The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing this week on the need for greater oversight of Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations and plans. This hearing was triggered by several government watchdog reports that show MA plans delay and deny needed care, […]
This week, Medicare Rights submitted comments in response to a proposed rule that would implement elements of the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) in December 2020. These elements would improve access to Medicare benefits, reduce […]
Gallup has released new polling on health care costs for people 50 or older. They found that older adults, especially those between 50 and 64, face enormous hurdles in affording care. This can lead to many older adults having to sacrifice other basic necessities like food to pay for health […]
In April, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to implement elements of the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act that were signed into law in December 2020. Those provisions included the following enrollment reforms: The BENES Act eliminated the months-long wait for coverage […]
Early this month, the Urban Institute released a report that investigated adding a $5,000 out-of-pocket limit to Original Medicare (OM), and limiting spending by specific payers, including beneficiary out-of-pocket, supplementary coverage plan, and Medicaid. The report found that such a change would decrease beneficiary spending, as well as for Medicaid, […]
This is part 4 of the helpline trends report series. Read part 1, part 2, and part 3. In 2020–2021, the need for a comprehensive Medicare dental benefit drove around 5% of all Helpline calls. Original Medicare covers few dental services. While Medicare Advantage (MA) plans can offer oral care […]
Medicare Rights Advocacy Upcoming Medicare Rights webinar on what New Yorkers need to know about eligibility expansion for Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs On June 14 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, join the Medicare Rights Center and its partners from New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and Medicaid Matters New […]
Late last week, the Medicare Trustees released their annual report on the financial status of Medicare’s trust funds, which they found has improved since last year in part because of lower-than-expected spending and, sadly, too many deaths among the Medicare population. The 2022 report projects that the Part A trust […]
This is part 3 of the helpline trends report series. Read part 1, part 2, and part 4. This third installment in our helpline trends report series examines the troubling theme of accessing and affording prescription drugs, which continues to present as a sustained issue on Medicare Rights’ helpline. In […]
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an analysis of Medicare’s 2022 Part B premium, factoring in mid-year changes that are likely to keep Medicare spending lower than was expected when the premium was first announced. The report, done at the direction of Department of Health […]
