Now is the time for the annual enrollment period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) for Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) and the Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) Program. Unfortunately, this is also a time for scammers to prey on people who may be uncertain about how the program works. In a news release, the California… Continue reading Watch Out for Medicare Scams
Tag: Medicare
7 Important Steps to Take in the Year Before You Retire
You wouldn’t dream of running a marathon without undergoing months of training. Or heading into the wilderness without making sure you have adequate provisions. Or betting your life savings on a business venture you haven’t thoroughly researched. But when it comes to entering retirement—when a failure to plan can have devastating consequences—a surprising number of… Continue reading 7 Important Steps to Take in the Year Before You Retire
The Potential Impact of Medicare’s New Mandatory Bundled Payments
Researchers at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation used real-world data to look at the potential impact of Medicare’s new mandatory bundled payments approach, currently called Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement. Their findings are published in the September 2016 issue of Health Affairs. The payment program, which was launched in April… Continue reading The Potential Impact of Medicare’s New Mandatory Bundled Payments
Two Kinds of Medicare
Seniors who get their health coverage through Medicare Advantage plans, which are run by health insurance companies, are likely to be healthier than those who get the coverage directly from the federal government. Writing in JAMA Internal Medicine, a University of Michigan Medical School team drew their findings from data on a representative sample of… Continue reading Two Kinds of Medicare
Inflated Charges in Medicare & Medicaid Payment Patterns Vary
In 2016, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles Health Sciences found inflated charges and significant variation in patterns of payments for surgical care by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That charges were inflated compared with payments disproportionately affects the underinsured and uninsured, who often must pay for their care out… Continue reading Inflated Charges in Medicare & Medicaid Payment Patterns Vary
Comparing Old and New Drugs for AFib in People Age 65+
When it comes to preventing stroke, millions of Americans with irregular heartbeats (atrial fibrilation or AFib) face a choice: Take one of the powerful but pricey new pills they see advertised on TV, or a much cheaper 60-year-old drug that can be a hassle to take, and doesn’t prevent stroke as well. It doesn’t seem… Continue reading Comparing Old and New Drugs for AFib in People Age 65+
ICU Is Best for Older, Low-Risk Patients With Pneumonia
Among Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with pneumonia, intensive care unit (ICU) admission of patients, which appeared to be discretionary, was associated with improved survival and no significant differences in Medicare spending or hospital costs compared with patients admitted to general wards. That is the finding of a University of Michigan study published in the September 22/29… Continue reading ICU Is Best for Older, Low-Risk Patients With Pneumonia
Hospitals Unfairly Penalized for Good Care
A study by Johns Hopkins researchers indicates that hospitals suffer improper financial penalties because of the number of patients who suffer blood clots in the lung or leg. The researchers said the penalties did not take into account clots that occurred despite consistent use of the best preventive therapies. “We have a big problem with… Continue reading Hospitals Unfairly Penalized for Good Care
A Healthier Picture for Medicare Patients
The health picture is brighter for older Medicare patients: In a 15-year study, Yale School of Medicine researchers saw an estimated 20% drop in mortality, about 30% fewer hospitalizations, and 40% reduction in deaths after hospitalization. The findings were published In JAMA’s theme issue on Medicare and Medicaid at 50. In the study, researchers took… Continue reading A Healthier Picture for Medicare Patients
Are Some Hospital Patients Kept Longer than Necessary?
Some hospitals may be keeping patients longer than necessary because of the way Medicare determines payment rates, according to a study from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Medicare pays these facilities – known as long-term hospitals – at a higher rate for patients who stay for at least a certain number of days;… Continue reading Are Some Hospital Patients Kept Longer than Necessary?
Palliative Care in the ER for Seniors Could Reduce Admissions to the ICU
Applying palliative care principles to emergency departments may reduce the number of geriatric patients admitted to intensive care units, possibly extending lives and reducing Medicare costs, according to a three-year analysis by Mount Sinai researchers published online in the May edition of Health Affairs. A release from Mt. Sinai quotes Corita Grudzen, MD, the lead… Continue reading Palliative Care in the ER for Seniors Could Reduce Admissions to the ICU
Help for Navigating The Medicare Maze
Navigating the Medicare system can be frustrating and even frightening for many people, but the National Council on Aging has created an improved site to make it easier. The NCOA’s www.mymedicarematters.org offers personalized tools and enrollment advice to anyone looking for Medicare information. According to a news release from NCOA, the site has always offered… Continue reading Help for Navigating The Medicare Maze
Cheaper Private Health Care = More Medicare Spending
When private prices for health care services decrease, Medicare spending increases, according to a study led by the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California and published online by Health Services Research on November 27th 2014. The finding raises the possibility that physicians and hospitals may be… Continue reading Cheaper Private Health Care = More Medicare Spending
Congress and A Failure to Address Health-Care Costs
Although the U.S. Senate has killed a bill that would have changed the way Medicare pays doctors, that issue remains just as crucial, according to a commentary in the journal JAMA Surgery. The bill, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act, was supported by physicians’ organizations as well as both… Continue reading Congress and A Failure to Address Health-Care Costs
6 Ways to Steer Clear of Identity Theft
Editor’s note: These days, people are more vulnerable than ever to identity theft, and many seniors find themselves faced with it at the most vulnerable time in their lives. A lifetime’s savings can suddenly disappear, leaving you without the money to provide the best possible health care for yourself and your family. Here, experts from… Continue reading 6 Ways to Steer Clear of Identity Theft
Too Many Patients Are Delaying Hospice Care
Although hospice can benefit terminally ill patients over a period of time, one in six cancer patients enroll it in only during the last three days of life, according to a new study. The findings, by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, also revealed a profile of the kind of patient… Continue reading Too Many Patients Are Delaying Hospice Care