Latest Medicare Update November 30, 2006 at 08:20 PM

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November 30, 2006

Blue Cross-Nemours Insurance Stalemate (First Coast News) JACKSONVILL, FL --


Blue Cross-Nemours Insurance Stalemate (First Coast News)
JACKSONVILL, FL -- Blue Cross Blue Shield and Nemours Children's Clinic are at an impasse on coming to terms on an insurance contract. The insurance giant says it has ten thousand customers across the state that access Nemours which offers specialized pediatric care.

OpTier, Independent Research Firm and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Take On Transaction-Focused Service (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
OpTier, the leader in transaction workload management for the enterprise, today announced a free Webinar featuring its customer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and featuring Forrester Research's Vice President Jean-Pierre Garbani to discuss a new approach to optimizing service delivery through transaction management.

Blue Cross Announces Additional Recipients of Prevention Minnesota Funding (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has announced the selection of another 32 projects to promote physical activity in communities around the state. The initiative -- Communities on the Move -- is part of Prevention Minnesota, Blue Cross' long-term health improvement initiative that tackles preventable heart disease and cancers by addressing their root causes.

Medicare Part D - More sessions offered for Medicare questions (The Marietta Times) At


More sessions offered for Medicare questions (The Marietta Times)
At least 50 people showed up at the O Neill Senior Center Tuesday with questions about Medicare Part D.

Medicare Part D Information (13WHAM Rochester)
Christine Webb - Senior Citizens have until December 31 to change a drug plan or get coverage for the first time.

Medicare, Part D event will help beneficiaries (The Advocate)
NEWARK -- The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program will have an OSHIIP Medicare and Part D Check-up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Licking County Aging Program, 745 N. Main St., Newark.

Medicare Part D program spent $13 billion less than budgeted (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
WASHINGTON - The Medicare drug benefit has cost nearly $13 billion less than expected this year, a rare federal program coming in under budget. President Bush credits competition among the dozens of private insurance companies administering Medicare Part D, but figures provided by the agency that oversees the benefit show two other key factors: lower-than-expected enrollment and drug prices that

Medicare Part D - Democrats Challenged By Developing Plan That Would Allow Medicare To


Democrats Challenged By Developing Plan That Would Allow Medicare To Negotiate Drug Prices, Washington Post Reports (Medical News Today)
Democratic lawmakers are "struggling" to keep promises made on the campaign trail to have the federal government negotiate drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, the Washington Post reports. Recent polls indicate that about 80% of Medicare Part D beneficiaries are satisfied with their plans, and that the cost of the program has been lower than expected. [click link for full

Seniors: Enroll in new Medicare plan early (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald)
Although the new enrollment period for Medicare Part D began Nov. 15 and will continue until Dec. 31, officials are encouraging all eligible seniors to switch plans or enroll in a new Medicare prescription drug plan by Dec. 8.

Congressman hosts Medicare Part D forum (The Daily News Transcript)
WESTWOOD -- Medicare s prescription drug programcame into existence Jan. 1 this year, but with a new opportunity for seniors to join the program or change their existing plan, one area politician is hosting an informational forum tomorrow.

Medicare Part D has changes (The Oshkosh Northwestern)
Everything has changed.

S.Korea in huge poultry cull to halt bird flu (Reuters


S.Korea in huge poultry cull to halt bird flu (Reuters via Yahoo! India News)
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea will cull more than half a million fowl in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, having already killed 150,000 chickens near farms where the virus was found, officials said on Thursday.

Rumors of Canada bird flu case not true-official (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Internet speculation over a potential human case of bird flu in the Canadian province of Quebec is untrue, a health official said on Wednesday.

S.Korea in huge poultry cull to halt bird flu (AlertNet)
Source: Reuters (Adds details, background) SEOUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) - South Korea will cull more than half a million fowl in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, having already killed ...

FIGHTING BIRD FLU COSTLY (Meat News)
UNITED STATES: A United Nations report says fighting avian influenza will cost at least $1.5 billion more over the next two to three years. A United Nations report released this week says progress is being made in the fight against the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Life insurance Without an Exam Not a Good Idea (Kewanee


Life insurance Without an Exam Not a Good Idea (Kewanee Star Courier)
(ARA) - Are you one of those people who always gets nervous at test time? If so, you may be intrigued by the prospect of buying a life insurance policy that doesn't require a physical exam, but you could be making a huge financial mistake.

Life Insurance Settlement Association Supports Disclosure in New Settlement Model Acts (SYS-CON Media)
The Life Insurance Settlement Association willmeet in conference in New York from November 29 to December 1. This willbe the twelfth consecutive year for this conference, and it will occur inNew York City at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Times Square. As in previousyears, LISA will continue to provide leadership for the industry and toconfront the challenges of the day. Industry leaders have shown

Man convicted in wife's murder tries to collect life insurance (The Times-News)
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- A Mountain Home man convicted of killing his wife by poisoning her with sleeping pills and drain cleaner wants Idaho's highest court to help him collect on her life insurance.

Term Life Insurance Prices Drop by Half (NPR)
With economic inflation, most prices tend to go up, not down. But there are always exceptions, including term life insurance. It now costs 50 percent less than it did 10 years ago.

Medicare Part D - Medicare, Part D event will help beneficiaries (The Advocate) NEWARK


Medicare, Part D event will help beneficiaries (The Advocate)
NEWARK -- The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program will have an OSHIIP Medicare and Part D Check-up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Licking County Aging Program, 745 N. Main St., Newark.

Medicare Part D program spent $13 billion less than budgeted (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
WASHINGTON - The Medicare drug benefit has cost nearly $13 billion less than expected this year, a rare federal program coming in under budget. President Bush credits competition among the dozens of private insurance companies administering Medicare Part D, but figures provided by the agency that oversees the benefit show two other key factors: lower-than-expected enrollment and drug prices that

More sessions offered for Medicare questions (The Marietta Times)
At least 50 people showed up at the O Neill Senior Center Tuesday with questions about Medicare Part D.

Medicare Part D - Medicare, Part D event will help beneficiaries (The Advocate) NEWARK


Medicare, Part D event will help beneficiaries (The Advocate)
NEWARK -- The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program will have an OSHIIP Medicare and Part D Check-up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Licking County Aging Program, 745 N. Main St., Newark.

Congressman hosts Medicare Part D forum (The Daily News Transcript)
WESTWOOD -- Medicare s prescription drug programcame into existence Jan. 1 this year, but with a new opportunity for seniors to join the program or change their existing plan, one area politician is hosting an informational forum tomorrow.

Grappling with Medicare D again (The Burlington Free Press) Published:


Grappling with Medicare D again (The Burlington Free Press)
Published: Monday, November 20, 2006 Here we go again.

Partners target positive events (Lompoc Record)
Lompoc residents Dayshawn Grant and Joe Johnson have a new entertainment and event coordinating business the two hope will make a positive impact in the community.

Clock ticking on Part D enrollment (Cleburne Times-Review)
For anyone interested in learning how to navigate through the maze of the Medicare Part D puzzle, here s a quick solution: Go to the Medicare.gov Web site online and glance through the online publication the federal government has placed there all 156 pages of it.

LifeSecure Insurance Company: IRS Announces Increased Deductibles in 2007 for Those With Long Term Care Insurance (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Higher levels of deductibility on Federal taxes for long term care insurance premiums paid in 2007 have been announced by the Internal Revenue Service.

Medicare promises a challenge for Democrats (The Olympian) WASHINGTON -


Medicare promises a challenge for Democrats (The Olympian)
WASHINGTON - It sounded simple enough on the campaign trail: Free the government to negotiate lower drug prices and use the savings to plug a big gap in Medicare's new prescription-drug benefit.

Seniors: Enroll in new Medicare plan early (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald)
Although the new enrollment period for Medicare Part D began Nov. 15 and will continue until Dec. 31, officials are encouraging all eligible seniors to switch plans or enroll in a new Medicare prescription drug plan by Dec. 8.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Requires Study (Black Press USA)
WASHINGTON (NNPA) Open enrollment has taken on a more literal meaning for the Medicare Prescription Drug program, now in its second year.

Medicare drug program under budget (The Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
WASHINGTON - The Medicare drug benefit has cost nearly $13 billion less than expected this year, a rare federal program coming in under budget.

November 29, 2006

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Selects Health Dialog


Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Selects Health Dialog to Provide Continued Care Management Services (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
BOSTON----Health Dialog Services Corporation today announced it has been selected again by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida to provide whole person care management services to BCBSF members.

Triple-S, Inc. - An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in Puerto Rico - Selects QCSI's (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
PHOENIX----QCSI , a leading provider of advanced information technology and enterprise application software and services for health insurers and benefits administrators, announced today that Triple-S, Inc. has chosen QCSI's QNXT enterprise system to consolidate applications and benefit from its industry-leading advanced technologies.

Jobs cut at Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BizJournals)
Employees at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota were told Tuesday about plans to shift resources that will result in the elimination of 51 jobs.

OpTier, Independent Research Firm and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Take On Transaction-Focused Service (SYS-CON Media)
OpTier(TM), the leader in transaction workload management for the enterprise, today announced a free Webinar featuring its customer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and featuring Forrester Research's Vice President Jean-Pierre Garbani to discuss a new approach to optimizing service delivery through transaction management. The Webinar takes place on November 29, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. ET. To

Medicare Part D - Study doubts Part D benefits (phillyburbs.com) New preliminary data suggests


Study doubts Part D benefits (phillyburbs.com)
New preliminary data suggests Pennsylvania senior citizens using Medicare Part D paid more in co-pays and premiums and faced significant coverage gaps and medication restrictions than seniors getting drugs through other means.

Democrats Challenged By Developing Plan That Would Allow Medicare To Negotiate Drug Prices, Washington Post Reports (Medical News Today)
Democratic lawmakers are "struggling" to keep promises made on the campaign trail to have the federal government negotiate drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, the Washington Post reports. Recent polls indicate that about 80% of Medicare Part D beneficiaries are satisfied with their plans, and that the cost of the program has been lower than expected. [click link for full

Medicare Part D - Seniors: Enroll in new Medicare plan early (Roanoke Rapids Daily


Seniors: Enroll in new Medicare plan early (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald)
Although the new enrollment period for Medicare Part D began Nov. 15 and will continue until Dec. 31, officials are encouraging all eligible seniors to switch plans or enroll in a new Medicare prescription drug plan by Dec. 8.

Medicare, Part D event will help beneficiaries (The Advocate)
NEWARK -- The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program will have an OSHIIP Medicare and Part D Check-up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Licking County Aging Program, 745 N. Main St., Newark.

MyMedicare.govMyMedicare.gov provides direct Internet access to your Medicare benefits, eligibility,


MyMedicare.gov
MyMedicare.gov provides direct Internet access to your Medicare benefits, eligibility, enrollment (including prescription drug plans) and preventive health information - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Visit the site, sign up, and Medicare will mail you a password to allow you access to your personal Medicare information. MyMedicare.gov also allows you to view your adjudicated claims information, access online forms and publications, and receive important messages from Medicare.

Medicare Part D - Medicare open enrollment now under way (Brewton Standard) Open enrollment


Medicare open enrollment now under way (Brewton Standard)
Open enrollment for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage in the 2007 calendar year is under way. Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older (and for younger people with disabilities), offers insurance coverage to help pay for prescription drugs.

Medicare Part D has changes (The Oshkosh Northwestern)
Everything has changed.

Medicare Part D program spent $13 billion less than budgeted (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
WASHINGTON - The Medicare drug benefit has cost nearly $13 billion less than expected this year, a rare federal program coming in under budget. President Bush credits competition among the dozens of private insurance companies administering Medicare Part D, but figures provided by the agency that oversees the benefit show two other key factors: lower-than-expected enrollment and drug prices that

Medicare Part D - 2007 Medicare Part D enrollment begins today (Lebanon Express) In


2007 Medicare Part D enrollment begins today (Lebanon Express)
In order to receive Medicare prescription drug coverage in 2007, Medicare beneficiaries must choose from a significantly wider field of Medicare choices and have only six weeks to make a selection.

Forum on Medicare set today (Dayton Daily News)
DAYTON The Better Business Bureau of the Miami Valley today is offering a free program to help Miami Valley seniors avoid identity theft and Internet schemes and sort through the Medicare Part D prescription plans.

Medicare Part D program spent $13 billion less than budgeted (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
WASHINGTON - The Medicare drug benefit has cost nearly $13 billion less than expected this year, a rare federal program coming in under budget. President Bush credits competition among the dozens of private insurance companies administering Medicare Part D, but figures provided by the agency that oversees the benefit show two other key factors: lower-than-expected enrollment and drug prices that

Blue Cross volunteer program s Make a Difference Day (Times Leader)


Blue Cross volunteer program s Make a Difference Day (Times Leader)
Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania s Caring Corps employee volunteer program conducted its first Make a Difference Day project in October to benefit homeless individuals throughout Luzerne and Wyoming counties. More than 420 pairs of new socks were collected in one day. The socks will be distributed to those in need by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and the Foster Grandparent

Blue Cross letter alerts of disruption in service (Contra Costa Times)
About 36,500 patients at John Muir hospitals could be affected starting at midnight Thursday.

Blue Cross employees help brighten Thanksgiving holiday for those in need (Times Leader)
Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania s Caring Corps employee volunteers conducted their annual Thanksgiving service project at the Commission on Economic Opportunity in Wilkes-Barre during the week of Nov. 13. More than 50 volunteers donated more than 350 hours of service to pack food boxes for distribution throughout Wyoming Valley. Blue Cross employees, from left, are: Linda Dec, Debbie

November 28, 2006

Medicare Part D - Medicare Part D major disaster for chronically ill (Bonita Daily


Medicare Part D major disaster for chronically ill (Bonita Daily News)
They are at wit's end when medical bills arrive in the mail that Medicaid used to pay.

Congressman hosts Medicare Part D forum (The Daily News Transcript)
WESTWOOD -- Medicare s prescription drug programcame into existence Jan. 1 this year, but with a new opportunity for seniors to join the program or change their existing plan, one area politician is hosting an informational forum tomorrow.

Medicare Part D major disaster for chronically ill (Naples Daily News)
They are at wit's end when medical bills arrive in the mail that Medicaid used to pay. There is no way many of the 38,000 chronically ill Florida residents who once were part of the state's Medically Needy program can pay the bills for their visits to specialists, for laboratory tests or dialysis, given that they struggle to live on disability income of about $800 a month.

Medicare Part D - 2007 Medicare Part D enrollment begins today (Lebanon Express) In


2007 Medicare Part D enrollment begins today (Lebanon Express)
In order to receive Medicare prescription drug coverage in 2007, Medicare beneficiaries must choose from a significantly wider field of Medicare choices and have only six weeks to make a selection.

Study doubts Part D benefits (phillyburbs.com)
New preliminary data suggests Pennsylvania senior citizens using Medicare Part D paid more in co-pays and premiums and faced significant coverage gaps and medication restrictions than seniors getting drugs through other means.

Medicare 'Part D' signup deadline nearing (Casper Star-Tribune)
BILLINGS, Mont. -It might not be at the top of the conversation list this holiday week, but some families will undoubtedly find themselves talking about the Medicare prescription drug program.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Launches Unique, Web-Based Health


Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Launches Unique, Web-Based Health Insurance Options for Georgia's 'Young Invincibles' (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Young adults between the ages of 19 and 34 -- also known as "young invincibles" -- represent one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the population without health insurance.

Shot clinic will be in Reedsport (Coos Bay World Link)
Flu and pneumonia shots will be offered during a clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the Reedsport City Hall, 451 Winchester Ave. Flu shots are $28, and Medicare Part B, Oregon Health Plan, Atrio, Pacific Source and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon insurance policies will be accepted.

RazorSharks and Teddy Geiger on New Year's Eve (OurSports Central)
(Rochester, New York)....Rock star Teddy Geiger, the Rochester RazorSharks professional basketball team, Preferred Care, The Blue Cross Arena (SMG) and the City of Rochester are teaming up to present "The Preferred Care New Year's Eve Basket-BALL" at The Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester on New Year's Eve, Sunday, December 31, 2006.

Blue Cross employees help brighten Thanksgiving holiday for those in need (Times Leader)
Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania s Caring Corps employee volunteers conducted their annual Thanksgiving service project at the Commission on Economic Opportunity in Wilkes-Barre during the week of Nov. 13. More than 50 volunteers donated more than 350 hours of service to pack food boxes for distribution throughout Wyoming Valley. Blue Cross employees, from left, are: Linda Dec, Debbie

Medicare Part D - Congressman hosts Medicare Part D forum (The Daily News Transcript)


Congressman hosts Medicare Part D forum (The Daily News Transcript)
WESTWOOD -- Medicare s prescription drug programcame into existence Jan. 1 this year, but with a new opportunity for seniors to join the program or change their existing plan, one area politician is hosting an informational forum tomorrow.

What is new for Medicare Part D? (phillyburbs.com)
Senior citizens are sorting through a myriad of Medicare changes for 2007.

Additional information in this months archive:


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