Federal Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Over Hospital Observation Care
A federal court judge in Hartford, Conn., dismissed a lawsuit Monday which was filed against the government by 14 Medicare beneficiaries who were denied nursing home coverage. Under Medicare rules, only patients admitted to a hospital for at least three consecutive days are eligible for coverage of follow-up nursing home care. The beneficiaries who brought the suit […]
Labor Dept. Mandates Minimum Wage, Overtime Pay For Home Health Workers
The Obama administration had been trying for almost two years to extend overtime and minimum wage protections to the workers. The rule doesn’t take effect until 2015.
Long-Term Care Panel Releases Recommendations But Fails To Offer Plan To Help Pay For Services
The group tackles wide-ranging list of concerns, but the lack of a financing plan raises strong objections from some members.
Selling Marketplace Plans To Medicare Beneficiaries Will Be Illegal
The administration ramps up its message that seniors with Medicare coverage do not need plans from the exchanges.
No Shopping Zone: Medicare Is Not Part Of New Insurance Marketplaces
Administration officials are planning campaign to convince millions of seniors that they don’t need to sign up for the online exchanges.
HHS Inspector General Scrutinizes Medicare Observation Care Policy
The difference between inpatient and observational care status can have a big effect on Medicare beneficiaries — both in terms of the bills they face and the post-hospital options available to them.
Facing A Tight Deadline, Long-Term Care Panel Holds First Meeting
The commission, set up by Congress to offer recommendations on paying for services to help seniors and disabled people, has only a few months left to do its work.
FAQ: Medicare Beneficiaries May See Increased Access To Physical Therapy Or Some Other Services
For years, seniors were told that they had to show improvement to keep getting skilled care but a lawsuit has changed that standard.
Firm Relies On Medicare Experience As It Prepares To Open Federal Health Exchange Calls Centers
Vangent already handles more than 60,000 calls a day about Medicare but will soon add an expected 200,000 questions about the marketplaces set up by the health law.
Medicare Seeks To Limit Number Of Seniors Placed In Hospital Observation Care
The proposal, part of the annual payment update, would help ease confusion over when beneficiaries are admitted to the hospital
Advocates Head To Court To Overturn Medicare Rules For Observation Care
Some hospital stays are not considered in-patient care, but seniors often don’t know that until they find they don’t qualify for full Medicare coverage.
A basic guide and resources if you want to get Medicare to reverse a coverage decision.
Seniors Need To Be Tenacious In Appeals To Medicare
Consumer advocates say that efforts to get Medicare to reverse a decision denying coverage of care are frequently rejected at first, but the chances of success are much better for beneficiaries who keep appealing until they reach the level handled by an administrative law judge.
State Insurance Officials Raise Concerns About ‘Rate Shock’ For Young People
If young adults can’t afford health insurance policies available in 2014 under the health care law, state insurance officials are worried they won’t buy them. And that could drive up the cost of insurance for the mostly older, sicker people who do purchase coverage. That’s a potential problem even in states like California and Rhode Island, […]
Insurance Commissioners Reject Calls To Limit Seniors’ Medigap Policies
The group argues that increasing cost-sharing would stop people from seeking necessary care.
Providers File The Bulk Of Medicare Appeals
Health care providers who appealed to Medicare judges won more often than patients did, according to a report by the inspector general at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hospitals, physicians, medical equipment suppliers and other providers also filed 85 percent of the cases decided by the administrative law judges in fiscal […]
Medicare Extends Enrollment Period For Those Affected By Sandy
Medicare beneficiaries battered by Superstorm Sandy have one less problem to worry about: Federal officials have extended the Dec. 7 deadline to enroll in a private medical or drug plan for next year for those still coping with storm damage. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services “understands that many Medicare beneficiaries have been affected by […]
Medicare Trying To Nudge Seniors Out Of Plans With Low Ratings
Government is sending letters to a half million beneficiaries to alert them to their plans’ poor performance.
Enrollment Season Opens For Medicare Advantage And Drug Plans
Today, Medicare beneficiaries can begin choosing their drug and medical coverage for 2013, and most seniors are expected to stick with the same policies they have already, despite price changes and a rating system that shows some plans may be better than others. Seniors have been reluctant to change plans, even if there are cheaper […]
Medicare Seeks To Cut Number Of Seniors Denied Nursing Home Coverage After Hospital Stays
The government is testing new hospital payment rules to see if fewer beneficiaries will be classified as observation patients, which can be a costly designation for seniors.
