Month: March 2011

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 25 Mar 2011 – 11:00 PDT

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Krystal Knight, M.P.H., will join the Medicare Rights Center’s Washington, D.C. office to serve in the newly created position of State Program and Policy Coordinator. Ms. Knight will oversee a new project funded by Atlantic Philanthropies to expand the Medicare Rights Center’s community-based education and policy programs in five states-Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Maine and Wisconsin.

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 26 Mar 2011 – 0:00 PDT

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Deciding when a resident is eligible to move to skilled care ranks among the most challenging dilemmas for long-term care facilities. Tracking Medicare Part A admissions rules, MDS assessments, eligibility requirements and benefits periods can stymie even the most careful administrators and clinicians — and negatively impact reimbursements, which can average from $350 to $650 per day for each Medicare resident.

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 23 Mar 2011 – 9:00 PDT

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On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the health care reform bill, a survey of 321 seniors 65 and older revealed that 61%1 think the bill has weakened Medicare in the year since it became law. At the same time, 57% of those surveyed say they will take advantage of a free physical exam and personal wellness plan benefit included in the bill that went into effect this year.

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 23 Mar 2011 – 9:00 PDT

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Through provisions of the Affordable Care Act, nearly 4 million people with Medicare who reached the program’s Part D coverage gap in 2010 have received a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate check. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that a similar number of Medicare beneficiaries are likely to enter the coverage gap in 2011 and will benefit from additional Affordable Care Act provisions that work to reduce and close the “donut hole” by 2020. Already, nearly 48,000 Medicare enrollees have saved $38 million – an average of $800 per person – thanks to a new 50-percent discount on covered brand-name drugs in the donut hole.

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 24 Mar 2011 – 2:00 PDT

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The AMA today released its Position Statement on Medicare Locals and urged the Government to adopt the AMA recommendations to establish better primary health care organisations (PHCOs) than the currently proposed Medicare Locals model.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the main function of Medicare Locals must be to better support the role of the GP in delivering services to patients.

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 24 Mar 2011 – 6:00 PDT

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One year ago, on March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Health Care Reform law[1] that will provide access to health insurance for virtually all Americans.