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 …
Medicaid To Fund More Addiction Treatment
For decades, if someone on Medicaid wanted to get treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, they almost always had to rely solely on money from state and local sources. Now, in a dramatic shift, the federal government is considering chipping in, too. The agency that governs Medicaid is proposing to cover 15 days of inpatient rehab per month for anyone …
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 …
NPR Story Explains “Why Phone Fraud Starts with a Silent Call”
The National Public Radio (NPR) show All Tech Considered recently featured a story about phone scams and the technology that scammers are using. Click here to read and listen to the full story “Why Phone Fraud Starts with a Silent Call.” Many of the scams we see at SMP begin with a phone call. As suggested in this story, we …
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 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 …
Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud
Watch this video from the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services to learn what the government is doing to protect you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G76xaqwClhI
Medicare Part D is coming up!
Many people are still working when they’re first eligible for Medicare, and they need to decide if they should get Medicare Part B coverage. Those newly eligible for Medicare who are still working or have employer coverage have important decisions to make. It’s important they understand how and when to enroll, as well as the consequences of not enrolling. Those …
Medicare Costs the Same in 2016
Medicare Advantage premiums remain stable; enrollment at all-time high Seniors and people with disabilities will have continued access to a wide range of Medicare health and drug plans in 2016 Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare Advantage premiums will remain stable and more enrollees will have access to higher quality plans while, for a …
Go Paperless With “Medicare & You”
Did you know you can read the red, white and blue “Medicare & You handbook” right on your smart phone, computer or tablet? Visit Medicare.gov to find all of the same information online you’re used to seeing in your printed handbook. Learn what’s new, get Medicare costs, and find out what Medicare covers. Even better, we update the handbook information on the …
