Category: Medicare

Valentine’s Day sees two big insurance breakups

It was a rough day for the already-roiled U.S. health insurance market: One giant merger was abandoned, another is threatened by infighting, and a major insurer announced it will stop selling coverage on public exchanges in 11 states. Both merger deals had already been rejected by federal regulators and judges, but the companies were considering appeals to those decisions.

Pick for Medicare post faces questions

President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid advised Vice President Mike Pence on health care issues while he was Indiana’s governor, a post she maintained amid a web of business arrangements – including one that ethics experts say conflicted with her public duties. A review by The Associated Press found Seema Verma and her small Indianapolis-based firm made millions through consulting agreements with at least nine states while also working under contract for Hewlett Packard.

2 big insurance breakups on Valentine’s Day

It was a rough day for the already-roiled U.S. health insurance market: One giant merger was abandoned, another is threatened by infighting, and a major insurer announced it will stop selling coverage on public exchanges in 11 states. Both merger deals had already been rejected by federal regulators and judges, but the companies were considering appeals to those decisions.

Aetna, Humana call off $34 billion deal

Aetna and Humana called off a $34 billion proposal to combine the two major health insurers after a federal judge, citing antitrust concerns, shot down the deal. The announcement Tuesday comes several days after another federal judge rejected a tie-up between two other massive insurers.

Bernie Sanders: Trump’s ‘racist’ immigration moves distract from health reform

Sen. Bernard Sanders accused President Trump on Sunday of using his “extreme vetting” order and raids on illegal immigrants to distract from his decision to stack the Cabinet with bankers and billionaires and potentially overhaul popular health programs. Mr. Sanders , Vermont independent and hero of the progressive left, said U.S. vetting systems are “very, very strong,” so Mr. Trump should not be trying to temporarily halt the American refugee program or migrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

AARP lays down marker on Medicare

Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to protect Medicare because so many older Americans depend on the federal program to help cover their health-care costs. One of the most influential senior lobbying groups wants to remind Trump of his promise.

Health insurers say they need insurance protection from big claims

In Minnesota’s individual market, health insurers can lose big money if they wind up with a disproportionate share of sick patients who rack up massive bills. Of the roughly 336,000 Minnesotans who were covered by individual plans at some point during 2015, slightly less than 2a …percent – or 5,300 people – generated roughly 40 percent of all medical bills, according to the state’s trade group for insurers.

Tom Price as HHS Secretary: A Disaster for U.S. Health Care

The Senate’s vote to confirm Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., as secretary of health and human services, while widely expected, should set off national alarm bells. Price’s congressional track record, combined with his extensive health-policy paper trail, have shown him to be unabashedly pro-big-business and contemptuous of human needs – particularly when it comes to women’s and poor people’s needs.

Public loses with Ryan’s plans

… for those with other sources of earnings, i.e. IRA income. No increases in revenue, only cuts in benefits. Ryan and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price intend to do away with traditional Medicare and replace it with a voucher program. …

Senate confirms polarizing pick for health secretary

A polarized Senate voted early Friday morning to confirm Tom Price, the conservative Georgia congressman who has been one of Congress’s most vehement opponents of the Affordable Care Act, as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The 52-47 vote made Price the latest in a series of controversial Cabinet nominees whom the Senate’s Republican majority has been strong enough to muscle through on party-line votes.

Doctor wrongly diagnosed patients with cancer

Dr. Gary Marder in Port St. Lucie, Florida has agreed to pay up to $18 million to reimburse the government for Medicare payments on patients who were not ill. Prosecutors allege that Dr. Marder falsely diagnosed patients with skin cancer and put them through medically unnecessary radiation treatments, pocketing millions from the insurance companies.

Florida Doctor Wrongly Diagnosed Patients with Cancer

Dr. Gary Marder in Port St. Lucie has agreed to pay up to $18 million to reimburse the government for Medicare payments on patients who were not ill. Prosecutors allege that Dr. Marder falsely diagnosed patients with skin cancer and put them through medically unnecessary radiation treatments, pocketing millions from the insurance companies.

Florida Doctor Wrongly Diagnosed Patients with Cancer

Dr. Gary Marder in Port St. Lucie has agreed to pay up to $18 million to reimburse the government for Medicare payments on patients who were not ill. Prosecutors allege that Dr. Marder falsely diagnosed patients with skin cancer and put them through medically unnecessary radiation treatments, pocketing millions from the insurance companies.

Local woman asks Republicans to keep ACA

The Affordable Care Act [ACA] has helped to standardize health insurance plans for all Americans. All plans provide 10 essential health benefits such as preventative care services, prescription drug coverage, capped out-of-pocket expenses, no lifetime limits and coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.

Sequence Health to Show Healthcare Providers How to Improve Outcomes…

Sequence Health will host an educational seminar on improving outcomes and increasing the number of surgeries performed by optimizing the patient journey through the healthcare continuum at the 2017 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference, attended by 40,000 health IT professionals, clinicians, and healthcare executives. Entitled Increase Surgical Procedures and Patient Outcomes, the information packed session is scheduled for February 22, 12:30pm – 12:50pm inside Booth 7281 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Sanders-Cruz debate is a ratings hit, but their views aren’t winning the Hill

Sen. Bernie Sanders , left, and Sen. Ted Cruz CNN scored a surprise hit last night with a broadcast from a parallel universe – a debate about “the future of Obamacare,” starring presidential primary season runners-up Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz . According to AdWeek, the nearly two-hour special attracted 2.46 million viewers, and 932,000 from the coveted demographic of viewers ages 25 to 54. Those were the kind of numbers enjoyed by Fox News, which typically laps CNN for viewers – and they came not for a tabloid special but for a debate about health insurance.

Somerset ambulance fee increased

The selectmen last Wednesday approved of an increase in the ambulance fee from Medicare plus 150 percent to rought “We’re still well below the maximum allowable cost and we’re still well below the average of the top 50 that our billing company, Comstar, does the billing for,” Somerset Fire Chief Scott Jepson said. Selectman Holly McNamara said the town has not raised its ambulance fee since February of 2015.

Haven’t Gotten Your W-2? Take These Steps

You’re ready to file your taxes – except for one thing: You’re still awaiting an IRS Form W-2 from an employer. Each January, companies issue W-2s to inform workers, and Uncle Sam, of the amount of money the worker made during the previous year and how much in income, Social Security and Medicare taxes was withheld.

The Five Most Affordable Retirement Havens of 2017?InternationalLiving.com

The majority of recent studies on retirement show that most Americans are not adequately prepared for it: They haven’t saved enough, they’ll likely outlive their nest egg, and so they are instructed to work longer, spend less, and lower their expectations for their retirement lifestyle. With the future of Social Security and Medicare uncertain under the new administration in Washington, Baby Boomers have reason to be worried about what their ?golden years” might look like.

Facts About Social Security, Medicare in the Age of Trump May Surprise You

While the era of “alternative facts” dawned in Washington, experts from across the ideological spectrum gathered in the capital for a review of real facts about our two most important retirement programs: Social Security and Medicare. The annual policy research conference of the National Academy of Social Insurance focused on the group’s new report to the Donald Trump administration and Congress on the future of all our social insurance programs – those that cover retirement, but also those that protect the disabled, jobless, impoverished poverty and frail.

Scam attempts on seniors

Beware of any official looking mailer that is purporting to be from Medicare or Social Security..IT DOESN’T! it’s a prepaid pink postcard to SD Reply Center. PO Box 2528, Rockwall TX 75087-9891. If you receive one of these, throw it away! It’s an attempt ton steal your identity!

10,000 U.S. seniors die within week of er discharge every year: Study

Each year, about 10,000 generally healthy U.S. Medicare patients die within seven days of discharge from a hospital emergency department, a new study contends. “We know that hospitals vary a lot in how often they admit patients to the hospital from the ED [emergency department], but we don’t know whether this matters for patient outcomes,” said lead researcher Dr. Ziad Obermeyer.