Law Aims To Help Medicare Tackle Expensive Problem Of Costs From Chronic Illnesses
Half of Medicare patients are treated for five or more chronic conditions each year, and they account for three-fourths of Medicare spending. The law, which has bipartisan support, allows Medicare to focus on the social factors outside the reach of traditional medicine.
The New York Times:
Medicare Allows More Benefits For Chronically Ill, Aiming To Improve Care For Millions
Congress and the Trump administration are revamping Medicare to provide extra benefits to people with multiple chronic illnesses, a significant departure from the program’s traditional focus that aims to create a new model of care for millions of older Americans. The changes — reflected in a new law and in official guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services — tackle a vexing and costly problem in American health care: how to deal with long-term illnesses that can build on one another, and the social factors outside the reach of traditional medicine that can contribute to them, like nutrition, transportation and housing. (Pear, 6/24)
In other Medicare news —
The Star Tribune:
Big Medicare Shift Coming To Minnesota
More than 300,000 Minnesotans will be changing Medicare health plans next year, state officials said, when a federal law eliminates certain health insurance options in the Twin Cities and across much of the state. For more than a year, insurers have been sizing up the coming shift with Medicare Cost plans, a specific type of coverage that’s distinct from Medicare Advantage plans that are more common outside Minnesota. (Snowbeck, 6/23)
Politico Pro:
Medicare's Diabetes Prevention Program Slows To Crawl
The diabetes prevention program was one of the crown jewels of the Obama administration’s efforts to reinvent health care. CMS’ Innovation Center in 2013 started a major clinical trial, the results of which showed it improved health while cutting costs by $3,000 per participant. (Tahir, 6/22)
