Medicare Minutes

This month on Medicare Minutes we will look at some of the preventive services covered by Medicare Part B. We will talk in detail about the services alphabetically from A to G, and next month we will examine the rest.

On the December 2011 edition of Medicare Minutes, we will discuss some options for those who may have missed this year's Medicare annual enrollment period. Don't fear... you may still be able to enroll or change plans.

One condition for Medicare payment for skilled nursing facility care is that a beneficiary be a hospital inpatient for at least three days before admission to the skilled nursing facility.  A primary concern among advocates has been that time in observation status and in the emergency room was not counted by the Medicare program as part of an inpatient hospital stay, even when that time was followed by a beneficiary's formal admission to the hospital as an inpatient.  Recently, however, a new and greater concern has arisen.  Beneficiaries throughout the country report that their entire stays in a hospital, including stays as long as 14 days, are classified by the hospital as "outpatient observation".

As we have discussed previously  previous Podcasts, people with chronic conditions and long-term illnesses are often denied Medicare coverage because they supposedly:

• Will not improve, or
• Need "maintenance services only," or
• Have "plateaued", or
• Are "chronic and stable".

These reasons are referred to as the Medicare "Improvement Standard." Medicare is often the only insurance for this population, so, unfortunately, Medicare coverage denials can result in the loss of necessary health care.  And we are trying to end it.

Congress continues to propose Medicare changes that will have bad consequences for beneficiaries and their families. Policymakers and pundits are feeding the media and the public false information about Medicare. The simple truth is that Medicare works… and it costs LESS than private insurance.

Obviously here at Medicare Minutes we talk a lot about Medicare and its importance to so many of our country's older and disabled people.  Something people might overlook, though, is that the MediCAID program is equally important.  And Medicaid matters to Medicare beneficiaries, too.

It seems like Congress has a lot of trouble understanding that there are some solid, manageable solutions that would actually protect Medicare coverage while still reducing costs to taxpayers.  And this month on Medicare Minutes, we're going to highlight a half dozen of them for you.

In this episode of Medicare Minutes we take a look at some issues surrounding the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Program, which seeks to that Medicare doesn not pay for services resulting form injury that should be paid for by another source. For more information on the MSP program, see our topic page, http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/medicare-info/medicare-secondary-payer-program.

In April 2011, the Center for Medicare Advocacy celebrates 25 years of advocating for, and on behalf of, older people and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare.  And despite constant challenges, there is reason to be hopeful for Medicare's future.

Are you unhappy with your Medicare Advantage plan? You have until February 14th to do something about it!

This month we will discuss some new rules issued by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or "CMS" - the agency that runs Medicare - that will help people who need home health therapy services get the coverage they need.

This month we will discuss the concept of "Quality of Care" which you have no doubt heard of in relation to the recently passed health reform laws, but which you may only vaguely understand.

This month we want take a moment to remind you that despite the exaggerations and accusations that have been shouted around, health care reform is good for Medicare beneficiaries.  Stay informed, and make sure it continues to be so.

This month we're happy to present some details on the new health care reform law and its effects.  So sit back and listen to some health care reform facts, by the numbers.

This month we will discuss income-related premiums in Medicare parts B and D.

Visiting a companion, friend or loved one in the hospital seems like a simple and ordinary act of kindness, doesn't it?  But such visits have been anything but simple for many loved ones.

Relief from the Medicare Part D "donut hole" gets started this month, June of 2010, when Medicare begins sending out the $250 rebate checks that you may have heard about.

One of the topics we are most frequently asked questions about is the Medicare Part B premium.  This has been particularly true since the Part B premium became related to a beneficiary's income.  In 2010 additional complications arose from the so-called "hold harmless" provision.  This edition of Medicare Minutes will discuss this provision, who it affects, who it doesn’t affect, and what it does to premiums in general.

Today, on our April, Twenty-Ten edition of Medicare Minutes, we want to help you understand how the recently passed health care reform law will affect you.