ArcaMax

Dear Toni:

I had no problem opening the “My Social Security” account to enroll in Medicare because I knew those answers. When it came to filling out the application for Medicare that was another story.

I had a problem with some of Medicare’s personal questions. I knew my name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, etc. When ...Read more

Toni:

Last week’s Medicare Part D question was from Tonya regarding discovering that she and her husband are receiving an “extra” Part D premium, which she never knew about. You advised her to contact her local Congressional office to help appeal the Medicare issue.

I now must fight Social Security because they are under the ...Read more

Dear Toni:

In December 2016, you assisted me and my husband Gary in leaving my employer’s benefits. We enrolled into Medicare Part B with a Medicare Supplement and Part D prescription drug plan that began on January 1, 2017.

The 2024 Medicare AEP is the ONLY year that we have changed from the original Medicare Part D plan that we ...Read more

Note: Due to the continued confusion on the issue, Toni is rerunning this column from May. It has been slightly updated.

Dear Toni,

I need your help regarding my parents who are in their late 80s. My mother has been disabled with Parkinson’s for the past 3 years and my father has been her caretaker, but due to his recent heart attack, he...Read more

I turned 65 in June, 2 years ago and did not enroll in Medicare because I do not have any health issues. A friend advised me to enroll in Medicare during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period. I received a letter stating that because I did not enroll in Medicare when I turned 65 that I have been denied Medicare.

The letter also stated that ...Read more

Dear Toni,

I am retiring in February when I turn 65 and will need to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B with a Medicare Supplement and a Part D prescription drug plan.

My husband, James, is 72 and has heart issues, so he enrolled in Medicare A and B when he turned 65 and remained on my company benefits to have his heart surgery. He is taking ...Read more

Toni:

I never should have listened to my brother who bragged about how his Medicare Advantage plan was a great way to save money and not have to spend so much on my Medicare supplement plan’s premium. I discovered that the eye doctor who was to perform surgery on my right eye in early January is not in this plan. I should have called his ...Read more

Toni,

I have Original Medicare with a Supplement and in October, I was taken by ambulance to the emergency room for heart issues. I was surprised when I signed a hospital form stating that I was “under observation,” as the doctor decided whether to admit me as an inpatient or send me home. I was lucky that he sent me home.

During this ...Read more

Toni:

In 2022, the Toni Says Medicare team enrolled me in Medicare with Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D plan including my prescriptions that had copay only. When I looked online at Medicare.gov, I noticed that the diabetic insulin I take will no longer be covered for 2025. This change will cost $391 monthly out-of-pocket. And Ozempic,...Read more

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