I stumbled across a web site supposedly for seniors. Its owner, a Richard Fiesta, had written in Huffington Post:
"For those with chronic illnesses, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, they are no longer subject to annual or lifetime limits on benefits."
I hope Mr. or Ms. Fiesta is right. It would be nice if it were true but I do not know of any such change in the Medicare law in the 50-year-old fee for service lifetime limits and fee for service Medicare's lack of annual out of pocket limits.
In particular, the 2014 Medicare and You booklet (cover image above) specifically says relative to Part A (page 32):
- "You pay $1,216 and no copayment for days 1–60 each benefit period.
- "You pay $304 for days 61–90 each benefit period.
- "You pay $608 per "lifetime reserve day" after day 90 each benefit period (up to 60 days over your lifetime).
- "You pay all costs for each day after the lifetime reserve days (are used up).
- "Inpatient mental health care in a psychiatric hospital is limited to 190 days in a lifetime."
Relative to all of fee for service Medicare, the 2014 Medicare and You booklet says (page 62):
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You generally pay a set amount for your health care (deductible) before Medicare pays its share. Then, Medicare pays its share, and you pay your share (coinsurance/copayment) for covered services and supplies. There’s no yearly limit for what you pay out-of-pocket |
(Italics and underline added)
I asked the organization for clarification and if I get it I will add it. I hope Mr. or Ms. Fiesta knows something the government doesn't know. In the meantime, be very leery of anything it says on this site.
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