Volunteers Help Ombudsmen Give Nursing Home Residents ‘A Voice’ In Their Care
Ombudsman's offices represent long-term care residents on issues such as admissions and discharges, food, physical environment and abuse.
Susan Jaffe
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By Law, Hospitals Now Must Tell Medicare Patients When Care Is ‘Observation’ Only
Not being officially admitted — a status known as observation care — can have financial consequences for beneficiaries, and patients had often complained they were not informed.
By Susan Jaffe -
Judge Accepts Medicare’s Plan To Remedy Misunderstanding On Therapy Coverage
Many seniors are denied coverage because therapists mistakenly believe that they must be making improvements to qualify for coverage.
By Susan Jaffe -
Medicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
According to a settlement four years ago, Medicare was supposed to make clear to therapists that their services are covered even if beneficiaries are not improving. But that is not yet widely accepted.
By Susan Jaffe -
21 Medicare Health Plans Warned To Fix Provider Directory Errors
Federal officials release names of insurers who ranked poorly in a recent review of their online directories’ accuracy.
By Phil Galewitz and Susan Jaffe -
New Nursing Home Rules Offer Residents More Control Of Their Care
People in these facilities are now guaranteed more flexibility on food and roommate choices, as well as improved procedures for grievances and discharges.
By Susan Jaffe -
COBRA, Retiree Plans, VA Benefits Don’t Alleviate Need To Sign Up For Medicare
Thousands of people mistakenly think that if they have insurance, they can wait to sign up for Medicare Part B. Generally, insurance other than that provided by a current employer will not exempt them from Medicare’s strict enrollment requirements.
By Susan Jaffe -
Medicare Bars New ‘Seamless Conversion’ Efforts For Some Seniors
Some insurers have been allowed to move customers on the health law's marketplaces into their Medicare Advantage plans when they become eligible for Medicare, but seniors complain they didn’t always know it was happening.
By Susan Jaffe -
Officials Warn Some Older Marketplace Customers To Switch To Medicare
The government is sending emails and letters to some seniors to warn them that if they are eligible for Medicare and stay on the health law's exchange, they will have to repay any subsidies they receive and if they miss their Medicare enrollment opportunity, they will face a life-long penalty.
By Susan Jaffe -
Protecting California’s Seniors From Surprise Hospital, Nursing Home Bills
Lawmakers approve bill to help Medicare patients with "observation care” costs.
By Susan Jaffe -
FAQ: Hospital Observation Care Can Be Costly For Medicare Patients
A guide to help Medicare patients receiving observation care.
By Susan Jaffe -
Some Seniors Surprised To Be Automatically Enrolled In Medicare Advantage Plans
Concerns raised as health insurers automatically move members of their marketplace or individual plans who are eligible for Medicare.
By Susan Jaffe -
House Panel Extends Funding For Medicare Program To Help Consumers
The decision runs counter to a Senate committee that voted to strip the $52 million appropriation for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which helps beneficiaries understand their Medicare coverage and helps them with billing issues.
By Susan Jaffe -
HHS Proposes To Streamline Medicare Appeals Process
The changes announced Tuesday seek to eliminate the backlog by 2021.
By Susan Jaffe -
Senate Panel Kills Medicare Program That Offers Help On Enrollment, Billing Issues
It’s not clear yet if the full Senate or House will concur in the plan to cut funding for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which operates in all states and gives beneficiaries free advice on enrollment in drug and insurance plans, appealing coverage decisions and applying for financial subsidies.
By Susan Jaffe -
Medicare Releases Draft Proposal For Patient Observation Notice
Although there is widespread agreement on the need to let people know if they haven’t been admitted, the language proposed by federal officials hasn’t satisfied everyone.
By Susan Jaffe -
Medicare’s Efforts To Curb Backlog Of Appeals Not Sufficient, GAO Reports
Investigators from the GAO call for HHS to improve oversight of the Medicare appeals process and streamline it to make sure repetitive claims are handled more efficiently.
By Susan Jaffe -
Doctors’ House Calls Saving Money For Medicare
A pilot project in which doctors provide primary care at home for very frail Medicare beneficiaries saved $25 million in 2014, and nine of the 14 practices participating earned bonuses totaling nearly $12 million.
By Susan Jaffe -
When Medicare Advantage Drops Doctors, Some Members Can Switch Plans
In the past eight months, Medicare officials have quietly granted the special enrollment periods to more than 15,000 Medicare Advantage members in seven states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
By Susan Jaffe -
Buying Supplemental Insurance Can Be Hard For Younger Medicare Beneficiaries
Congress left it to states to determine whether private Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million disabled people younger than 65 who qualify for Medicare. The result: rules vary across the country.
By Susan Jaffe
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