Category: Medicare

The giant Aetna-Humana merger has been blocked

The deal, in which Aetna proposed to buy Humana for $37 billion , has been ruled anticompetitive by US District Judge John Bates. “In this case, the government alleged that the merger of Aetna and Humana would be likely to substantially lessen competition in markets for individual Medicare Advantage plans and health insurance sold on the public exchanges,” Bates’ decision said.

D.C. Judge, Citing ‘Serious Concerns,’ Blocks Aetna’s $37B Merger With Humana

Aetna Inc.’s proposed $37 billion acquisition of Humana Inc., punctuating an era of antitrust enforcement under the Obama administration that broke up merger deals in a host of industries. Aetna’s deal and also moved to block Anthem Inc.’s proposed $54 billion acquisition of Cigna Corp. Antitrust enforcers alleged the two mergers would amount to an “unprecedented consolidation in the health insurance industry.”

Yuma part of Medicare coordination experiment

As Medicare launches changes for how it pays for heart attacks and hip fractures to promote quality and contain costs, select areas such as Yuma were chosen to test these modifications. Under the revamps, doctors, hospitals and rehab centers are being encouraged to coordinate care.

Greg Dill: Avoiding Medicare late penalties

… and preventive care services, when he was first eligible. At the time he declined his Part B benefits, he was in good health. He rarely saw a doctor, didn’t take prescription drugs, and never had been admitted to a hospital. Part B carries a monthly …

Editorial: KanCare problems never seem to end

… . The Jan. 13 letter was written by James Scott, CMS associate regional administrator for Medicaid and Children’s Health Operation, and he summarized the agency’s concerns: “The results of our on-site review confirm that Kansas is substantively out …

Press release distribution, EDGAR filing, XBRL, regulatory filings

Anti-fou… Global Torpedo Market 2017-2021: ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon & Saab Leave Competitors in their Wake – Research and Markets )–Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Global Torpedo Market 2017-2021” report to their offering. The global torpedo market to grow at a CAGR of 3.04% duri… )–The global insulation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 8% during the forecast period, according to Technavio’s latest report.

Puerto Rico Ophthalmologist Group Settles FTC Charges that Members…

The complaint charges that OFTACOOP – also known as Cooperativa de MA dico OftalmA3logos de Puerto Rico – unlawfully orchestrated an agreement among competing ophthalmologists to refuse to deal with a health plan, MCS Advantage, Inc., and its network administrator, Eye Management of Puerto Rico, LLC. OFTACOOP’s concerted refusal to deal forced MCS to abandon its plan to engage Eye Management to create a lower-cost network of ophthalmologists. MCS was also forced to maintain its then-current reimbursement rates paid to ophthalmologists.

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California officials on Wednesday withdrew their request to sell unsubsidized insurance policies to people who can’t prove they’re legally in the United States after learning the decision would fall to President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Calling the decision “the first California casualty of the Trump presidency,” Sen. Ricardo Lara said he doesn’t trust the incoming administration to protect people’s privacy and health.

HHS nominee Price sees ‘access’ to coverage as health reform goal – Wed, 18 Jan 2017 PST

Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services and one of Congress’s most vehement critics of the Affordable Care Act, told senators on Wednesday that “it is absolutely imperative” for the government to ensure that all Americans “have the opportunity to gain access” to insurance coverage – a more modest goal than the incoming president has set forth in recent days. In a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee committee, Price laid out the central elements of his years-long attempt to replace the ACA along conservative lines.

Premium Idaho Insurance Domain For Sale

Jan. 18, 2017 – PRLog — AffordableServicesOnline INC, a online marketing agency based out of Michigan is offering up one of their premier insurance domains in the state of Idaho. Domain http://idahomedicaresupplement.com is not currently for sale.

Trump Nominee to Face Questions About Obamacare, Stock Trades

Democrats plan to make the Georgia Republican, a leading critic of Obamacare who authored his own conservative alternative to the law in Congress, defend his and Trump’s records on entitlement reform and health insurance. While Trump is in sync with Hill Republicans and Price on the need to repeal and replace Obamacare, he has split with his party on some of the details of reform.

Trump’s health pick set to defend investments at U.S. Senate hearing

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for health secretary was expected to face hard questions from a U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday about his personal stock investments and proposals to dismantle Obamacare. Representative Tom Price, a Georgia orthopedic surgeon who has been in politics for more than 20 years, was chosen by fellow Republican Trump, who will become president on Friday, to head an agency that manages scores of healthcare programs.

A look at cannabis use among 60-somethings

The 67-year-old local, who didn’t want his last name used because he didn’t initially obtain marijuana legally, says his wife acquired her card through a Colorado Springs doctor who was recommended by a local dispensary. She used it to buy creams and salves that helped with leg cramps and pain from a hip replacement.

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A Senior Citizens, free help with Medicare claims forms and Medigap insurance forms, for appointment call Area Agency on Aging, 723-3763.

Steep Bills Surprise Patients Who Go ‘Out-of-Network’

Patients using specialists outside their health-plan network often receive surprise bills for services that cost far more than what Medicare considers a fair rate, a new study suggests. Most insurers use rates set by Medicare — the publicly funded insurance program for the elderly — as the benchmark for what they’ll pay health care providers.

GAO Marshalls Its Data to Warn Leaders of Fiscal Crisis

Set apart with an atypically colorful cover designed around a compass, the first-ever annual report on fiscal health from the Government Accountability Office warns the incoming president and congressional leaders that federal finances remain on an “unsustainable long-term fiscal path.” The 47-page compilation done in cooperation with the Congressional Budget Office combines the latest alarming macro-numbers with calls for action by Congress as well as specific remedies that can be undertaken by agency managers.

We are here to help you realize your dream

Jan. 16 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – a national holiday and a day of remembrance. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to creating and fostering equal rights for African Americans, and he died during his efforts to make his dream a reality.

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Local nurses and community members gathered outside the state Capitol in Sacramento on Sunday evening for the continuation of the Affordable Care Act. Glatt says her daughter was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma just months after she became covered under the President Obama-led health care change.

Trump promises health care ‘for everybody’

President-elect Donald Trump wants health “insurance for everybody,” he told The Washington Post, no small feat in a country where millions are uninsured. The Republican has long lashed out at President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act, campaigning on a pledge to repeal and replace it.

Trump: ‘Insurance for everybody’ in plan

President-elect Donald Trump said in a weekend interview that he is nearing completion of a plan to replace President Barack Obama’s signature health care law with the goal of “insurance for everybody,” while also vowing to force drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices in Medicare and Medicaid.

Trump vows – insurance for everybody’ in Obamacare replacement plan

President-elect Donald Trump said in a weekend interview that he is nearing completion of a plan to replace President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law with the goal of ”insurance for everybody,” while also vowing to force drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices in Medicare and Medicaid. Trump declined to reveal specifics in the telephone interview late Saturday with The Washington Post, but any proposals from the incoming president would almost certainly dominate the Republican effort to overhaul federal health policy as he prepares to work with his party’s congressional majorities.

Trump vows ‘insurance for everybody’ in ACA replacement plan

President-elect Donald Trump said in a weekend interview that he is nearing completion of a plan to replace President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law with the goal of “insurance for everybody,” while also vowing to force drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices in Medicare and Medicaid. Trump declined to reveal specifics in the telephone interview late Saturday with The Washington Post, but any proposals from the incoming president would almost certainly dominate the Republican effort to overhaul federal health policy as he prepares to work with his party’s congressional majorities.

A solution to fix the chaos in Medicare

… A decision about how these services were to be delivered is critical to understanding the contentious debates around health care. Could Bismarck have given vouchers for care as needed? Alternatively, should the government control the needed health …

Should You Get a Medicare Advantage Plan?

… supplemental coverage plan, too. Medicare Advantage plans debuted in 1995. Offered by private organizations such as health insurance companies and regulated by the federal government, they are required to offer at least as much coverage as original …