Latest Medicare Update April 30, 2008 at 05:25 PM

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April 30, 2008

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Joins National Workplace Fitness


Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Joins National Workplace Fitness Effort (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
PHOENIX----Today Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is celebrating the importance of physical activity during a commemorative walk as BCBSAZ employees, Arizona legislators and the winning fifth-grade classroom students of the Walk On!

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Joins National Workplace Fitness Effort (Centre Daily Times)
Today Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is celebrating the importance of physical activity during a commemorative walk as BCBSAZ employees, Arizona legislators and the winning fifth-grade classroom students of the Walk On! Challenge (a statewide program designed to motivate kids to incorporate exercise into their daily routines) joins tens of thousands of Americans across the country by ...

Enters Agreement With Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida BCBSF to Implement MEDecision's Alineo Collaborative ... (INO News)
WAYNE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 30, 2008--MEDecision, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDE), a leading provider of collaborative health care management solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to deliver its Alineo(TM) Collaborative Health Care Management platform to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF).

Indonesia Defends Its Bird Flu Stance Against US Criticism (CBS


Indonesia Defends Its Bird Flu Stance Against US Criticism (CBS News)
Indonesia does not want money for its samples of a deadly bird flu virus, a health official said Wednesday after the U.S. criticized his country for refusing to share the samples with the international community.

Tanzania: Be Alert On Bird Flu (AllAfrica.com)
Tanzania has received about 4,500 kits from the United States for use in combating bird flu in case there is an outbreak of the disease. So far, the disease has been detected in 11 African countries.

S.Korea's 1st life insurance IPO aims for $500 mln (Reuters


S.Korea's 1st life insurance IPO aims for $500 mln (Reuters via Yahoo! Philippines News)
HONG KONG/SEOUL, April 29 - Tong Yang Life Insurance aims to raise around $500 million in an initial public offering in Seoul later this year that would make it South Korea's first listed life insurance company, sources involved in the process said on Tuesday.

Term Life Insurance Rate War (Carteret County News-Times)
(ARA) - If you have been thinking about buying term life insurance, now's a great time to start shopping because life insurance companies are competing for the lowest term life insurance rates. Rates are expected to continue to decrease throughout 2008.

Key Analysis of the Indian Life Insurance Market With Market Value Based on Gross Premium Income (Business Wire via Yahoo!7 Finance)
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c90146) has announced the addition of "Snapshots India Life Insurance 2008" to their offering.

A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of Gerber Life Insurance Company (Centre Daily Times)
A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of "a" of Gerber Life Insurance Company (Gerber Life) (White Plains, NY). The outlook for both ratings is stable.

Medicare Part D - CBS 6 exposes Medicare Part D loophole (WRGB Albany) A


CBS 6 exposes Medicare Part D loophole (WRGB Albany)
A Medicare loophole may be causing some senior citizens to lose their prescription drug coverage, while allowing multi-million dollar pharmacy benefit managers to rake-in record profits.

Miami Jury Convicts Dermatologist of Medicare Fraud (PR Newswire via Yahoo! News)
Ninth Trial Conviction for Medicare Fraud Strike Force

Texas Consumers Rate Humana Highest in Overall Member Satisfaction, in J.D. Power and Associates Study (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
AUSTIN, Texas----Humana Health Plan of Texas, part of Humana Inc. , has received the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates award for Member Satisfaction, for ranking highest among commercial health plans in the state.

What is the Impact of Medicare Part D? (Part 1) --- HealthandAge (HealthandAge)
Many Medicare beneficiaries are still unaware of, or confused by, the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act. Otherwise known as the Part D prescription drug program, this act was implemented in 2003 to subsidize the cost of medications for the elderly and the disabled, and in 2006, the Medicare program started offering outpatient prescription drug benefits.

Medicare Part D - Miami Jury Convicts Dermatologist of Medicare Fraud (PR Newswire via


Miami Jury Convicts Dermatologist of Medicare Fraud (PR Newswire via Yahoo! News)
Ninth Trial Conviction for Medicare Fraud Strike Force

House members discuss SCHIP, Medicare, Medicaid during debate in Cincinnati (News-Medical-Net)
A bipartisan group of eight House members on Monday discussed several health care issues -- such as SCHIP, Medicare and Medicaid -- during a debate at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, The Hill reports.

Medicare Part D - Limited Knowledge of Cost-Sharing Requirements of Medicare Part D May


Limited Knowledge of Cost-Sharing Requirements of Medicare Part D May Effect Drug Adherence (Senior Journal)
Enrollees in the large Medicare Advantage Part D drug plan have a limited knowledge of the plan s cost-sharing requirements, and more than one-third report cost-coping behaviors such as reducing drug adherence or switching to a cheaper drug, according to the second study in JAMA.

House members discuss SCHIP, Medicare, Medicaid during debate in Cincinnati (News-Medical-Net)
A bipartisan group of eight House members on Monday discussed several health care issues -- such as SCHIP, Medicare and Medicaid -- during a debate at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, The Hill reports.

Cost-related Medication Nonadherence Less Likely After Medicare Part D (Medical News Today)
An article published in JAMA reports that after theimplementation of Medicare Part D, cost-related medication nonadherencemay have improved overall.In 2003 Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement andModernization Act to help the millions of elderly and disabledAmericans who had insufficient or no insurance coverage for outpatientmedications.

Medicare Part D - Disabled Texans join more than 1,000 at D.C. protest (San


Disabled Texans join more than 1,000 at D.C. protest (San Antonio Express-News/KENS 5)
They want Medicaid, Medicare coverage expanded to include home health care, community services.

House members discuss SCHIP, Medicare, Medicaid during debate in Cincinnati (News-Medical-Net)
A bipartisan group of eight House members on Monday discussed several health care issues -- such as SCHIP, Medicare and Medicaid -- during a debate at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, The Hill reports.

April 29, 2008

Independence Blue Cross Launches First Annual National Walk @ Lunch


Independence Blue Cross Launches First Annual National Walk @ Lunch Day in Philadelphia (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Independence Blue Cross will host Philadelphia's first National Walk @ Lunch Day on Wednesday, April 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., encouraging Philadelphians to use their lunch break for walking, and demonstrating how easy it is to fit regular exercise into a busy lifestyle.

Talks resume in Tenet-Independence Blue Cross contract dispute (BizJournals)
Contract talks between Independence Blue Cross and Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s two Philadelphia hospitals have resumed this week, but with the existing contract set to expire at midnight Wednesday no new deal is in place. (THC)

Senators offer opposing views on Blue Cross reform (Redford Observer)


Senators offer opposing views on Blue Cross reform (Redford Observer)
State Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, says he wants "to turn the screws" on Blue Cross Blue Shield to "make them fulfill their mission." George is chairman of the Senate Health Policy Committee, which is holding hearings on legislation to reform medical insurance laws in Michigan for the individual market. The House bills, HB 5282-5285, were passed in October with a large bipartisan majority. The ...

Covering the Bases: (The Capital)
When does a person need to enroll in Medicare? My neighbor waited until she was 67 and she didn't even have to pay a penalty. I had to enroll when I was 65.

At your service (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
The At Your Service column appears in The News-Journal on Mondays. Featured this week are service groups in Volusia and Flagler counties.

Medicare Part D - CBS 6 exposes Medicare Part D loophole (WRGB Albany) A


CBS 6 exposes Medicare Part D loophole (WRGB Albany)
A Medicare loophole may be causing some senior citizens to lose their prescription drug coverage, while allowing multi-million dollar pharmacy benefit managers to rake-in record profits.

Sickest Patients Still Struggle Under New Medicare Part D Benefit (Newswise)
While the new Medicare Part D drug benefit has produced positive outcomes, the sickest patients still skip medications for financial reasons.

Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; medication adherence may be improving overall (EurekAlert!)
There still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program, although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, according to two studies in the April 23/30 issue of JAMA.

Medicare Part D beneficiaries may pay a price for poor knowledge of their Part D benefits (EurekAlert!)
April 22, 2008 (Oakland, Calif.) Medicare Beneficiaries have limited knowledge of their Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug benefits.

Medicare & You 2008 NEW!Medicare & You contains important information


Medicare & You 2008 NEW!
Medicare & You contains important information about what's new, health plans, prescription drug plans, and rights and protections to help people with Medicare review their coverage options and prepare to enroll in a new plan if they choose. It is available in both English and Spanish.
Each fall, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mails a geographic-specific version to all households of people with Medicare. In 2008, there are 59 geographic-specific versions with drug and health plan comparison charts for particular states or regions.

Questions/Answers (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin) Questions and answers on Daily


Questions/Answers (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)
Questions and answers on Daily Bulletin stories from readers like you. The golden years?

EFFINGHAM EVENTS (Savannah Morning News)
SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS

All-Expenses-Paid Fellowships Available at the National Press Foundation (PNN)
Millions of baby boomers in America are heading into retirement with financial and lifestyle choices their parents never dreamed of.

The golden years? (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)
Gladys Hart said she was shocked after she got the dental bill. A recent deep cleaning had rung up $750. Hart, 75, has Medicare, but the insurance program doesn't cover her dental needs.

Medicare Part D - Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; medication adherence


Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; medication adherence may be improving overall (EurekAlert!)
There still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program, although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, according to two studies in the April 23/30 issue of JAMA.

Sickest Patients Still Struggle Under New Medicare Part D Benefit (Newswise)
While the new Medicare Part D drug benefit has produced positive outcomes, the sickest patients still skip medications for financial reasons.

Still lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program (News-Medical-Net)
There still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program, although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, according to two studies in the April 23/30 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Independence Blue Cross Launches First Annual National Walk @ Lunch


Independence Blue Cross Launches First Annual National Walk @ Lunch Day in Philadelphia (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Independence Blue Cross will host Philadelphia's first National Walk @ Lunch Day on Wednesday, April 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., encouraging Philadelphians to use their lunch break for walking, and demonstrating how easy it is to fit regular exercise into a busy lifestyle.

Senators offer opposing views on Blue Cross reform (Farmington Observer)
State Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, says he wants "to turn the screws" on Blue Cross Blue Shield to "make them fulfill their mission." George is chairman of the Senate Health Policy Committee which is holding hearings on legislation to reform medical insurance laws in Michigan for the individual market. The House bills, HB 5282-5285, were passed in October with a large bipartisan majority. The ...

Medicare Part D - Cost-related Medication Nonadherence Less Likely After Medicare Part D (Medical


Cost-related Medication Nonadherence Less Likely After Medicare Part D (Medical News Today)
An article published in JAMA reports that after theimplementation of Medicare Part D, cost-related medication nonadherencemay have improved overall.In 2003 Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement andModernization Act to help the millions of elderly and disabledAmericans who had insufficient or no insurance coverage for outpatientmedications.

Sickest Patients Still Struggle Under New Medicare Part D Benefit (Newswise)
While the new Medicare Part D drug benefit has produced positive outcomes, the sickest patients still skip medications for financial reasons.

Medicare Part D beneficiaries may pay a price for poor knowledge of their Part D benefits (EurekAlert!)
April 22, 2008 (Oakland, Calif.) Medicare Beneficiaries have limited knowledge of their Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug benefits.

Medicare Part D - Medicare Part D beneficiaries may pay a price for poor


Medicare Part D beneficiaries may pay a price for poor knowledge of their Part D benefits (EurekAlert!)
April 22, 2008 (Oakland, Calif.) Medicare Beneficiaries have limited knowledge of their Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug benefits.

Limited Knowledge of Cost-Sharing Requirements of Medicare Part D May Effect Drug Adherence (Senior Journal)
Enrollees in the large Medicare Advantage Part D drug plan have a limited knowledge of the plan s cost-sharing requirements, and more than one-third report cost-coping behaviors such as reducing drug adherence or switching to a cheaper drug, according to the second study in JAMA.

Still lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program (News-Medical-Net)
There still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program, although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, according to two studies in the April 23/30 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Cost-related Medication Nonadherence Less Likely After Medicare Part D (Medical News Today)
An article published in JAMA reports that after theimplementation of Medicare Part D, cost-related medication nonadherencemay have improved overall.In 2003 Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement andModernization Act to help the millions of elderly and disabledAmericans who had insufficient or no insurance coverage for outpatientmedications.

April 28, 2008

Medicare Part D - Still lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug


Still lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program (News-Medical-Net)
There still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program, although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, according to two studies in the April 23/30 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Limited Knowledge of Cost-Sharing Requirements of Medicare Part D May Effect Drug Adherence (Senior Journal)
Enrollees in the large Medicare Advantage Part D drug plan have a limited knowledge of the plan s cost-sharing requirements, and more than one-third report cost-coping behaviors such as reducing drug adherence or switching to a cheaper drug, according to the second study in JAMA.

Medicare Part D - Some (slightly) good news on Medicare Part D (Philly.com) Fewer


Some (slightly) good news on Medicare Part D (Philly.com)
Fewer patients are skipping their medications because they can't afford the prescriptions, according to two new studies of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act, better known as Medicare Part D.

Coping With Costs Of Medicare Part D Coverage Gap (Medical News Today)
According to a study published in JAMA, Medicarebeneficiaries who enroll in Part D are not fully informed about thecost-sharing requirements of the plan. John Hsu, M.D., M.B.A., M.S.C.E.(Kaiser Permanente Medical CareProgram, Oakland, Calif.

Medicare Part D beneficiaries may pay a price for poor knowledge of their Part D benefits (EurekAlert!)
April 22, 2008 (Oakland, Calif.) Medicare Beneficiaries have limited knowledge of their Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug benefits.

Attorney General pursues investigation of Blue Cross (Crain's Detroit Business)


Attorney General pursues investigation of Blue Cross (Crain's Detroit Business)
Michigan Attorney General Michael Cox sent a fax on Thursday night to Dan Loepp, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, asking Loepp to explain by June 2 whether the company violated state laws by purchasing a...

Trial closing of Blue Line's Cermak branch starts (Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Transit Authority begins a controversial six-month experiment on Monday when it eliminates all remaining service on the Blue Line's 54th/Cermak branch.

Medicare Part D - Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; medication adherence


Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; medication adherence may be improving overall (EurekAlert!)
There still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare's Part D prescription drug program, although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, according to two studies in the April 23/30 issue of JAMA.

Cost-related Medication Nonadherence Less Likely After Medicare Part D (Medical News Today)
An article published in JAMA reports that after theimplementation of Medicare Part D, cost-related medication nonadherencemay have improved overall.In 2003 Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement andModernization Act to help the millions of elderly and disabledAmericans who had insufficient or no insurance coverage for outpatientmedications.

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