Branch-St. Joseph staff

Branch-St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging Receives Navigator Award from MMAP, Inc.

Area Agency on Aging Staff (from left to right): Belinda Whitely, Deanna Himebaugh, Laura Sutter, Melissa Cramton and Megan Bentley – this year’s recipients of the SHIP Navigator Award (photo provided by Area Agency on Aging) Rebecca Burns, Health Officer for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, the Agency that oversees the AAA office, adds “We are very proud of …

CMS finalizes controversial Medicaid outpatient drug rule

By Virgil Dickson  | January 21, 2016 By April 1, state Medicaid agencies must start reimbursing pharmacies for prescription drugs based on actual acquisition costs according to a final rule released Thursday. Medicaid programs until now have reimbursed pharmacies for prescription drugs based on the ingredient costs for the drug and a dispensing fee for filling the prescription, according to the …

Michigan Medicaid waiver appears to save eligibility for 600,000 residents

By Virgil Dickson  | December 17, 2015 The CMS denied a request to allow Michigan to increase cost-sharing for Medicaid beneficiaries but granted other provisions of an unusual take-it-or-leave-it waiver application submitted under a mandate from state lawmakers. The terms are outlined in the approved waiver sent to the state Thursday. Earlier this fall, Michigan submitted a take-it-or-leave-it request to the …

rx dollar bill

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports:

Medicare spending, which represented 20 percent of national health spending in 2014, grew 5.5 percent to $618.7 billion, a faster increase than the 3.0 percent growth in 2013. The 2014 rate of growth was driven by increased spending growth for retail prescription drugs and in Medicare Advantage. Per-enrollee spending increased by 2.4 percent. Average growth in per-enrollee spending was 7.0 …

Medicare handbook

CMS News – Medicare Open Enrollment Starts Today!

Medicare Open Enrollment Starts Today Individuals with Medicare can shop for high quality health and drug plans The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the beginning of the Medicare Open Enrollment period where people with Medicare can shop for a Medicare Advantage (MA) or Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) for 2016. The Medicare Open Enrollment period happens every …

Medicare 300

Medicare Drug Plan Enrollees Would Face Average 13 Percent Premium Increase Unless They Switch Plans During Open Enrollment, New Analysis Finds

Second Analysis Finds Modest Shifts in Medicare Advantage Plan Options When Medicare’s 2016 open enrollment begins Oct. 15, current enrollees in stand-alone Medicare Part D plans are projected to face an average 13 percent increase in premiums if they remain in their current plan for 2016, a new analysis finds. Medicare Part D: A First Look at Plan Offerings in …