Medicare/Medigap Insurance
Found 107 Articles.
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The New Medicare Changes
Congress recently passed, and the President said he will sign, a new law containing what’ known as “the doc fix.” Some years ago Congress decided to save money on Medicare and Medicaid by setting up a schedule that reduced the amounts that would be paid to doctors. The reimbursement schedule was unrealistically low, often paying […]
Medicare’s Problem Overpaying Hospitals
Medicare started releasing detailed data fairly recently, and some outsiders have been studying the data closely for anomalies, overcharging, and other problems. Leading the way has been The Wall Street Journal with a series of articles pointing to problems and inconsistencies. The latest study (subscription might be required) shows how Medicare might be overpaying some […]
Medicare Advantage Plans Receive a Boost
Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare Advantage plans are supposed to be made less attractive. The government is supposed to reduce the amount the plans receive per enrollee. But that hasn’t happened. The plans are very popular, enrolling about 30% of Medicare beneficiaries and rising. For the third year in a row the government announced […]
How Medicare Distorts Medical Care
The Wall Street Journal has been doing a series in which it digs into Medicare billing data to find interesting things about how medical providers react to the incentives in the payment system. The latest report (subscription might be required) found that patients who received care at long-term acute hospitals tend to be discharged exactly […]
Proposed Changes in Medicare
The President plans to change Medicare fairly dramatically over the next few years. Currently, about 20% of Medicare payments are made through one of the trial or experimental payments system. These system try something other then the traditional fee-for-service model under which there is an incentive for more treatment, tests, and other activity, none of […]
Understanding Medicare's Star Ratings
Medicare now rates many providers with from one to five starts, with five being the highest rating. It rates Medicare Advantage Plans, Part D Prescription Drug plans, nursing homes, and more. The ratings mean more to you than indications of the quality of care. Five-star Medicare Advantage and Part D plans have expanded enrollment periods. […]
Medicare Enrollment Too Complicated
Many people elect to take Social Security retirement benefits before age 65. For them, the transition to Medicare is seamless. They are automatically signed up for Medicare Part B. But that’s not the case for everyone else, according to this report from the Medicare Rights Center. Problems signing up for Medicare are more than an […]
More on Medicare and Affordable Health Care
Here’s an interesting piece explaining how the Affordable Care Act reduces the growth of Medicare spending over time. According to this essay, it’s a straightforward case of rationing. What will this mean? Seniors will be the least (financially) desirable patients as they attempt to find doctors who will see them and institutions that will admit […]
