Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Advantage Enrollees Have A Short Window To Switch Out Of The Plan
Money Magazine: Regret Signing Up For Medicare Advantage? You Can Get A Do-Over Now
Medicare’s annual open enrollment period ended last month, but certain beneficiaries who regret their selection can get a do-over from now through mid-February. The Medicare Advantage disenrollment period runs from Jan. 1 through Feb. 14. During this time, beneficiaries in private Medicare Advantage plans can switch to Original Medicare and, if desired, select a Part D drug plan. (O'Brien, 1/5)
Kaiser Health News: Medicare Failed To Recover Up To $125 Million In Overpayments, Records Show
Six years ago, federal health officials were confident they could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually by auditing private Medicare Advantage insurance plans that allegedly overcharged the government for medical services. An initial round of audits found that Medicare had potentially overpaid five of the health plans $128 million in 2007 alone, according to confidential government documents released recently in response to a public records request and lawsuit. But officials never recovered most of that money. (Schulte, 1/6)
