Category: Medicare
New Medicare rules will reduce the $20 billion payments to doctors for administering prescription medications. Medicare Part B reimburses doctors for administering prescription medication to a patient in a doctor’s office or hospital outpatient facility for the cost of the drug plus an additional 6%. Because the more expensive the medication the more the doctor […]
UCLA has conducted a study on Medicare and found that prices are often inflated and payments are a problem. Medicare pays a set amount for each procedure despite the amount of the bill from health care providers. But a study conducted by UCLA and reported by Medical News Today in “UCLA study finds inflated charges, […]
AARP study reveals cost of medications most commonly used by seniors rising faster than inflation. While Presidential candidates don’t agree on most every subject, they are generally in agreement on one: the cost of prescription drugs is too high. Several candidates have suggested that allowing the government to negotiate prescription prices with drug companies would […]
What happens if you receive your annual booklet on Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and your prescription drugs have been removed from list? Many seniors end up wondering what their next step is when Medicare prescription plans change the drugs they cover and a booklet with the information is sent out annually. Recently, Elder […]
Medicare has a plan to pay doctors for quality of care rather than for tests they run. Is that a possibility? A major source of health care expenses is the many, many tests ordered by doctors and hospitals and someone must be responsible for paying for those tests. If the patient is covered by Medicare, […]
A new bill introduced in the Senate aims at eliminating some of the wait time for an appeal to a denied Medicare claim. An appeal to a denied Medicare claim now takes approximately 547 days, according to a McKnight’s article titled “Bill would speed up Medicare claims appeal process. It was only 94 days in […]
According to Tom Lauricella of the Wall Street Journal, retirement is likely to cost more than you think. In a recent Sunday Wall Street Journal article, Lauricella discussed the pros and cons of five common retirement myths: 1. You’ll probably retire earlier than expected. Sounds like a good thing, but it’s not. Among the most critical […]
Unlike Medicare, which is fully regulated by the federal government, Medicaid is a joint program of both federal and state governments. The federal government sets guidelines, and states establish their own rules and programs within these broad parameters. Do you know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid? Although you may feel you need a PhD. […]
For years, it has been an article of faith that Medicare would not pay for services such as skilled nursing or physical therapy unless that care improved a patient’s health status. How did this misunderstanding go on for so long? Learning all the ins and outs of Medicare benefits can leave beneficiaries and patients more […]
If you or a family member land in the hospital as an observation patient and think you should be admitted, it’s better to act sooner than later. When it comes to whether or not care is covered by Medicare, the distinction between being “admitted” or just “under observation” is critical. This is especially important when […]
