Latest Medicare Update June 29, 2009 at 03:50 PM

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June 29, 2009

Redesigned Hospital Compare!This tool provides you with information on how


Redesigned Hospital Compare!
This tool provides you with information on how well the hospitals care for all their adult patients with certain conditions or procedures. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide as the measures show how often hospitals provide some of the care that is recommended for patients being treated for a heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, or patients having surgery. This tool also displays the Survey of Patients Hospital Experiences, using data collected from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey. Information on inpatient hospital payment information and the number of Medicare patients treated (volume) for certain illnesses are also displayed.

June 27, 2009

Medicare Health Plans - 2008 Plan Data NEW!


Medicare Health Plans - 2008 Plan Data NEW!

June 25, 2009

Compare Medicare Prescription Drug PlansFind & Compare Plans that Cover


Compare Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
Find & Compare Plans that Cover Drugs.

June 23, 2009

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.

June 21, 2009

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.

June 19, 2009

Redesigned Hospital Compare!This tool provides you with information on how


Redesigned Hospital Compare!
This tool provides you with information on how well the hospitals care for all their adult patients with certain conditions or procedures. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide as the measures show how often hospitals provide some of the care that is recommended for patients being treated for a heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, or patients having surgery. This tool also displays the Survey of Patients Hospital Experiences, using data collected from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey. Information on inpatient hospital payment information and the number of Medicare patients treated (volume) for certain illnesses are also displayed.

June 17, 2009

Lower Your Costs During the Coverage Gap5 Ways to Lower


Lower Your Costs During the Coverage Gap
5 Ways to Lower Your Costs During the Coverage Gap

June 15, 2009

Lower Your Costs During the Coverage Gap5 Ways to Lower


Lower Your Costs During the Coverage Gap
5 Ways to Lower Your Costs During the Coverage Gap

June 13, 2009

Medicare Health Plans - 2008 Plan Data NEW!


Medicare Health Plans - 2008 Plan Data NEW!

June 11, 2009

Formulary Finder


Formulary Finder

June 09, 2009

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.

Nursing Workforce Solutions For 21st Century Health Care: How Do


Nursing Workforce Solutions For 21st Century Health Care: How Do We Get There? (Medical News Today)
At a June 12 forum cosponsored by Health Affairs and the Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA), Health Affairs will release a series of papers on the future of the nursing workforce. CCNA is a joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

AARP Endorses Bill To Help Americans Get Care In Their Own Homes (Medical News Today)
More than one million Americans are living in nursing homes, but many would prefer to receive the services they need in their own homes, where they would be more comfortable and potentially save the health care system money in the long run.

Tom Bowser of Blue Cross of KC has a big stake in health-care reform (The Kansas City Star)
Tom Bowser is in the policy kitchen where health care reform is being concocted.

Health calendar (Asheville Citizen-Times)
KIDPOWER ENERGIZE: Free community outreach program designed for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Meets at Leila Patterson Center, Howard Gap Road, in Fletcher. Physician referral required to participate.

Medicare Part D - Lobbyists boost D.C. spending (Boston Globe) Despite the recession, Massachusetts


Lobbyists boost D.C. spending (Boston Globe)
Despite the recession, Massachusetts companies and interest groups have sharply increased spending in Washington, D.C., to influence how federal officials distribute more than $1 trillion to revive the lagging economy.

2010 Medicare Part D Defined Standard Benefit Parameters Online at Q1Medicare.com (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
Q1Medicare.com now has the final 2010 Medicare Part D Defined Standard Benefit parameters online highlighting how the Medicare Part D plans have changed over the past several years. The final 2010 Part D Defined Standard Benefit parameters increased slightly from the preliminary figures released by CMS in late-February. Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in a 2010 Medicare Part D prescription ...

Elder Law Seminars hosted by Flushing House (Queens Courier)
Are you a senior citizen stuck on a financial roller coaster due to the Medicare Part D doughnut hole?

Seniors Find Medicare Part D Too Complicated To Identify Lowest-Cost Plan (Medical News Today)
In the face of rising health care costs, a new study has found that older adults were less likely to identify the plan that minimized their total annual cost and were likely to mistakenly think they had chosen the lowest-cost plan.

Medicare Part D - Seniors Find Medicare Part D Too Complicated To Identify Lowest-Cost


Seniors Find Medicare Part D Too Complicated To Identify Lowest-Cost Plan (Medical News Today)
In the face of rising health care costs, a new study has found that older adults were less likely to identify the plan that minimized their total annual cost and were likely to mistakenly think they had chosen the lowest-cost plan.

Elder Law Seminars hosted by Flushing House (Queens Courier)
Are you a senior citizen stuck on a financial roller coaster due to the Medicare Part D doughnut hole?

Hearing officer appointed to review Blue Cross rate hike request


Hearing officer appointed to review Blue Cross rate hike request (Crain's Detroit Business)
Musette Michael has been appointed the state of Michigans independent hearing officer to review Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigans individual health insurance rate hike proposals.

Open Enrollment Period to End June 15 for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island s Plans for Individuals and Families (Providence Business News)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 8, 2009) The open enrollment period for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island s (BCBSRI) Plans for Individuals and Families (also known as Direct Pay plans), will run through Monday, June 15.

Medicare Part D - Elder Law Seminars hosted by Flushing House (Queens Courier) Are


Elder Law Seminars hosted by Flushing House (Queens Courier)
Are you a senior citizen stuck on a financial roller coaster due to the Medicare Part D doughnut hole?

Seniors Find Medicare Part D Too Complicated To Identify Lowest-Cost Plan (Medical News Today)
In the face of rising health care costs, a new study has found that older adults were less likely to identify the plan that minimized their total annual cost and were likely to mistakenly think they had chosen the lowest-cost plan.

June 08, 2009

Medicare Part D - Medicare series concludes today (Bedford Sun Banner) BEDFORD The final


Medicare series concludes today (Bedford Sun Banner)
BEDFORD The final Medicare seminar of the spring series will be held at 3 p.m. today. The discussion will deal with the Part D Prescription program and will be held as usual at St. John Funeral Home, 923 Broadway...

Seniors Find Medicare Part D Too Complicated To Identify Lowest-Cost Plan (Medical News Today)
In the face of rising health care costs, a new study has found that older adults were less likely to identify the plan that minimized their total annual cost and were likely to mistakenly think they had chosen the lowest-cost plan.

Medicare Part D - Medicare-PartD.com has Moved to Q1Medicare.com (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Medicare-PartD.com,


Medicare-PartD.com has Moved to Q1Medicare.com (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
Medicare-PartD.com, one of the largest private sources of Medicare Part D prescription drug plan information has expanded and moved to Q1Medicare.com. All of the original content, links and bookmarks from Medicare-PartD.com will function as before so past users can quickly navigate their way to Q1Medicare.com. The new Q1Medicare.com site will continue to offer in-depth information on the ...

Grant to help inform seniors about little-used subsidy for medications (Naples Daily News)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the state a $1.5 million grant for providing special assistance to Medicare beneficiaries to learn about how they can get help paying for their medications under the Medicare Part D plans. The money will be allocated among the state s 11 Area Agency on Aging offices that coordinate the Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders, SHINE ...

Seniors Find Medicare Part D Too Complicated To Identify Lowest-Cost Plan (Medical News Today)
In the face of rising health care costs, a new study has found that older adults were less likely to identify the plan that minimized their total annual cost and were likely to mistakenly think they had chosen the lowest-cost plan.

Medicare Part D - Medicare series concludes today (Bedford Sun Banner) BEDFORD The final


Medicare series concludes today (Bedford Sun Banner)
BEDFORD The final Medicare seminar of the spring series will be held at 3 p.m. today. The discussion will deal with the Part D Prescription program and will be held as usual at St. John Funeral Home, 923 Broadway...

Grant to help inform seniors about little-used subsidy for medications (Naples Daily News)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the state a $1.5 million grant for providing special assistance to Medicare beneficiaries to learn about how they can get help paying for their medications under the Medicare Part D plans. The money will be allocated among the state s 11 Area Agency on Aging offices that coordinate the Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders, SHINE ...

2010 Medicare Part D Defined Standard Benefit Parameters Online at Q1Medicare.com (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
Q1Medicare.com now has the final 2010 Medicare Part D Defined Standard Benefit parameters online highlighting how the Medicare Part D plans have changed over the past several years. The final 2010 Part D Defined Standard Benefit parameters increased slightly from the preliminary figures released by CMS in late-February. Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in a 2010 Medicare Part D prescription ...

Will Cost of Arthritis Drugs Soon Be More than Medicare, Senior Citizens Can Afford? (Senior Journal)
June 2, 2009 Certain drugs that are effective at reducing symptoms and slowing progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a common condition for senior citizens, are so expensive they are putting pressure on Medicare Part D plans and beneficiaries.

4,000 Blue Cross bonuses (Detroit Free Press) Blue Cross Blue


4,000 Blue Cross bonuses (Detroit Free Press)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan gave bonuses in May to 4,000 nonunion workers, including its top executives, just months after announcing mounting multimillion-dollar losses and plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs.

Agency to join Cox in look at Blue Cross rate request (Detroit Free Press)
Michigan's insurance regulation agency will join Attorney General Mike Cox in a public hearing that will examine the reasonableness of a rate hike sought by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan affecting 400,000 Michiganders who buy their own health insurance.

Former Blue Cross Executive Charged For Child Porn (KQCD-TV Dickinson)
A former Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota assistant vice president has been indicted on federal child pornography charges. 42-year-old Robert Scheiring had been charged earlier with having pornographic images of young girls.

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