Find New Get What’s Yours Content at My Substack Page

I am no longer posting new pieces here, and have moved new content to Substack as of April 23. 2022. The Ask Phil archive continues to be updated, and is available to paying Substack subscribers.  
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Alzheimer Drug Coverage Decision in April Could Trigger Part B Premium Cut2022 Medicare Premiums Post Big Increases

The government’s top health official once again signaled that 2022 Medicare Part B premiums could be cut once Medicare formally determines how it will cover Aduhelm. The agency announced in January that it had tentatively decided to sharply limit coverage of the expensive dementia drug. Its formal…
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A Personal Note

Close readers (you know who you are!) will notice I have not posted in some time. You've heard of writer's block, no doubt. In my case, it's been physical, thanks to recent wrist surgery and the need to wear a wrist brace that has made typing impossible. Expect to see a resumption of my blog soon --…
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How Much Money People Spend in Retirement

Social Security has just released a detailed look at consumer spending in 2020 by people aged 55 and older. As with much of Social Security, it’s all about the numbers, and there are lots of them here. But for anyone paying close attention to their income and spending records – aka retirees – it’s…
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Useful Nursing Home Staffing Details

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has improved its online nursing home tools to provide details on staffing levels – a variable that often is linked to a home’s quality of care. Adequate nursing home staffing was a problem before the pandemic but has become even more challenging…
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Introducing Ask Phil – A Curated Guide to Your Benefit Questions

Since co-authoring the first “Get What’s Yours” book in 2015, I have spent nearly seven years fielding reader questions. That first book was about Social Security. It sold lots of copies and led me to become a contributor to a PBS web site overseen by one of my co-authors, Paul Solman, who has…
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Aduhelm Preliminary Approval Only for Limited Use in Clinical Trials

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said today (January 11) that it provisionally supports the limited use of Aduhelm, the controversial Alzheimer’s medicine, in clinical trials. The agency's final decision is expected in April. The drug was approved last June by the U.S. Food…
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