The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP) lasts from January 1 through February 14 of each year. During the MADP, a beneficiary can switch from an MA plan to traditional Medicare. The new MADP also provides an opportunity to enroll in a Part D drug plan for those who have not already done so. When disenrolling from an MA plan during the MADP, the effective date of disenrollment is the first day of the month following the date the disenrollment request is received. Thus, disenrollment requests received by MA organizations in January are effective February 1; those received February 1 through…
In a new study, up to half – or more – of older adults on Medicare who had a heart, lung, stomach or bladder test had the same procedure repeated within three years. Those tests typically aren't supposed to be routinely repeated, researchers said. For some of them, such as echocardiography and stress tests for heart function, there are recommendations specifically against routine testing. "What we were struck by is just how commonly these tests are being repeated," said Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, lead author of the report from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in Hanover,…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has announced the new Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurances. The standard Medicare Part B premium is increasing by $5 to $104.90 a month, smaller than the $9 per month increase predicted earlier in the year. Social Security recipients will receive a 1.7 percent increase in payments in 2013. Most people have their Medicare premiums deducted from their Social Security benefits. The smaller-than-expected hike means that most Medicare recipients will still receive a modest boost in Social Security benefits. Here are all the new Medicare figures: Part B premium: $104.90/month (was $99.90) Part B deductible:…
Medicare Part D prescription drug plan premiums are generally expected to remain steady in 2013, and AARP Public Policy Institute analysis finds that premiums for many popular plans will actually be considerably higher than they were in 2012. Many plans are also increasing cost-sharing and their reliance on utilization management tools for covered prescription drugs. Medicare beneficiaries should closely examine their 2013 prescription drug plan choices during open enrollment for Part D. Source/more: AARP Public Policy Institute
CBO has issued a reminder of the need to cut Medicare spending. Health care programs are quickly outgrowing their historical share of the federal budget, CBO said, and the cost of those programs will only grow faster as more baby boomers reach retirement and underlying health care costs continue to soar. CBO's latest figures confirm what Republicans and Democrats acknowledge only selectively —that health care is a huge part of what's driving federal spending and debt. Health care programs are eating up an ever-increasing share of the economy, while tax revenues and other domestic spending are holding relatively steady, CBO…
In a major change in Medicare policy, the Obama administration has provisionally agreed to end Medicare’s longstanding practice of requiring that beneficiaries with chronic conditions and disabilities show a likelihood of improvement in order to receive coverage of skilled care and therapy services. The policy shift will affect beneficiaries with conditions like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, and stroke. For decades, home health agencies and nursing homes that contract with Medicare have routinely terminated the Medicare coverage of a beneficiary who has stopped improving, even though nothing in the Medicare…
President Obama believes affordable health care you can rely on is part of the middle class bargain whether you’re working or retired. The Affordable Care Act strengthens and protects Medicare for seniors who have earned and paid for the guaranteed coverage it provides. Nearly 50 million older Americans and Americans with disabilities rely on Medicare each year, and the new health care law makes Medicare stronger by adding new benefits, fighting fraud, and improving care for patients. The life of the Medicare Trust Fund will be extended to at least 2024 as a result of reducing waste, fraud, and abuse,…
People with special needs may qualify for a variety of government benefits, including Medicaid and Medicare. It can be difficult to tell the two programs apart, especially because their names are so similar. However, Medicaid and Medicare, which account for the lion's share of federal spending on health care, are dramatically different programs with different eligibility requirements and benefits. Here's how the two programs differ. Means-Tested Means Medicaid Medicaid is a state and federal partnership program that gives medical coverage to selected groups with low-incomes — children, pregnant women, parents of eligible children, people with disabilities, and elderly in need…
If you qualify, Medicare will cover your home health benefits entirely, and while under the law there's no limit on the length of time you will be covered, in practice coverage is limited. Nevertheless, Medicare home health benefits can mean the difference between you or a family member continuing to stay at home, or your health deteriorating until hospital care or nursing home placement become necessary. You are entitled to Medicare coverage of your home health care if you meet the following requirements: you are confined to your home (meaning that leaving it to receive services would be a "considerable…
The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in its entirety is a huge victory for seniors. Improvements that advance the health and well‐being of older adults, like strengthening Medicare, improving community long‐term services and supports, and providing additional elder abuse and nursing home transparency protections, will continue to help the lives of seniors. Consequently, seniors health care will continue to be protected and improved under this law. Long before this Supreme Court decision, through the Affordable Care Act, seniors began to see positive changes in their prescription drug costs, access to preventive health care, and more….
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