By Phil Galewitz and Susan Jaffe January 18, 2017 Federal officials this month warned 21 Medicare Advantage insurers with high rates of errors in their online network directories that they could face heavy fines or have to stop enrolling people if the problems are not fixed by Feb. 6. Among the plans that were cited are Blue Cross Blue Shield …
Nearly 12 million people with Medicare have saved over $26 billion on prescription drugs since 2010
Over 40 million Medicare beneficiaries utilized free preventive services in 2016 The Department of Health and Human Services released today new information that shows that millions of seniors and people with disabilities with Medicare continue to save on prescription drugs and see improved benefits in 2016 as a result of the Affordable Care Act. More than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries …
Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, and Cost Sharing Policies as of January 2017: Findings from a 50-State Survey
Jan 12, 2017 | Tricia Brooks, Karina Wagnerman, Samantha Artiga, Elizabeth Cornachione, and Petry Ubri Executive Summary Report Tables Endnotes This 15th annual 50-state survey provides data on Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility, enrollment, renewal and cost sharing policies as of January 2017, and identifies changes in these policies in the past year. (See Appendix Tables 1-21 …
Transforming Health Care Delivery through the CMS Innovation Center: Better Care, Healthier People, and Smarter Spending
January 5, 2017 By Dr. Patrick Conway, Acting Principal Deputy Administrator We have made great progress in recent years on reforming our system into one that delivers better quality of care for patients and pays for care in a smarter way, including investing more in prevention and primary care. Before 2010, there had been only modest efforts to improve care …
Medicare-Medicaid ACO Model joins growing number of state-based efforts to improve quality of care, lower costs
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Medicare-Medicaid Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model, a new initiative designed to improve the quality of care and lower costs for beneficiaries who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. The Medicare-Medicaid ACO Model builds on the current Medicare Shared Savings Program and advances efforts to partner with states in …
New Medicare data show steep increases in drug prices
By Shelby Livingston and Art Golab | December 7, 2016 The CMS on Wednesday released data on the price history of 5,000 prescription drugs over five years, shedding light on the fastest rising source of healthcare costs in recent years. “The reason it’s important is not to use it as a cudgel, but to get away from the world of …
Biweekly Enrollment Snapshot
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2016 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries WEEKS 3 AND 4, NOV 13 – 26, 2016 Four weeks into Open Enrollment, millions of Americans continue to visit HealthCare.gov and sign up for Marketplace plans, demonstrating the strong demand for quality, affordable coverage. Over 2.1 million people have selected plans using the …
CMS launches new online tool to make Quality Payment Program easier for clinicians
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a tool to share automatically electronic data for the Medicare Quality Payment Program. This new release is the first in a series that will be part of CMS’s ongoing efforts to spur the creation of innovative, customizable tools to reduce burden for clinicians, while also supporting high-quality care for patients. …
2017 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Announced
CMS NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 10, 2016 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries 2017 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Announced Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2017 premiums for the Medicare inpatient hospital (Part A) and physician and outpatient hospital services (Part B) programs. Medicare Part B …
Give Fraudsters the Old “One-Two”
Just hang up on phone solicitors offering free gifts in exchange for your Medicare card number or other health information. Read about more ways to beat the Medicare crooks in the link, below. Help fight Medicare fraud | Medicare.gov Learn about examples of Medicare fraud, like getting billed for services or equipment you never got. Learn More WWW.MEDICARE.GOV