Hospitals

Hospitals provide medical, surgical, and psychiatric care to people who are sick or injured. Services are ordered by a doctor. These types of hospitals can be found here using the “Hospital type” filter:

Acute care: Give inpatient medical care and other related services for surgery, acute medical conditions, or injuries (usually for a short-term illness or condition).

Children’s: Inpatient care is mostly for people under age 18.

Critical access: Small facilities that give outpatient and limited inpatient services to people in rural areas.

Psychiatric: Specialty facilities that mainly give inpatient psychiatric services to diagnose and treat mental illness on a 24-hour basis, by or under the supervision of a physician.

Nursing homes

Nursing homes are facilities for people who need 24-hour care. Most nursing homes provide both short-term and long-term care, including:

• Short-term care for people who need rehabilitation after surgery, like physical therapy after a hip or knee replacement
• Short-term care for people who need skilled nursing to recover from an illness, like pneumonia
• Long-term care for people who need help with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, or eating

Some nursing homes offer specialized care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. The nursing homes here are certified by Medicare and/or Medicaid.

Home health services

Home health care provides skilled, short-term services in-home. These services are typically ordered by a doctor to help with recovery following an inpatient hospital stay, rehabilitation, or a stay at a facility providing skilled nursing care. In general, the goal of home health care is to help you get better, regain your independence, and be as self-sufficient as you can.

Home health agencies that serve your area are based on the ZIP code you enter in your search, regardless of where their office is located.

Hospice care

Hospice offers care and support that focuses on the quality of life for people and their caregivers who are experiencing an advanced, life-limiting illness. This type of care is most often provided where patients live, whether it’s at home, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home. Hospice care uses a team of healthcare providers who care for patients’ medical, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Depending on the illness or condition, the hospice team creates a plan of care that can include some or all of these services:

Nursing care

• Hospice aide and homemaker services
• Social worker services
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Doctor/Physician Assistant services
• Prescription drugs for symptom control or pain relief
• Dietary counseling
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Speech-language pathology services (like to help with swallowing)
• Grief and loss counseling

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It’s understandable to feel that you don’t need to think about this topic when you’re in good health! You should know, however, that putting your future health care wishes in writing can be very helpful to your family members if you were to suddenly find yourself in a position where you can’t make health care decisions for yourself due to being incapacitated by injury or illness.

 Every state has different rules about who makes decisions about your treatment if you are physically unable to do so. In many cases, the decision-making is left in the hands of your health care providers, unless you’ve assigned someone as your legal representative in advance.

 If medical decisions are casually left up to your family, it can be difficult and time-consuming for them to agree on different treatment options. It can also be costly for them to get the legal right to make medical decisions for you, and they may also disagree on who should make these decisions for you. Having a plan with your wishes written out ahead of time can help avoid confusion and disagreements, and it ensures your wishes are honored if you’re unable to speak for yourself!

 Start by talking to your family about your wishes. When you’re ready, completing an advance directive is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family to ensure your healthcare wishes are met.

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There are indeed some changes coming in 2025, and you might’ve received an eligibility letter about it earlier this year. A new program called the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) program will be offering health insurance to eligible Postal Service employees, retirees, and their eligible family members. PSHB will replace your current FEHB coverage beginning January 1, 2025. It’ll be the only health benefits program available through the Postal Service to employees, retirees, and their eligible family members. Here’s what you need to know:

Some eligible members will have to enroll in Medicare to keep their PSHB:

• Active employees that are under the age of 64 (as of 12/31/24) and are participating in FEHB as of 12/31/24
• Covered family members of retirees when the primary PSHB enrollee is enrolled in Medicare Part B
• Note: Those who are enrolled in Medicare Part B as of 1/1/2025 must remain enrolled to continue participating in the PSHB program.
• Some eligible members do not have to enroll in Medicare:
• Retirees who retired on or before 12/31/24 and who are participating in FEHB as of 12/31/24.
• Covered family members of retirees who are participating in FEHB as of 12/31/24 (unless the primary PSHB enrollee is enrolled in Medicare Part B, see above list)
• Active employees age 64 or older (as of 12/31/24) who are participating in FEHB as of 12/31/24
• Some retirees eligible for PSHB might still wish to enroll in Medicare as they transition from FEHB to PSHB.

Even though it isn’t required, enrolling in Medicare Part B may reduce a retiree’s overall healthcare costs. 

You can learn more about the upcoming changes in the USPS’s fact sheets for current Postal employees and their documents for retirees.

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There are many types of services available to help meet the long-term care needs of an older person living at home. Family members and friends may be able to help with some personal and household tasks. But you might want to hire professionals to assist with others.

Home health care services

Home health care services may help older people with many aspects of health care, such as medications, wound care, medical equipment, and physical therapy. The provider may come for a few hours each day or stay 24/7.

Home health care services may include in-home nursing care to help a person recover from surgery, an accident, or an illness. If the person just left the hospital and still needs nursing care at home for a short time, the hospital can help arrange for a home health aide. In-home health services can also help manage long-lasting (chronic) conditions such as diabetes, for example, by testing a person’s blood sugar or giving insulin through a pump.

What to know about costs:

• Home health services charge by the hour.
• Medicare has limited coverage of home health service costs. The services must be short-term and provided by agencies certified by Medicare.
• Medicaid also provides coverage for home health service costs, but these benefits vary by state.
• Most private health insurance plans do not cover these costs.
• You must pay all costs not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.

To find a home health care service, ask your doctor or other health care professional about good options in your area. You can also ask friends or neighbors for referrals.

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Most people tend to focus on one type of exercise or activity and think they’re doing enough. Research has shown that it’s important to get all four types of exercise: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Each one has different benefits. Doing one kind also can improve your ability to do the others, and variety helps reduce boredom and the risk of injury. No matter your age, you can find activities that meet your fitness level and needs!

Endurance exercises for older adults

Endurance activities, often referred to as aerobics, increase your breathing and heart rates. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you perform the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also can delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, and others.

Strength exercises for older adults

Your muscular strength can make a big difference. Strong muscles help you stay independent and make everyday activities feel easier, like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries. Keeping your muscles strong can help with your balance and prevent falls and fall-related injuries. You are less likely to fall when your leg and hip muscles are strong. Some people call using weight to improve your muscle strength “strength training” or “resistance training.”

Some people choose to use weights to help improve their strength. If you do, start by using light weights at first, then gradually add more. Other people use resistance bands, and stretchy elastic bands that come in varying strengths.

Balance exercises for older adults

Balance exercises help prevent falls, a common problem in older adults that can have serious consequences. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance.

Flexibility exercises for older adults

Stretching can improve your flexibility. Moving more freely will make it easier for you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder when you back your car out of the driveway.

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Social Security beneficiaries will soon get notices showing exactly how much money to expect in their monthly checks for 2024.

Those recipients are slated to get a 3.2% boost to their benefits starting in January with the 2024 annual cost-of-living adjustment. Retirement benefits are expected to go up by more than $50 per month, on average.

One factor that will affect exactly how much beneficiaries receive is their Medicare Part B premium, which is typically deducted directly from Social Security checks.

Medicare Part B serves as medical insurance and covers doctor and other provider services, outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment and some preventive services.

Standard monthly premiums are slated to rise by $9.80 per month to $174.70 in 2024, from $164.90 per month this year.

However, people with higher incomes will pay more as a result of what is called income-related monthly adjustment amounts, or IRMAA.

When to appeal your Medicare Part B premium

You generally can’t have your Medicare Part B premiums adjusted — with one exception, according to Tim Steffen, director of advanced planning at financial services company Baird.

“If something has materially changed in your situation, you can appeal your Medicare premium,” Steffen said.

That applies to events that have caused your income to go down since 2022, such as a divorce, the death of a spouse, the loss of a pension or starting retirement.

You may file an appeal once you receive your benefit notice for 2024.

Medicare Part B premiums are based on beneficiaries’ modified adjusted gross income from two years prior. Therefore, 2024 Part B premiums are based on your 2022 federal tax returns.

That includes adjusted gross income — wages, retirement distributions, investment income, capital gains, rental income and Social Security benefits — as well as tax-exempt interest.

If you have municipal bond interest that you don’t pay federal taxes on because it is exempt, that can still prompt higher Medicare Part B premiums, Steffen said.

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If you’re 65 or older, you have a higher risk of having serious health complications from the flu. Get the flu shot to help lower your risk of hospital visits and death. To protect yourself this flu season, make sure you:

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about getting a preferred flu shot.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
• Wash your hands and clean surfaces you touch often.

The flu shot protects you from getting it and keeps you from spreading it to others.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers the seasonal flu shot (or vaccine) once per flu season and additional flu shots if it’s medically necessary.

Preferred flu shots

People 65 and older can get a preferred flu shot, which may be a greater benefit than the standard dose. Ask your doctor about getting one of these three preferred vaccines (if available):

• Fluzone High Dose Quadrivalent
• Flublok Quadrivalent
• Fluad Quadrivalent

You can get the standard flu shot if the preferred vaccine isn’t available.

Your costs in Original Medicare

If your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider accepts the assignment, you pay nothing for a flu shot. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, contact your plan for details.

Things to know

Don’t wait to get the flu shot. There are many places you can get one, including your doctor’s office and your local pharmacy — contact them for details. Find Flu Vaccines

It’s safe to get the flu shot with other vaccines. You can protect yourself against COVID-19 by getting your COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as your flu shot.

Note: Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get services more often than Medicare covers. Or, they may recommend services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. Ask questions so you understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and if, or how much, Medicare will pay for them.

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Millions of people receive a subsidy to help with the cost of their healthcare plan premiums, through the Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC), but they could end up owing money back to the government if the credit isn’t calculated correctly. That’s probably not what you were hoping for when you applied for a subsidy! So how does this happen, and what can you do about it?

The APTC is paid directly to health insurance providers to offset part of your premiums, and it’s based on your expected earnings for the year. These earnings are calculated when you apply for a healthcare plan and subsidy each year during Open Enrollment. But in some cases, your income can be estimated too low, and therefore the APTC will overpay the health insurance provider. You won’t cover enough of your share each month, and this problem might be discovered during the following year’s Open Enrollment period. At that point, you might be informed that you must repay the subsidy overage.

This can happen when you receive a raise after your income is estimated, or if you work a lot of overtime. Or, your spouse might earn more than expected. You might simply get married at some point during the year, and suddenly your household income doubles or more.

Luckily, there is an easy way to fix this problem, so that you don’t end up owing months of back premiums. Just write down your expected income each year when the calculations are made during Open Enrollment. And throughout the year, double-check to determine if your income is on track with those projections. If you’re earning more than expected, log into your online portal and change your income projection for the year. This way a new subsidy can be calculated, and you can avoid those overages which could trigger a large repayment demand later.

Of course, there are exceptions to this situation. If in doubt, discuss the matter with your healthcare plan’s customer support team to determine whether you might qualify for an excemption to repay this debt. But because it’s always better to prevent a problem, rather than try to resolve it later, we recommend staying on top of your earnings throughout the year.

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Sometimes you might visit your doctor, and learn that you must seek something called “prior authorization” for a medication or procedure. What is this, and why do you need it? Without prior authorization, your healthcare plan might not pay for the service, so it’s important to pay attention if your doctor or pharmacist mentions this term.

Your insurer might require prior authorization in some circumstances, for the following reasons:

• To ensure that the service or medication is truly medically necessary
• To ensure that the service or medication is the most up-to-date for your situation
• To keep costs low; if two medications both treat your condition, your insurer might want to know why the more expensive one was requested
• To prevent duplicated services when you’re seeing several doctors
• To ensure that ongoing service is actually helping you

Most of the reasoning for prior authorization revolves around making sure you’re getting the appropriate treatment for your condition. But of course, keeping costs low will help us all. The main purpose behind prior authorization is to ensure that funds are being spent on the right services or medications for the patients who truly need them. That way, we all receive the care we need, when we most need it.

How to get prior authorization. One criticism of prior authorization is that it can create a delay in treatment, so it’s important to follow instructions promptly and correctly. Your healthcare provider’s office should be able to help you, by providing the correct paperwork. Make sure to fill out these forms completely and correctly, to prevent unnecessary denials and appeals. Keep copies of your prior authorizations, including dates, so that you can prove your case if the need should ever arise.

Finally, communicate with your doctor. Ask what happens if the prior authorization is denied; is there a back-up plan for treatment, or is there some other route you can take? Sometimes you might need to appeal a denied prior authorization, but in other cases you will need to proceed with an alternate service or medication.

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Led by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Todd Young (R-IN), this important bill would require the federal government to provide advance notice to people approaching Medicare eligibility about basic enrollment rules, filling a longstanding gap in outreach and education.

While most older adults and people with disabilities are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part B, a growing number are not. These individuals must make an active enrollment choice, taking into consideration specific timelines, complex Medicare rules, and their existing coverage.

Far too many people make mistakes when trying to navigate this confusing system. The consequences of such missteps are significant and may include lifetime financial penalties, higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and gaps in coverage. In 2021, an estimated 779,400 people were paying a Part B Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP). The average amount increased their monthly premium by nearly a third (27%).

The BENES 2.0 Act would help prevent these costly errors by empowering informed enrollment and coverage choices. In so doing, it would advance the goals of the original BENES Act. Fully implemented this year, the BENES Act modernized transitions to Medicare by eliminating lengthy waits for coverage and updating Special Enrollment Period (SEP) flexibilities. The BENES 2.0 Act would build upon those successes to further improve enrollee health, well-being, and economic security.

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