“Deep in a budget deal Congress passed earlier this year — just 118 words in Section 53116, a little before passages on prison reporting data and payment yields for seed cotton — was a hit to pharmaceutical companies that will cost them billions, and could signal more losses to come. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘seniors’
A Rare Loss for U.S. Pharma Lobby Will Cost the Industry Billions
Monday, April 9th, 2018Scammers Are Using New Medicare Cards to Try to Trick Seniors
Thursday, April 5th, 2018“If you’re a senior on Medicare, new cards are coming soon. New cards will be mailed out between April 2018 and April 2019, and these new cards will no longer have your Social Security number on them.
7 Healthcare Expenses Medicare Won’t Pay For — The Motley Fool
Friday, August 18th, 2017“If you’re looking forward to getting Medicare because you think this health insurance for seniors will provide comprehensive coverage, you may end up disappointed. Studies have shown seniors with high-prescription drug needs could incur as much as $350,000 in out-of-pocket spending on healthcare during retirement, even with both Medicare and a supplementary Medigap policy.
4 Surprising Things Medicare Doesn’t Cover (and How You Can Pay for Them)
Wednesday, March 8th, 2017“Medicare covers more than 54 million beneficiaries, around 77% of whom are happy with their insurance. Yet this vital social program doesn’t cover every single beneficiary’s needs. If you’re covered by Medicare, or will be soon, it’s important to understand both its benefits and its limitations.
Medicare Part A pays for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, hospice care, and home healthcare. Part B covers 80% of most routine care, but many Medicare recipients eventually experience a health need Medicare won’t cover. It helps to know what kinds of things Medicare won’t pay for and plan ahead for costs.
With health law, workers ponder the I-Quit option
Friday, April 4th, 2014“For uninsured people, the nation’s new health care law may offer an escape from worry about unexpected, astronomical medical bills. But for Stephanie Payne of St. Louis, who already had good insurance, the law could offer another kind of escape: the chance to quit her job.
At 62, Payne has worked for three decades as a nurse, most recently traveling house to house caring for 30 elderly and disabled patients. But she’s ready to leave that behind, including the job-based health benefits, to move to Oregon and promote her self-published book. She envisions herself blogging, doing radio interviews and speaking to seniors groups.
Seniors Get Hung Up In Health Care Scams
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013“One recent morning, 86-year-old Evelyne Lois Such was sitting at her kitchen table in Denver when the phone rang. She didn’t recognize the phone number or the deep voice on the other end of the line. “He asked if I was a senior, and I said yes, and he said we are sending out all new Medicare cards and I want to make sure I have all of your statistics correct,” Such recounts.
At first, the caller didn’t seem too fishy; he started by running through her address and phone number, just to make sure they were right. But then he read off a series of numbers and asked if it was her bank routing number. “I didn’t know really at the time whether it was or not, but I just said no. He said, well could you give it to me so I’ll have it correctly, and I said, well I’m not so sure about that. And he started to say something and I hung up.”
House votes to repeal key health care reform provision
Thursday, March 29th, 2012“Led by its Republican majority, the U.S. House voted Thursday to eliminate from the 2010 health care reform law a proposed advisory board that would recommend how to achieve needed, but as-yet-unreachable Medicare savings.
The repeal measure passed 223-181 on a mostly party-line vote, reflecting the deep partisan divide over health care reform that persists two years after Democrats pushed the measure through Congress. Seven Democrats joined 216 Republicans in support of the repeal, while 10 Republicans voted “no.” (more…)
Quinn: Medicaid must be cut back
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012“Gov. Pat Quinn plans to call for major Medicaid cuts during his annual budget address Wednesday and issue a warning that immediate changes must be made or the state’s health care system for the poor could collapse.
A Quinn spokeswoman said the speech will serve as a “reality check” for lawmakers who also will be asked to approve 9 percent cuts for most state agencies and further reforms to the costly state worker pension system.
Medicare Part B premiums for 2012 lower than projected
Monday, January 9th, 2012“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Medicare Part B premiums in 2012 will be lower than previously projected and the Part B deductible will decrease by $22. While the Medicare Trustees predicted monthly premiums would be $106.60, premiums will instead be $99.90. Earlier this year, HHS announced that average Medicare Advantage premiums would decrease by four percent and premiums paid for Medicare’s prescription drug plans would remain virtually unchanged.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, people with Medicare also receive free preventive services and a 50 percent discount on covered prescription drugs when they enter the prescription drug “donut hole.” This year, 1.8 million people with Medicare have received cheaper prescription drugs, while nearly 20.5 million Medicare beneficiaries have received a free Annual Wellness Visit or other free preventive services like cancer screenings.
