See what upsets people and what occasionally makes them happy

With more than 67 million beneficiaries, around one in five Americans is enrolled in Medicare. The federal health insurance program has helped ensure adults over 65 and individuals with disabilities have access to health insurance since 1965. But with regular changes to the program — and our health system at large — it’s no wonder […]

The post Medicare: 10 Things To Know appeared first on Clark Howard.

The post What’s New in Medicare Plan Finder (2024) was curated by information for practice.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says that Medicare’s value-based payment programs could take into account social risk factors – such as low socio-economic position, residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods, or race and ethnicity – but any proposal to do so will entail both advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully considered.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is urging a RN, LPN or CNA who is currently working at a long term care facility to call them at 866-714-6466 about rewards if their work place is constantly so short staffed there is no way to care for patients.

The California Division of Workers' Compensation posted an order updating the hospital outpatient department and ambulatory surgical centers section of the Official Medical Fee Schedule. The division in October posted an…

WorkCompCentral presents a full day seminar offering the latest updates in Medicare Secondary Payer compliance. This course touches upon all components of MSP compliance, from conditional payment resolutions and Medicare…

This program introduces students to the preparation of settlement by taking medicare's interests into account. This course is for all disciplines in workers' compensation, especially those who deal with MSP…

n this session, we will discuss a 15-year-old law that consistently confuses and frustrates responsible reporting entities in our industry.

OPM’s final regulations for the Postal Service Health Benefits program locked in rules on Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage for USPS annuitants.

The post How Medicare Part D will work in upcoming USPS insurance program first appeared on Federal News Network.

The former president's pending return to the White House could alter the very nature of Medicare, the nearly 60-year-old federal health care program.

Every year, Medicare officials encourage beneficiaries to shop around for their drug coverage. Few take the time. This year, it might be more important than ever.

 On March 11, 2024, Donald Trump claimed that cutting Social Security and Medicare could help him cut the national debt tremendously. (See video above). On March 22, 2024, the House GOP announced cuts including a plan to raise the retirement age. This was the second straight year that the House GOP proposed a budget with deep Social Security and Medicare cuts. Trump started promising cuts to Social Security and Medicare in his second term before some audiences as early as January of 2020.  At a Fox News Town Hall in March of 2020, again promised to cut Social Security and Medicare.

All of this talk of cuts forms the prelude to last Thursday's debate which included a question about cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Biden gave a straight-forward answer saying that no cuts are necessary if we raise the Social Security tax to the same level for all. Currently, those making high incomes pay much lower rates than those making low incomes. As President Biden explained at the debate:

Right now, everybody making under $170,000 pays 6 percent of their income, of their paycheck, every single time they get a paycheck, [But] millionaires pay 1 percent – 1 percent. So . . . I would not raise the cost of Social Security for anybody under $400,000. After that, I begin to make the wealthy begin to pay their fair share, by increasing from 1 percent beyond, to be able to guarantee the program for life.

That provides a sensible and efficient means of securing Social Security. And, Biden never varies from that position.

Trump on the other hand, takes different positions with different audiences and covers the full spectrum of options. According to NBC News:

An NBC News examination found that Trump's views have zigzagged over the years — from calling Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” in 2000 to endorsing then-Rep. Paul Ryan’s plans to restructure Medicare in 2012 to positioning himself as the protector of those programs in 2016 to taking aim at some retirement spending in his White House budgets (which never became law).

Essentially we know Trump is lying because of his radically divergent positions over time. In fact, in 2016 he promised to preserve Social Security and Medicare, and then in his budgets he proposed cuts.

 In recent months, Trump opened the way for Social Security and Medicare cuts and refuses to disclaim the GOP plan to cut those programs as, shown above. Which brings us to the his debate comments in response to a question about entitlement cuts. While Biden gave a simple and clear statement of how he intends to save Social Security and Medicare, Trump attacked Biden's honesty and switched the topic to immigration, Russia, Ukraine, a mysterious laptop, the VA, and luxury hotels. Trump was incoherent. Remarkably, he never addressed his recent comments about Social Security and Medicare cuts, nor the GOP plan to cut Social Security and Medicare. Trump provided no explanation of his prior budget proposals including Social Security and Medicare cuts.  As stated in the Washington Post: "Protecting Social Security . . . was also a major theme of Trump’s 2016 campaign. His avowed stance, however, is at odds with Trump’s own record as president: Each of his White House budget proposals included cuts to Social Security and Medicare programs."

Trump has staked out so many positions on Social Security that no matter what he says he lies. The only thing we know for sure about Trump and entitlements is that despite campaign promises to the contrary he included Social Security and Medicare cuts in each of his annual budget proposals as President. Given the GOP commitment to cutting Social Security and Medicare a vote for any GOP candidate is a vote to slash your Social Security and Medicare benefits by about 30 percent. If Trump gets elected the GOP will have a clear path to gutting Social Security and Medicare as he promised to do in a second term in 2020, and regardless of any lies or gibberish he feeds the voters today. 

Series of changes come after reports of Highmark premium notice errors Dozens of complaints have been registered with the Delaware Department of Insurance after Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield processed hundreds of customer birthdates incorrectly, leading to notices of higher July 1 premiums for many Medicare Supplement participants, including those in the company’s Medigap Blue […]

More ways to receive Medicare counseling and information as Open Enrollment approaches, Bureau earns federal grants to support efforts When COVID-19 required cancellation of the Department of Insurance Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau series of statewide Welcome to Medicare in-person events, the team responded rapidly, engaging with residents in new ways and offering their free, one-on-one […]

Free one-on-one counseling and information available to residents; Bureau earns federal grant The Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB), a division of the Delaware Department of Insurance, is encouraging residents to get ready for Medicare Open Enrollment. DMAB, which provides free, one-on-one Medicare counseling, offers a myriad of virtual appointment options for residents, as well as […]

As the October 15 to December 7 Medicare Open Enrollment quickly approaches, the Delaware Department of Insurance and its Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) are sharing their annual consumer information announcement.

As Medicare Open Enrollment approaches, the Delaware Department of Insurance and its Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) are sharing their annual consumer information update. From October 15 to December 7, consumers can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) or Medicare Advantage Plan. DMAB’s free, confidential, unbiased one-on-one assistance can help residents determine if making a coverage change is the right choice. In 2022, the team completed 5,123 counseling sessions, saving beneficiaries a combined $1.5 million.

Free one-on-one counseling saved Delawareans $3.8M in 2023 As Medicare Open Enrollment approaches, the Delaware Department of Insurance and its Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB) are sharing their annual consumer information update. From October 15 to December 7, consumers can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) or Medicare Advantage Plan. DMAB’s […]

Title: For Medicare Patients, Costs of MS Drugs Rise Sevenfold Over 10 Years
Category: Health News
Created: 8/28/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/29/2019 12:00:00 AM

Now is the time for health plans to step up and embrace the tools and strategies that will not only meet regulatory demands, but also drive innovation in care delivery. 

The post Where Medicare Advantage Goes From Here appeared first on MedCity News.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a 2.9% cut to Medicare physician payments for […]

We’ve all seen Medicare Advantage (MA) plans become a significant player in the healthcare industry. Yet, with the […]

61% of Medicare-eligible adults have a medlinkBMI/medlink of 27 or higher, indicating they could potentially benefit from a GLP-1 receptor agonist like semaglutide for weight loss (!--ref1--).

State, National Long Term Care Leaders to Warn of Growing Threat to Washington Seniors' Care in Wake of Legislative Sess

Power Mobility: Independence and Joy for Medicare Patients

According to a new RAND Corporation report, during 2020, prices paid to hospitals by employers and private insurers for inpatient and outpatient services

In 2019, the U.S. federal government expended an estimated (Dollor) 1.8 billion in Medicare funds on medications whose clinical benefits have yet to be confirmed

Policies that encourage increased use of peritoneal dialysis could lead to reduced Medicare expenditure, revealed study. People with kidney failure

A new study has revealed the pros and cons of prior authorization (PA) policies for Medicare and the impact these policies have on patients and clinicians.

Today, about half of all Americans with health insurance through Medicare receive their insurance through a for-profit organization that participates

Half of all older adults in the U.S. lack dental insurance and, in 2018, nearly half of older adults received no dental care. A new study by investigators

Approximately 20% of Medicare beneficiaries journey over 50 miles each way to visit a neurologist, a medical specialist specializing in medlinkbrain/medlink

A draft recommendation aiming to eliminate Medicare funding for initial telehealth consultations with non-GP specialists is raising concerns about restricted

National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association reports that Medicare experiences intermittent compromises due to fraudulent insurance claims, enabling full-time

Concerns regarding Medicare's potential insolvency among those under 65 have heightened, with 73% now expressing apprehension about its availability when

In 2020, nearly 48 million licensed drivers were over the age of 65. In this age group, car crashes resulted in 7,480 fatalities and 149,881 non-fatal injuries.

Despite being enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, lower-income adults face more difficulty paying for dental, vision, and hearing services than higher-income

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says that Medicare’s value-based payment programs could take into account social risk factors – such as low socio-economic position, residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods, or race and ethnicity – but any proposal to do so will entail both advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully considered.

A Canadian writer living in the U.S. has lived with both. She clears the air about "death panels" and other myths.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is urging an RN to call them anytime at 866-714-6466 if the healthcare facility they work at is forcing Medicare patients to undergo unnecessary medical procedures---so the healthcare facility makes more money.

Moore, the author of The Passion Conversation: Understanding, Sparking, and Sustaining Word of Mouth Marketing, will speak during the first day of the conference, February 25.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is appealing to a healthcare worker who can prove their hospital, nursing home or medical practice group is inflating their Medicare bills to reflect services never rendered to call about what might be huge rewards.

Leaders of the team that created DestinationRx or DRX Medicare sales tools have launched the MMB Medicare Sales Platform to help health plans deliver an omni channel consumer experience across their web, telesales and broker channels.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "We are urging an honest pharmacist to call us anytime if they have proof a pharmacy chain is gouging Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE in anyway. Sometimes these types of people can make millions."

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "We are appealing to a pharmacist or pharmacy manager to call us anytime at 800-714-0303 if their employer is overcharging Medicare and Medicaid. The rewards for this type of information can be substantial."

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is appealing to a hospital manager or MD to call them anytime at 866-714-6466 if their employer is involved in a scheme to gouge Medicare for unnecessary medical services. Get Rewarded!

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "If you work for a healthcare provider that is gaming the Medicare system to keep their patients enrolled longer that they should have-please give us a call at 866-714-6466-especially if it is a IRF."

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is inviting a RN, LPN or CNA anywhere in the nation to call them at 866-714-6466 if they work far a nursing home that is so short staffed their patients are dying prematurely. This is a nationwide problem.