Medicare Medicaid Category

Medicare & Medicaid

News articles in this section include actions by federal regulators like the CMS and HHS, as well as information on Medicare and state Medicaid coverage and benefits.

Commercial Insurer Spending Rising Faster Than Medicare

Just over half of the total U.S. population receives health insurance through commercial plans that are offered by employers or purchased by individuals. In recent years, commercial health insurers’ per-person spending on hospitals’ and physicians’ services has grown more quickly than analogous spending by the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) program, according to analysis by the Congressional ...

Read More

AHIP Warns Proposed ACA Exchange Rule Could Threaten Market’s Growing Stability

AHIP, the top lobbying organization for commercial insurers, is warning the feds that provisions in its proposed rule governing the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges for 2023 could “undermine” the growing stability there. For instance, the group says in comments (PDF) submitted late Thursday that potential changes to requirements for essential health benefits would limit the ability for ...

Read More

Biden Pressured To Cover COVID-19 Tests Through Medicare

The Biden administration is exploring ways for Medicare beneficiaries to get over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests for free. The White House is requiring private insurance companies to cover the cost of eight at-home COVID-19 tests per person each month, if the customer files for reimbursement. The requirement was put in place as a result of the ...

Read More

No Debate On Skyrocketing Cost Of California Single-Payer Bill? So Much For Good Government

This measure, after all, would completely change healthcare coverage for Californians. Insurance companies would be shoved aside. People would be switched from their current coverage — whether private, federal Medicare or Medi-Cal for the poor — to a new state-run plan called CalCare.

Read More

California Single Payer Proposal Moves Forward

We need your help in requesting that the California Assembly OPPOSE AB 1400, which mandates a government-run single payer health care program and abolishes private health insurance, Medi-Cal, Medicare, Covered California, and the valuable advocacy services of insurance professionals.

Read More

Lawmakers Ratchet Up Pressure On CMS To Change Part B Premiums After Aduhelm Price Drop

House Democrats are ramping up pressure on the Biden administration to lower Medicare Part B premiums after the price for controversial drug Aduhelm was slashed in half.

Read More

Competition Drives Medicare Advantage Plans To Offer Special Benefits In 2022

A quarter of Medicare Advantage plans now offer chronically ill beneficiaries healthy food, transportation and other special supplemental benefits in 2022, representing a nearly 40% year-over-year increase in carrier uptake of these unconventional services, a new study found. The report, released by consultancy ATI Advisory on Wednesday, found that 1,292 Medicare Advantage plans offered special ...

Read More

MedPAC: Majority Of Medicare Beneficiaries To Be On MA By 2023, But Coding Issues Remain Rampant

Most Medicare beneficiaries in Parts A and B are expected to be enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans by next year, but spending on the plans is going to continue to outpace traditional fee-for-service, a congressional advisory panel found. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), a panel that makes recommendations to Congress on Medicare policy, released ...

Read More

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Soars Almost 9%

More than 28.5 million seniors and people with disabilities were enrolled in a private Medicare Advantage plan as of Jan. 1, an 8.8% increase from the same time in 2021, according to new federal data analyzed by Axios. Why it matters: Enrollment in the controversial MA program continues to grow, and based on prior full-year trends, enrollment in ...

Read More

Democrats Propose California Universal Healthcare, Funded By New Income, Business Taxes

California would enact a sweeping, first-in-the-nation universal healthcare plan under a proposal unveiled Thursday by a group of state Democratic lawmakers, providing health services to every resident and financed by a broad array of new taxes on individuals and businesses.

Read More
arrowcaret-downclosefacebook-squarehamburgerinstagram-squarelinkedin-squarepauseplaytwitter-squareyoutube-square