Latest Medicare Stories

Low cognition hinders seniors' wise Medicare choices, calls into question potential effectiveness of voucher system Millions of seniors are turning down free money. The Low Income Subsidy for Medicare Part D is a rare beast in economics research. The subsidy provides prescription drug coverage essentially free for low-income adults. That means it is what economists call a dominant option. For those who are eligible, there is no rational reason not to choose it. And yet, a new study...

The rising cost of Medicare can be cut through strategies such as increasing premiums and raising the eligibility age, but those moves could drive many elderly Americans from the program, leaving them with limited access to health services, according to a new study. Researchers simulated the likely outcomes of three approaches for lowering Medicare costs -- imposing a premium for Medicare's hospital insurance, switching to a premium support program that subsidizes the cost of purchasing...

Slowdown in health care spending growth could save Americans $770 billion, study finds A slowdown in the growth of U.S. health care costs could mean that Americans could save as much as $770 billion on Medicare spending over the next decade, Harvard economists say. In a May 6 paper published in Health Affairs, David Cutler, the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics, and co-author Nikhil Sahni, a senior researcher in Harvard's Economics Department, point to several factors,...

Health Affairs study proposes comprehensive Medicare benefit that simplifies benefits and lowers premiums and out-of-pocket costs 17 percent to 40 percent Combining Medicare's hospital, physician, and prescription drug coverage with commonly purchased private supplemental coverage into one health plan could produce national savings of $180 billion over a decade while improving care for beneficiaries, according to a new study by researchers at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public...

Medicare Supplemental Insurance Comparison Site Guides Seniors and their Families through the Process of Understanding and Selecting Coverage NEW YORK, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- This year for Mother's Day, senior moms may prefer help choosing a Medicare supplemental insurance plan over flowers and chocolates from their children. A survey sponsored by 65 Incorporated revealed that one in three people enrolled in Medicare doesn't understand their coverage or benefits....

Budget Conferees Urged to Prioritize Medicaid Funding for Texas' Most Vulnerable Frail, Disabled Texans AUSTIN, Texas, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Noting the Chair of the Texas Health Care Association's (THCA) Nurse Council recently warned the ongoing provision of quality nursing home care to Texas seniors could be compromised by the continuation of unacceptably low state Medicaid reimbursements, THCA President Tim Graves said the continued well-being of 60,000 frail,...

ST. LOUIS, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today it will present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2013 Health Care Conference, to be held May 14-16, 2013, at the Encore at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Centene's presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at 3:40 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available at: http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/baml/healthcare2013/id20002900.cfm. Shortly after the...

LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost Family, Inc. (Nasdaq: AFAM), a leading regional provider of home health nursing and personal care services, announced today its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2013. First Quarter Highlights: Net service revenues of $87 million for the quarter Net income was $3.2 million, or $0.35 per diluted share Visiting Nurse segment net revenues were $68 million, on 1% admission growth overall Comments on Results...

CARMEL, Ind., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An overwhelming majority (90%) of our nation's middle-income Americans say they are not financially prepared for a critical illness diagnosis, according to a new study released by Washington National Institute for Wellness Solutions (IWS). The study, Middle-Income America's Perspectives on Critical Illness and Financial Security, which surveyed 1,001 Americans ages 30 to 66 with an annual household income of between $35,000 and $99,999, found...

BenchmarkPortal recognizes the exceptional efficiency and effectiveness of the Health Net Federal Services Call Centers by awarding it Certification as a Center of Excellence for the second year in a row. The granting of certification is based on a company’s operational metrics, customer satisfaction and agent satisfaction. Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) May 06, 2013 The Health Net Federal Services Call Centers have been certified as a Center of Excellence by BenchmarkPortal, a leading...