Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/medicare-medicaid/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171765.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171765.php The California Medical Association praised the U.S. House of Representatives today for passing HR 3961, legislation that will ease the difficulty seniors face in finding a physician who accepts Medicare. The bill repeals Medicare's flawed payment structure, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), and replaces it with a stable foundation that would encourage physician participation. Seniors / Aging Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171777.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171777.php House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement on legislation that would permanently reform the broken Medicare physician payment system. The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, which passed by a vote of 243 to 183, repeals a 21 percent fee reduction scheduled for January 2010, and replaces the physician payment formula with a more stable system. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171705.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171705.php HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of up to $10 million in grants to help reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who qualify for, but are not yet enrolled, in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These new grants are part of a broader effort to find and enroll uninsured children who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled. Pediatrics / Children's Health Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171636.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171636.php "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the stage for a climactic debate in the Senate over health care by unveiling a 10-year, $848 billion bill that would extend insurance to 31 million Americans without coverage," The Wall Street Journal reports. The proposed measure, which totals 2,074 pages in length, "is the Senate's answer to a bill that narrowly passed the House Nov. 7. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171642.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171642.php The New York Times reports that "the health care proposals from the House and the Senate are broadly similar but differ on some major issues." It reports on five issues - the public plan, employer contribution, abortion, illegal immigrants and financing - and puts differences in bold type (11/19). Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171675.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171675.php Today's vote by the House of Representatives is an important step toward repealing the 21.5 percent Medicare pay cut for doctors set to take effect next year, and moves to stabilize Medicare's payment system for doctors for the long term. People with Medicare must be able to maintain relationships with the doctors they trust. That access can be secured only in a payment environment that is stable and predictable. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171621.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171621.php The California Medical Association (CMA) and AARP are calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.R. 3961, which would ease the difficulty seniors now face in finding a physician who accepts Medicare. The legislation would repeal Medicare's flawed payment structure, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), and replace it with a stable foundation that would encourage physician participation. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171641.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171641.php Republicans quickly rebuked Senate Democrats' health overhaul bill after its release last night, Roll Call reports. They said it would result in higher insurance premiums, tax hikes, and Medicare cuts, and complained that it was drafted behind closed doors, and that they have not yet had a chance to read it. "It is my hope that Sen. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171644.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171644.php Reuters reports that the White House Wednesday "urged Congress to pass a bill to boost Medicare payments to doctors, a step that could shore up support" from the American Medical Association for health care reform. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171483.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171483.php Kaiser Health News staff writer Chris Weaver reports on efforts to address Medicare's physician pay formula. "Dr. Nancy Nielsen, the immediate past president of the American Medical Association, urged lawmakers Tuesday to permanently eliminate the looming cuts to Medicare's physician payments - something her organization has demanded for years" (11/17). Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171493.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171493.php Minnesota Public Radio reports: "Since 2006, senior citizens have been able to choose plans for Medicare prescription drug coverage, but that coverage contains a gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' a gap that health care reform plans being debated in Congress would address." "Under the House health care bill, Medicare would eliminate the gap within a decade. Seniors / Aging Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171492.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171492.php "On Thursday, the House is expected to pass a $210 billion measure - known as the 'doc fix' - that will adjust Medicare payment rates to avoid a 21 percent cut in January and continuing cuts in the years ahead," The New York Times reports, adding: "The House originally included the provision in its big health care bill. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171491.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171491.php States consider how health legislation on Capitol Hill might affect their Medicaid programs and budgets. "The House health-care bill, which passed last week, expands Medicaid and for the first time sets a national standard on whom would qualify," The Durango Herald reports. "States would have to pay 9 percent of the expanded costs. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171494.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171494.php The White House announced Tuesday that billions of federal dollars were spent in improper payments in 2009 and that spending in the Medicare and Medicaid programs accounted for more than half of that total. President Barack Obama will issue an executive order to crack down on the problem, officials said. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171497.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171497.php American Psychiatric Association Medical Director and CEO James H. Scully, Jr., M.D., sent letters to Members of Congress yesterday urging them to pass H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009, a bill that would block a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians. If the cuts are not blocked by Congress, Medicare patients may have trouble accessing medical care, as some doctors may elect to opt out of seeing new Medicare patients. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171442.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171442.php As part of the Obama Administration's goal of reducing waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) significantly revised and improved its calculations of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) error rates in 2009, reflecting a more complete accounting of Medicare's improper payments than in past years. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171323.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171323.php Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is trying to hold together members of his caucus to vote for a government-run public option for health insurance that would allow states to opt-out of the plan - a plan that is getting an icy reception, even among Democrats, Bloomberg reports. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171330.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171330.php NPR reports on a town in Wisconsin with the highest rates of living wills in the country. "[N]early all adults who die in La Crosse, 96 percent of them, die with a completed advance directive. … But it's expensive to spend time with patients filling out living wills. Medicare doesn't reimburse for the time the hospital's nurses, chaplains and social workers do this. Seniors / Aging Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171329.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171329.php The American Medical Association backed the House Democrats' reform bill earlier this month, at a time when it appeared likely lawmakers would move to permanently end looming cuts to doctors' Medicare payments that Congress defers from year to year, Politico reports. While the so-called "doc fix" was not in the final health bill, "[t]he House is expected to pass a bill later this week to permanently plug [the] shortfall .... Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171248.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171248.php Today, leading advocates for seniors, military families and physicians joined together to call for passage of legislation in the House that will preserve access to care for seniors, baby boomers and military families through repeal of the broken Medicare physician payment formula. A vote on H.R. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171226.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171226.php Rite Aid pharmacies across the country are helping ease the Medicare Part D enrollment process now underway by offering a free Medicare Part D for Seniors planning guide in stores and online, as well as an online Medicare Advisor tool with personalized comparison plans. Pharmacists in more than 4,800 Rite Aid stores are offering Medicare Part D counseling and can print a personalized report featuring the three lowest-cost plans best for seniors' current medication needs. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171232.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171232.php With the kick-off of the Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP) this week, Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) reminds those eligible for Medicare that Health Net's Medicare Advantage (MA) product portfolio offers a comprehensive range of budget-friendly health plan choices to beneficiaries for 2010. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171146.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171146.php The bills pending in Congress could alter some restrictions on insurers and channel money to state health programs. The House bill includes, for instance, $23.5 billion to "allow Congress to continue pumping billions in new short-term aid to states to cover Medicaid costs that have increased with rising unemployment in the past year," The Washington Post reports. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171157.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171157.php If Conservatives Ran Health Care The Washington Post Many liberals remain angry and disappointed that single-payer legislation never stood a chance in Washington. To them, a government-run health-care system seemed an obvious way to put patients ahead of profits. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171149.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171149.php A Charlotte, N.C., law firm is operating a secretive group called Americans for Quality and Affordable Healthcare to attempt to shape lawmakers' and the public's opinions on health reform, the Associated Press reports. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance