Medicare News Blog

It’s positive that Medicare scheduled a meeting so rapidly, and that the meetings focus will be rest

Medicare will hold a meeting Nov. 17 to discuss use of Dendreon’s prostate cancer vaccine Provenge.

BURLINGAME, Calif.—-To eliminate confusion and simplify Medicare Part D plan coverage, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has mandated that there must be a “meaningful difference” between plans offered by the same health insurance carrier, and if there is no difference, redundant plans must be eliminated.

For those of us in our 50s and 60s, age 65 looks like goalpost shining in the sun. At 65, you are eligible for Medicare and can set aside worries about the cost of health care. But it’s not really that simple. While Medicare can cover the lion’s share of most people’s medical expenses, it [...]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that more than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries have received prescription drug cost relief through the Affordable Care Act.

Aug. 30, 2010 – More than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries have received prescription drug cost relief through the Affordable Care Act, according to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

WASHINGTON — They’ve lived with the health warnings about smoking for much of their lives and doubtless have seen the ill effects on friends, relatives and even themselves, yet about 4.5 million older people in the U.S. keep on lighting up.Medicare is finally catching up to most private insurers by providing counseling for anyone on [...]

Within the last month the Congress neglected to pass a “Doc Fix” to reimburse physicians at the level they have been charging Medicare patients for the past several years. As a result, the reimbursement to all physicians has decreased by 21 percent.

Before he took over the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid agency this summer, Dr. Donald Berwick retired from the nonprofit health care think tank he co-founded with a nearly $900,000 compensation package and a seven-figure executive retirement plan. But Dr. Berwick is declining to say exactly who provided funding to the…

Medicare plans to help about 4.5 million people in the U.S. kick the habit by providing counseling, according to a recent Associated Press report. Medicare’s chief medical officer Dr. Barry Straube says that it is never too late to quit, even for lifelong smokers. “The elderly can respond to smoking cessation counseling even if they [...]

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has formally accepted the Commonwealth Health Center’s report on its plans to resolve deficiencies that were uncovered at the hospital during an investigation survey in March.

WASHINGTON — Medicare is catching up to most private insurers by providing counseling for any beneficiary who’s trying to quit smoking. More than 4 million seniors are hooked on cigarettes.

Medicare is catching up to most private insurers by providing counseling for any beneficiary who’s trying to quit smoking. More than 4 million seniors are hooked on cigarettes. Dr. Barry Straube, Medicare’s chief medical officer, says it’s never too late to quit, even for lifelong smokers. Seniors can benefit from smoking cessation counseling [...]

Even though they’ve lived with the health warnings much of their lives and doubtless seen the ill effects on friends, relatives and even themselves, about 4.5 million older Americans continue to smoke. Medicare – United States – Health – Health care – Tobacco

WASHINGTON – Even though they’ve lived with the health warnings much of their lives and doubtless seen the ill effects on friends, relatives and even themselves, about 4.5 million older Americans continue to smoke. Finally, Medicare is catching up to most private insurers by providing counseling for any beneficiary who’s…