FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is this free?
The information on this website is free. My consultation services have fees—see the fee schedule for details.
This website is a resource for:
- Those considering whether to ask for my help.
- Those who cannot afford private case management.
- Those experienced with managing someone’s traditional medical care (focused on curing disease and prolonging life) who now seek a comfortable, self-determined life closure at home under family management.
Q: Can you come to my home?
Yes—home visits are essential to how I work, but I will work virtually when that’s a good fit.
No-cost travel:
- Five boroughs of New York City (reachable by public transit)
- Central New Jersey (Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Union counties)
Pass-through expenses only:
- Locations requiring a private car
- Anywhere in the United States
Q: Can you help me choose a Medicare plan?
Sure. Get parts A, B, and D along with the best MediGap (aka Medicare Supplemental - Plans G and N) policy you can afford. Put $300 aside (2025’s was $257) for your Part B deductible. You’ll be able to still get a nice lunch with what’s left over after it is paid.
Part C plans shouldn’t use the word “Medicare” at all. They have nothing to do with Medicare. They are non-catastrophic private medical insurance plans subsidized by the US government. That doesn’t make them bad, but they ain’t Medicare. They are designed to cover people who qualify for Medicare and want it to act like commercial private health insurance coverage (with Part D for prescription drugs). You pay one premium, they pay the rest.
Part C plans differ, and many are tailored for specific locales and populations. All of them want to take in more money than they spend, but for some situations, they do offer more affordable (to the patient) coverage. One is always trading that affordability for autonomy. Part C plans create substantial financial disincentives to not following their advice and seeing the providers who have agreed to work for their rates (likely less than Medicare’s).
Medicare already takes in more money than it spends. They have a very low administrative overhead. If a doctor doesn’t take Medicare Part B (with co-pays), they don’t want new patients. Some providers committed to low-income elders do not aggressively pursue collection of their Part B co-pays, if at all. Do not be ashamed to ask. Many are transparent about these policies.
Do the math. What is your autonomy worth to you?
My take? Medicare is the best insurance available to anyone in the Unites States. If you qualify, use it, and do some financial planning. Otherwise, you’re paying the Part C plan to cover your Part B deductible and do your financial orchestration (claim settling and payment) in exchange for providing them with market leverage (you) to force doctors and hospitals to reduce their revenue. This shortens the time a doctor can afford to spend on your care; their overhead is baked-in. They can’t buy cheaper white coats. I don’t think that’s good karma, but you be you.
I personally know from my work that Medicare rates (what they pay doctors and hospitals), while far from perfect, are reality-based.