How California’s Hospice Industry Spiraled Out Of Control — And Cost Millions In Fraud

A quiet change in California law in 2018 unleashed a deluge of new hospices and spurred millions of dollars in Medicare fraud that state and federal authorities are still trying to unwind. Hospices shared addresses with burrito stands, car repair shops and vacant lots. They piled into nondescript office buildings offering cheap rent, month-to-month leases ...

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Medi-Cal Plans Brace For ‘Devastating’ Asset Limit Crunch

California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, is slashing asset limits 84% in July 2027. As a result, Medi-Cal members risk losing eligibility — and insurers are feeling the pressure. In 2022, California lifted the asset limit from $2,000 to $130,000 for individuals. CMS eventually approved a state proposal to drop the asset test, but California resurfaced the limits at the beginning of 2026. The 2027 ...

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Hospital Prepayment Requirements Add New Wrinkles to Patients’ Financial Responsibility

Thomas Zordani flew from his home in Denver to Phoenix for a consultation with a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, hoping to find out what could be done to treat his debilitating headaches after worrisome brain scan findings. When making the appointment, Zordani said, he’d been told the clinic was in his insurer’s network. Upon arrival, Zordani ...

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U.S. Appeals Court Voids Formula Used To Avert Surprise Medical Bills

A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down a formula used by healthcare providers, insurers and the government that is designed to shield patients from staggeringly high “surprise” medical ​bills. In an unsigned decision, a majority of the 17-judge 5th U.S. Circuit Court of ‌Appeals in New Orleans assured the ruling would not lead to ...

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Group Sues AMA Seeking Transparency Over Medicare Billing Codes

A health care advocacy group on Thursday sued the American Medical Association in an effort to get more transparency over the association’s billing codes, which guide billions of dollars in health care payments. PatientRightsAdvocate.org hopes to republish the codes online and allow the public to search them free. The group, which has pushed for health care ...

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Costco Enters Medicare Advantage Market Through SCAN Partnership

SCAN Health Plan and Costco will roll out insurance products for older adults in the coming years, according to an Aug. 18 news release. The Wall Street Journal reported that the companies would begin by selling jointly branded Medicare Advantage products in two states, as well as a Medicare supplement in a third state. While the geography was ...

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