been the same for all demographics. Now rates will be based largely on age, sex and residence. The rates will increase from $122.86 per month to up to $315.00 per month

The Michigan Health Endowment Fund will now administer the subsidy program. You are eligible for a subsidy if: (1) your household income is below 150% of the federal poverty level, (2) you qualify for Medicare, (3) you have a qualifying Medigap policy and (4) are a Michigan resident. You do not get a subsidy if you are on Medicaid.

For example, a household with a husband and wife will qualify if their combined income is less than $23,895.00 and the other requirements are met. The subsidy ranges from $40.00 per month up to $125.00 per month.

Comments

Children’s Insurance, Other Health Programs Funded — For Now — In Bill

The bill passed by Congress late Thursday to keep most of the federal government funded for another month also provided a temporary reprieve to a number of health programs in danger of running out of money, most notably the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. Funding for CHIP technically expired Oct. 1. States have been operating their programs with leftover funds provided by the Department of Health and Human Services since then. But nearly half of the states were projected to run out of money entirely by the end of January, putting health coverage for nearly 2 million children at risk by that point. The funding provided by Congress for CHIP — $2.85 billion — is for six months, but it is back-dated to Oct. 1, so it will run out at the end of March 2018. The program covers 9 million children across the country. Follow the link below for the full story. Childrens Insurance Other Health Programs Funded For Now In Bill

Jeff Bartel's Commitment to Philanthropy

This is the first part of a series looking at business leaders and their charitable work. I want to explore how different leaders prioritize corporate social responsibility and business ethics. Accordingly, I am putting the spotlight on Jeff Bartel, a Miami entrepreneur and Managing Director of the Hamptons Group, who was appointed to the newly created position of Corporate Responsibility Officer for Florida Power and Light back in 2010 before these roles became standard in the corporate ecosystem. I will cover some of the highlights from Jeff’s charitable work from 2006 to 2012 and plan to feature his charitable work from 2013 to 2022 in a future article. Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions In 2006, Jeff worked with Sarasota County officials to help them make a strong environmental commitment so Florida Power and Light ( FPL) could build its first solar array . Sarasota County voted to allow one of its underused park locations to erect the solar array and was projected to reduce carbon...

Adding Cost of Living Adjustments to Veterans Benefits

The Veterans Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2018 aims to temporarily fix a common problem for veterans; benefits have stayed the same while the cost of living and inflation rise. Veterans benefits are effectively cut each year that Congress does not pass a COLA bill. Earlier this year, Congressman Mike Bost submitted the new bill; he is the Chairman of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs subcommittee. The bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase benefits as of December 1, 2018, using the same COLA used by the Social Security Administration. Congresswoman Elizabeth Etsy said that “ensuring our heroes’ benefits keep pace with the rising cost of living is the least we can do for them. With a cost of living adjustment, we will be able to put more dollars in the hands of the men and women who served our nation. Congressman Bost stated “it’s vitally important that we ensure the men and women who have served our na...

Traverse City Medicaid Attorney

Search This Blog