Medicare News Blog - Care About Medicare http://www.medicarenews.net A news blog on all things Medicare. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:02:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Study finds a mixed bag for Pennsylvania on Medicare drug plan savings http://www.medicarenews.net/study-finds-a-mixed-bag-for-pennsylvania-on-medicare-drug-plan-savings-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/study-finds-a-mixed-bag-for-pennsylvania-on-medicare-drug-plan-savings-07-2009.htm#comments Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:02:58 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/study-finds-a-mixed-bag-for-pennsylvania-on-medicare-drug-plan-savings-07-2009.htm Seniors who already had good coverage are spending more; others lowered overall costs. — Seniors enrolled in Medicare’s prescription drug program are spending more at the pharmacy with the government’s assistance, as expected, but that doesn’t always mean less spending on pricier hospital stays and doctor visits, a Pennsylvania study has found.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/study-finds-a-mixed-bag-for-pennsylvania-on-medicare-drug-plan-savings-07-2009.htm/feed Study Examines Cost, Benefits Of Extending Medicare Drug Use http://www.medicarenews.net/study-examines-cost-benefits-of-extending-medicare-drug-use-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/study-examines-cost-benefits-of-extending-medicare-drug-use-07-2009.htm#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:08:22 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/study-examines-cost-benefits-of-extending-medicare-drug-use-07-2009.htm “A new large-scale study of medical records found that the extra cost of extending prescription coverage to Medicare enrollees was substantially offset by lower spending on other medical care for people who previously had limited or no prescription-drug coverage,” The Wall Street Journal reports.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/study-examines-cost-benefits-of-extending-medicare-drug-use-07-2009.htm/feed President Calls For Medicare Payment Rate Revisions http://www.medicarenews.net/president-calls-for-medicare-payment-rate-revisions-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/president-calls-for-medicare-payment-rate-revisions-07-2009.htm#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:08:32 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/president-calls-for-medicare-payment-rate-revisions-07-2009.htm President Obama reiterated his call to adjust Medicare reimbursement rates as a part of his broad push for health reform in a meeting with nine reporters, including writers from local newspapers, Wednesday.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/president-calls-for-medicare-payment-rate-revisions-07-2009.htm/feed Impact Of Medicare Part D On Medical Spending Addressed By NEJM Study http://www.medicarenews.net/impact-of-medicare-part-d-on-medical-spending-addressed-by-nejm-study-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/impact-of-medicare-part-d-on-medical-spending-addressed-by-nejm-study-07-2009.htm#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:09:02 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/impact-of-medicare-part-d-on-medical-spending-addressed-by-nejm-study-07-2009.htm After enrolling in Medicare Part D, seniors who previously had limited or no drug coverage spent more on prescriptions and less on other medical care services such as hospitalizations and visits to the doctor’s office, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/impact-of-medicare-part-d-on-medical-spending-addressed-by-nejm-study-07-2009.htm/feed Medicare can Cost More Than Seniors can Afford but Help is Available for Low Income http://www.medicarenews.net/medicare-can-cost-more-than-seniors-can-afford-but-help-is-available-for-low-income-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/medicare-can-cost-more-than-seniors-can-afford-but-help-is-available-for-low-income-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:23:35 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/medicare-can-cost-more-than-seniors-can-afford-but-help-is-available-for-low-income-07-2009.htm July 2, 2009 - While Medicare is a valuable resource available to virtually all Americans once they turn 65, and to many others who suffer with disabilities, it has costs like premiums, deductibles and coinsurances that can add up and become very expensive.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/medicare-can-cost-more-than-seniors-can-afford-but-help-is-available-for-low-income-07-2009.htm/feed Two indicted in $179M Medicare fraud http://www.medicarenews.net/two-indicted-in-179m-medicare-fraud-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/two-indicted-in-179m-medicare-fraud-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:02:08 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/two-indicted-in-179m-medicare-fraud-07-2009.htm Two Miami-Dade County men have been indicted in a $179 million Medicare fraud scheme.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/two-indicted-in-179m-medicare-fraud-07-2009.htm/feed Obama defends Canada’s medicare http://www.medicarenews.net/obama-defends-canadas-medicare-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/obama-defends-canadas-medicare-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:39:02 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/obama-defends-canadas-medicare-07-2009.htm President Barack Obama on Wednesday blasted health care reform opponents for citing faults in Canada’s medicare system as a tactic to “scare” Americans away from embracing his plan to create a publicly run health insurance program in the United States.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/obama-defends-canadas-medicare-07-2009.htm/feed North Hollywood man convicted in Medicare fraud case http://www.medicarenews.net/north-hollywood-man-convicted-in-medicare-fraud-case-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/north-hollywood-man-convicted-in-medicare-fraud-case-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:22:07 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/north-hollywood-man-convicted-in-medicare-fraud-case-07-2009.htm A federal jury has convicted a physician assistant for his role in a $7.7 million Medicare fraud scheme.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/north-hollywood-man-convicted-in-medicare-fraud-case-07-2009.htm/feed LA man convicted of defrauding Medicare for $7.7 million http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77-million-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77-million-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:52:57 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77-million-07-2009.htm Prosecutors say a Los Angeles man who prescribed unnecessary motorized wheelchairs using a doctor’s stolen identity has been convicted for his part in defrauding Medicare for $7.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77-million-07-2009.htm/feed Avalere Estimates Medicare Part D ‘Donut Hole’ Will Be Obsolete In 2023 http://www.medicarenews.net/avalere-estimates-medicare-part-d-donut-hole-will-be-obsolete-in-2023-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/avalere-estimates-medicare-part-d-donut-hole-will-be-obsolete-in-2023-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:22:47 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/avalere-estimates-medicare-part-d-donut-hole-will-be-obsolete-in-2023-07-2009.htm Today’s 65 year old Medicare Part D beneficiary will be 79 when the coverage gap, or ‘donut hole,’ is eliminated, says a new analysis of proposed legislation from the House of Representatives released today by Avalere Health.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/avalere-estimates-medicare-part-d-donut-hole-will-be-obsolete-in-2023-07-2009.htm/feed LA Man Convicted Of Defrauding Medicare For $7.7M http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77m-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77m-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:13:57 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77m-07-2009.htm Prosecutors say a Los Angeles man who prescribed unnecessary motorized wheelchairs using a doctor’s stolen identity has been convicted for his part in defrauding Medicare for $7.7 million.

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]]> http://www.medicarenews.net/la-man-convicted-of-defrauding-medicare-for-77m-07-2009.htm/feed Y-NH reimburses Medicare $3.2M over hospital stays http://www.medicarenews.net/y-nh-reimburses-medicare-32m-over-hospital-stays-07-2009.htm http://www.medicarenews.net/y-nh-reimburses-medicare-32m-over-hospital-stays-07-2009.htm#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:22:01 +0000 http://www.medicarenews.net/y-nh-reimburses-medicare-32m-over-hospital-stays-07-2009.htm NEW HAVEN — Yale-New Haven Hospital has reimbursed Medicare $3.2 million to resolve allegations that it billed the program for unnecessary inpatient hospital admissions over an eight-year period.

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