Latest Medicare Update March 31, 2007 at 07:40 PM

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March 31, 2007

Medicare Part D - Research and Markets: Memberhealth, Inc. Is a Leading National Medicare


Research and Markets: Memberhealth, Inc. Is a Leading National Medicare Part D Sponsor, Offering Medicare Prescription ... (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
DUBLIN, Ireland----Research and Markets has announced the addition of MemberHealth, Inc. Business Intelligence Report 2006 to their offering.

Edwards' cancer a wake-up call for women to be tested (The Journal News)
By the time John Edwards was running for vice president in 2004, Elizabeth Edwards hadn't had a routine mammogram in years. They had left North Carolina for Washington, D.C., when he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and she was busy taking care of her family.

Altmire sponsors bill to end late fee on Medicare's drug plan (Valley News Dispatch)
U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire is sponsoring a bill that aims to retract late enrollment fees charged to senior citizens joining Medicare's Part D prescription drug plan.

New Initiatives Will Help Beneficiaries With HIV Adhere to Drug Regimen (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
CLEVELAND----MemberHealth's CCRx Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan is collaborating with beneficiaries who have HIV and their doctors to ensure the beneficiaries take their antiretroviral medicines correctly - every day.

Premera Blue Cross Ranked Highest in Member Satisfaction among Health


Premera Blue Cross Ranked Highest in Member Satisfaction among Health Plans in the Western U.S. by J.D. Power and ... (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash.----In its inaugural study of health plan consumers, J.D. Power and Associates has ranked Premera Blue Cross highest in member satisfaction in the U.S. Western census region.

Highmark, Independence Blue Cross Agree To Combine (WTAE ThePittsburghChannel.com via Yahoo! News)
Highmark Inc. and Independence Blue Cross announced on Wednesday that they agreed to combine the two organizations.

Medicare Part D - New Medicare enrollment could create headaches (Inside Bay Area) A


New Medicare enrollment could create headaches (Inside Bay Area)
A little-known Medicare open-enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn.

Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa Times)
A little-known Medicare open enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn. Called the "limited open enrollment period," it allows people in traditional Medicare to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don't include drug coverage. Open enrollment runs from April 1 through December.

What are the Medicare Premiums and Coinsurance Rates for 2007?


What are the Medicare Premiums and Coinsurance Rates for 2007?

Medicare Part D - Carbondale man pleads guilty to cheating Medicare (The Scranton Times-Tribune)


Carbondale man pleads guilty to cheating Medicare (The Scranton Times-Tribune)
A Carbondale man bilked Medicare out of about $30,000 by submitting phony bills for prosthetic devices he never provided to amputees, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa Times)
A little-known Medicare open enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn. Called the "limited open enrollment period," it allows people in traditional Medicare to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don't include drug coverage. Open enrollment runs from April 1 through December.

Choices aplenty for area seniors (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
TRAVERSE CITY Senior citizens should look beyond sales pitches before choosing a new Medicare coverage plan, said officials from agencies that serve northern Michigan's older adults.

New Medicare enrollment could create headaches (Inside Bay Area)
A little-known Medicare open-enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn.

Medicare Part D - Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa


Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa Times)
A little-known Medicare open enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn. Called the "limited open enrollment period," it allows people in traditional Medicare to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don't include drug coverage. Open enrollment runs from April 1 through December.

Choices aplenty for area seniors (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
TRAVERSE CITY Senior citizens should look beyond sales pitches before choosing a new Medicare coverage plan, said officials from agencies that serve northern Michigan's older adults.

Research and Markets: Memberhealth, Inc. Is a Leading National Medicare Part D Sponsor, Offering Medicare Prescription ... (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
DUBLIN, Ireland----Research and Markets has announced the addition of MemberHealth, Inc. Business Intelligence Report 2006 to their offering.

Carbondale man pleads guilty to cheating Medicare (The Scranton Times-Tribune)
A Carbondale man bilked Medicare out of about $30,000 by submitting phony bills for prosthetic devices he never provided to amputees, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

March 30, 2007

Ruling on hold in suit against Blue Cross (The Scranton


Ruling on hold in suit against Blue Cross (The Scranton Times-Tribune)
A Lackawanna County judge Thursday put on hold a court challenge to Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania s $175 million pledge to improve regional health systems and support a local medical school.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield adds Texas MedClinic to health provider network (BizJournals)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas policyholders will soon be able to visit Texas MedClinic's 10 locations in San Antonio area for all of their urgent care needs.

NCQA Recognizes Blue Cross of California for Physician and Hospital Quality Measures (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Blue Cross of California announced today it is among the first health plans in California to achieve Quality Plus Distinction for Physician and Hospital Quality from the National Committee for Quality Assurance .

Medicare Part D - Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa


Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa Times)
A little-known Medicare open enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn. Called the "limited open enrollment period," it allows people in traditional Medicare to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don't include drug coverage. Open enrollment runs from April 1 through December.

Opting out of Medicare (Fort Wayne News-Sentinel)
Franklin Perkins of Fort Wayne has learned the hard way that not all Medicare-type plans are created equal. His message to others: Buyer beware.

Carbondale man pleads guilty to cheating Medicare (The Scranton Times-Tribune)
A Carbondale man bilked Medicare out of about $30,000 by submitting phony bills for prosthetic devices he never provided to amputees, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

A Republican congressman talks about the lobbyist-induced frenzy to pass the Medicare prescription drug bill in the ... (WIFR-TV Rockford)
Eric Opon says identity theft can turn a person's life upside down. Opon is an Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist. He says it's a worldwide problem that is much larger than most people think.

Kuwait to cull 1.1 million chickens over bird flu (AFP


Kuwait to cull 1.1 million chickens over bird flu (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Kuwait has ordered the culling of about 1.1 million chickens in a bid to fight an outbreak of bird flu, an official was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Bangladesh says bird flu spreads in farms (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Bird flu had spread to more farms in at least five central and northern districts, Bangladesh said on Friday.

Indonesian doctor with suspected bird flu 'improving' (AFP via Yahoo! News)
An Indonesian doctor who fell ill after treating patients suffering from the deadly bird flu virus was improving, a fellow doctor said Friday.

Baxter's bird flu vaccine working Could help in sales talks with nations (Chicago Tribune)
Baxter International Inc. on Thursday said its bird flu vaccine is working for humans against several strains of the virus at low dosages, setting the stage for a final round of testing the company expects to complete by the end of this year.

More Universal Life Insurance Choices Now Available to Producers Selling


More Universal Life Insurance Choices Now Available to Producers Selling in the New York Market (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.----Producers now have more universal life choices from a quality carrier in the New York market to help meet clients' diverse financial goals and risk profiles.

State Street Appointed as Sole Global Custodian for the Largest Life Insurance Company in Mainland China (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
BEIJING & HONG KONG----State Street Corporation , the world's leading provider of financial services to institutional investors, today announced that it has been appointed by Bank of China to jointly service the foreign currency insurance funds of China Life Insurance Company Limited , the largest life insurance company and one of the largest institutional investors in Mainland China.

Medicare Part D - New Medicare enrollment could create headaches (Inside Bay Area) A


New Medicare enrollment could create headaches (Inside Bay Area)
A little-known Medicare open-enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn.

A Republican congressman talks about the lobbyist-induced frenzy to pass the Medicare prescription drug bill in the ... (WIFR-TV Rockford)
Eric Opon says identity theft can turn a person's life upside down. Opon is an Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist. He says it's a worldwide problem that is much larger than most people think.

Research and Markets: Memberhealth, Inc. Is a Leading National Medicare Part D Sponsor, Offering Medicare Prescription ... (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
DUBLIN, Ireland----Research and Markets has announced the addition of MemberHealth, Inc. Business Intelligence Report 2006 to their offering.

Medicare Part D - Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa


Obscure Medicare offers may be painful for seniors (Contra Costa Times)
A little-known Medicare open enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn. Called the "limited open enrollment period," it allows people in traditional Medicare to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don't include drug coverage. Open enrollment runs from April 1 through December.

WASHINGTON (Supermarket News)
A new Medicare enrollment period, the Limited Open Enrollment Period, begins Sunday and could cause confusion for some Medicare beneficiaries.

Susan Blumenthal, M.D.: Health Care and the 2008 Presidential Elections:


Susan Blumenthal, M.D.: Health Care and the 2008 Presidential Elections: A Window of Opportunity (HuffingtonPost)
Medicare Part D, Health Savings Accounts (HSA's), Universal Coverage, Medicaid Categorical Eligibility, Consumer-Driven Health Care, PPO's, MediGap Insurance, Network-Model HMO. Confused? If so, you are not alone. Confusion about health care is not limited to the complex terminology involved, but extends to the strategies needed to achieve access to quality health care for all Americans. With ...

Don't Get Sick After You Retire (The Motley Fool)
Expect to spend a big chunk of change to stay healthy.

Health care makes house calls (Red Bluff Daily News)
RED BLUFF - One January day, Richard Breman, 78, of Red Bluff was cleaning out the wood stove. He had hot ashes in the bucket when the stroke hit. "The shovel stopped working," Breman said. "I made it out the door to the concrete and deposited the bucket. Then, I told my wife to call somebody."

Opting out of Medicare (Fort Wayne News-Sentinel)
Franklin Perkins of Fort Wayne has learned the hard way that not all Medicare-type plans are created equal. His message to others: Buyer beware.

Fight on to try to save SeniorCare (The Capital Times)


Fight on to try to save SeniorCare (The Capital Times)
WASHINGTON -- When Bette Linton fell on the stairs a year ago, the 85-year-old broke her right leg in three places. The federal government's Medicare program helped her pay for the hospital stay and rehabilitation.

AARP urges drug-price negotiations (USA Today)
The nation's most powerful network of seniors today will join the nation's most powerful network of drugmakers in combat over rising drug prices.

Blue Cross of California exec appointed to national advisory council


Blue Cross of California exec appointed to national advisory council (Los Angeles Business)
Blue Cross of California's Health Care Management executive Josh Valdez was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health, the company said Wednesday.

Blue Cross of California Keeps Promise to Members: Enhanced Consumer-Driven Health Plans and Services Now Available to ... (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Blue Cross of California , through its affiliate BC Life & Health Insurance company, is now offering new health plan options for employers and individuals that will change the way consumers think about health care, helping them to lead healthier lives while also helping them gain control over the rising cost of care.

Highmark, Independence Blue Cross to merge (Pittsburgh Business Times)
The boards of Highmark Inc. and Independence Blue Cross agreed Wednesday to merge the two giant health care organizations.

Highmark, Independence Blue Cross Agree To Combine (WTAE ThePittsburghChannel.com via Yahoo! News)
Highmark Inc. and Independence Blue Cross announced on Wednesday that they agreed to combine the two organizations.

Medicare Part D - PCMA: Berry-Jones Pharmacy Bill Could Increase Costs to Seniors, Disabled


PCMA: Berry-Jones Pharmacy Bill Could Increase Costs to Seniors, Disabled & Medicare Part D by Billions (U.S. Newswire via Yahoo! News)
In response to a vituperative statement from the independent pharmacy lobby, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) today reiterated that Medicare drug plans are paying pharmacy claims on time. Regrettably, the independent pharmacy lobby continues to push a protectionist agenda that would add billions in unnecessary drug costs to seniors and the disabled, Part D plans, and the ...

Berry discusses ups, downs of drug benefit (Jonesboro Sun)
JONESBORO -- A new Medicare prescription drug benefit is having unintended side effects threatening the future of many independent pharmacies because of slow and late payments, according to 1st District Rep. Marion Berry.

Opting out of Medicare (Fort Wayne News-Sentinel)
Franklin Perkins of Fort Wayne has learned the hard way that not all Medicare-type plans are created equal. His message to others: Buyer beware.

Fight on to try to save SeniorCare (The Capital Times)
WASHINGTON -- When Bette Linton fell on the stairs a year ago, the 85-year-old broke her right leg in three places. The federal government's Medicare program helped her pay for the hospital stay and rehabilitation.

March 29, 2007

Medicare Part D - Research and Markets: Memberhealth, Inc. Is a Leading National Medicare


Research and Markets: Memberhealth, Inc. Is a Leading National Medicare Part D Sponsor, Offering Medicare Prescription ... (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
DUBLIN, Ireland----Research and Markets has announced the addition of MemberHealth, Inc. Business Intelligence Report 2006 to their offering.

PCMA: PBMs Projected to Save Medicare, Commercial Market $1.3 Trillion on Prescription Drug Costs From 2008-2017 (U.S. Newswire via Yahoo! News)
Pharmacy benefit management tools and techniques are projected to save Medicare and the commercial market more than $1.3 trillion on prescription drug costs from 2008 to 2017, according to a new study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and released today by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA). PCMA is the national association representing America's pharmacy benefit ...

Berry discusses ups, downs of drug benefit (Jonesboro Sun)
JONESBORO -- A new Medicare prescription drug benefit is having unintended side effects threatening the future of many independent pharmacies because of slow and late payments, according to 1st District Rep. Marion Berry.

Medicare Part D - PCMA: Berry-Jones Pharmacy Bill Could Increase Costs to Seniors, Disabled


PCMA: Berry-Jones Pharmacy Bill Could Increase Costs to Seniors, Disabled & Medicare Part D by Billions (U.S. Newswire via Yahoo! News)
In response to a vituperative statement from the independent pharmacy lobby, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) today reiterated that Medicare drug plans are paying pharmacy claims on time. Regrettably, the independent pharmacy lobby continues to push a protectionist agenda that would add billions in unnecessary drug costs to seniors and the disabled, Part D plans, and the ...

New Medicare enrollment could create headaches (Inside Bay Area)
A little-known Medicare open-enrollment period starting Sunday could create headaches for seniors considering switching health plans, experts warn.

New Initiatives Will Help Beneficiaries With HIV Adhere to Drug Regimen (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
CLEVELAND----MemberHealth's CCRx Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan is collaborating with beneficiaries who have HIV and their doctors to ensure the beneficiaries take their antiretroviral medicines correctly - every day.

Compare Medicare Prescription Drug Plans


Compare Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

Medicare Part D - Walgreen's Profit Rises on New Medicare Plan and Generic Drugs


Walgreen's Profit Rises on New Medicare Plan and Generic Drugs (Bloomberg.com)
March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Walgreen Co., the largest U.S. drugstore chain, said second-quarter profit rose as a new Medicare plan and more generic drugs boosted pharmacy sales.

J-1 Visa Waiver physicians approved (Mississippi Business Journal)
AROUND MISSISSIPPI The Mississippi State Board of Health has approved the placement of new J-1 Visa Waiver Program physicians in three Mississippi counties to serve their Medicare, Medicaid and low-income patients.

PCMA: PBMs Projected to Save Medicare, Commercial Market $1.3 Trillion on Prescription Drug Costs From 2008-2017 (U.S. Newswire via Yahoo! News)
Pharmacy benefit management tools and techniques are projected to save Medicare and the commercial market more than $1.3 trillion on prescription drug costs from 2008 to 2017, according to a new study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and released today by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA). PCMA is the national association representing America's pharmacy benefit ...

SeniorCare renewal faces hurdles (Fond du Lac Reporter)
WASHINGTON - Wisconsins popular SeniorCare drug program for lower income seniors doesnt meet the federal requirements to continue in its current form, a top federal health official told a congressional panel Wednesday. Leslie Norwalk, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, said Senior Care doesnt achieve the budget savings needed to remain an alternative to the ...

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