Latest Medicare News
Court says judge had no authority to halt Medicare Advantage plan for Delaware government retirees
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware’s Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling that prevented officials from moving state government retirees from a Medicare supplement plan to a Medicare Advantage plan. The justices ruled Friday that a Superior Court judge had no jurisdiction...
Hospitals must obtain written consent for pelvic and similar exams, the federal government says
Hospitals must obtain written informed consent from patients before subjecting them to pelvic exams and exams of other sensitive areas — especially if an exam will be done while the patient is unconscious, the federal government said Monday. New guidance from the U.S. Department of...
Walgreens books hefty charge as the drugstore chain adjusts the value of struggling clinics
Walgreens lost nearly $6 billion in its second quarter mainly due to a drop in value for the VillageMD clinic business it controls. Excluding that charge, the drugstore chain reported results Thursday that topped Wall Street expectations. Walgreens spent more than $5...
Medicare can pay for obesity drugs like Wegovy in certain heart patients
Medicare can pay for the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy — as long as the patients using it also have heart disease and need to reduce the risk of future heart attacks, strokes and other serious problems, federal officials said Thursday. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Kate Ashford: Can you afford health care in retirement?
At age 65, some couples may need as much as $413,000 to cover health care costs in retirement, according to a January report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. That’s an extreme case, representing two people with high prescription drug costs — but it’s not outside the realm of...
Are you in the wrong Medicare Advantage plan? What to review now
Many people choose Medicare Advantage plans without exploring their options or noticing what changes their plan may have made, according to research from KFF, a health policy nonprofit. But now that a new year has started, you may realize the plan you picked during Medicare’s fall open enrollment...
CVS Health grows more cautious about 2024 as it deals with rising Medicare Advantage costs
Busy Medicare Advantage businesses have CVS Health and other insurance providers spooked about the new year. The health care giant said Wednesday that it was scaling back already cautious expectations for 2024 as it tries to understand why costs keep rising from the privately run...
Cigna trims portfolio by selling Medicare business for $3.7 billion to Health Care Service Corp.
The Cigna Group will sell its Medicare business to another insurer, Health Care Service Corp., for about $3.7 billion. Cigna said Wednesday the deal includes its Medicare Advantage insurance, a supplemental benefits business and Medicare prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage...
