[Guidance Overview] Preparing for and Understanding the New Medicare Reporting Requirements

[Guidance Overview] Preparing for and Understanding the New Medicare Reporting Requirements
Excerpt: “Because most companies have already developed reporting policies in workers’ compensation cases, they simply need to formalize and expand those policies to include group health plans, liability insurance (including self-insurance), and no-fault insurance as well. The sooner a Medicare eligible claimant or covered individual can be identified by an Insurer, the easier it will be to coordinate with CMS and guarantee that Medicare’s interests are protected in the settlement — thereby relieving the Insurer of any liability to Medicare.” (Troutman Sanders LLP)
Source: www.troutmansanders.com

The Effect of Medicare Part D Coverage on Drug Use and Cost Sharing Among Seniors Without Prior Drug Benefits
Excerpt: “This study evaluates the effect of Medicare Part D among seniors who previously lacked drug coverage, using time-trend analyses of patient-level dispensing data from three pharmacy chains. Of 114,766 seniors without drug benefits, 55 percent initiated drug insurance under Part D. After the penalty-free Part D enrollment period, use of statins, clopidogrel, and proton pump inhibitors stabilized at levels ranging from 11 percent to 37 percent above the trend that would have been expected if Part D had not been implemented.” (Health Affairs)
Source: content.healthaffairs.org

[Guidance Overview] The Imminent New Mandatory Medicare Secondary Payer Reporting Rules (PDF)
5 pages. Excerpt: “We recommend the following steps for each provider of liability or no-fault insurance, workers’ compensation programs or insurance, and each person who self-insures such risks, including TPAs: Become familiar with the MMSEA reporting requirements. Determine whether you are a Responsible Reporting Entity. Design a process to capture required information. Register online with the Medicare Coordination of Benefits Contractor before June 30, 2009. Begin testing.” (Drinker Biddle Reath LLP)
Source: www.drinkerbiddle.com

Cornell Blasts Edwards On Medicaid – Post-Journal
Chautauqua County Legislator Chuck Cornell, D-Jamestown, will eliminate the vacant Medicaid specialist position if elected county executive this fall. Pledging to pursue other avenues to cut Medicaid costs, Cornell said recently that none of the …
Source: post-journal.com

2009 Medicare Trustees Report
Excerpt: “The Boards of Trustees for Medicare . . . report annually to the Congress on the financial operations and actuarial status of the program. Beginning in 2002, there is one combined report discussing both the Hospital Insurance program (Medicare Part A) and the Supplementary Medical Insurance program (Medicare Part B and Prescription Drug Coverage). . . . The Boards of Trustees issued their most recent report on May 12, 2009.” (Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund via Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Source: www.cms.hhs.gov

Our Say: Rising Medicaid costs one piece of national puzzle – HometownAnnapolis.com
You could say that the latest numbers on Marylanders joining the state Medicaid system indicate that changes made by the governor and the legislature are working as planned – indeed, better than planned. The numbers are good news for formerly …
Source: www.hometownannapolis.com

Finding Health Insurance When You Lose Your Job (PDF)
12 pages. Excerpt: “[The publication] is designed to help consumers who’ve lost their health coverage sort through possible options for new coverage, including COBRA, Medicaid, CHIP, other federal and state programs, and the individual market.” (Families USA)
Source: www.familiesusa.org

[Guidance Overview] Medicare Part D: Optimizing the Opportunities for Employer Plans (PDF)
5 pages. The article discusses the pluses and minuses of options. (International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans via Milliman)
Source: www.milliman.com

Medicaid under review – Baton Rouge Advocate
Private health-care providers who treat Louisiana’s poor are facing a $180 million cut in the government health insurance program that pays them. The amount is far less than originally expected. But the cut’s impact will be hard to measure until …
Source: www.2theadvocate.com

Medicare Beneficiaries’ Out-of-Pocket Spending for Health Care Services
Excerpt: “Beneficiaries spent an average of $4,394 of their own money on health care services in 2005 — about 28 percent of income.” (AARP)
Source: www.aarp.org