Latest Medicare News
What’s new for Medicare in 2023?
A new year means changes to Medicare, including updated premiums and deductibles and sometimes big policy moves. In 2023, there’s a little of everything: Some costs have gone down, others have increased, and there are some notable tweaks to how Medicare works. Understanding...
Feds expect to collect $4.7B in insurance fraud penalties
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration estimated Monday that it could collect as much as $4.7 billion from insurance companies with newer and tougher penalties for submitting improper charges on the taxpayers' tab for Medicare Advantage care. Federal watchdogs have been...
Doctor gets nearly 17 years in prison for vast opioid scheme
DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area doctor was sentenced Monday to nearly 17 years in prison and ordered to pay $30 million for leading a scheme to bill Medicare and private insurers for unnecessary painkiller injections and write prescriptions for millions of opioids. Frank Patino's...
Why do so many older adults choose Medicare Advantage?
In 2022, 48% of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans instead of original Medicare, and experts predict that number will be higher in 2023. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers and bundle Medicare benefits in a way many people find...
Mississippi company to pay $1.87M to settle false claims
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — An orthopedic clinic in north Mississippi and its owner have agreed to pay more than $1.8 million to resolve allegations that the health care provider knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. New Albany,...
Virginia woman with lymphedema is getting her life back
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Abbe Buck Hann is overjoyed that the spending plan recently approved by Congress includes benefits for people who suffer, as she does, from a little-known condition affecting lymph nodes. The jubilation is a stark contrast to the despair the Stafford...
Spending bill secures funds for Native American health care
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Access to health care for Native Americans and Alaska Natives will be bolstered with funding included in a massive government spending bill awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature. The U.S. House passed the measure Friday, avoiding a government shutdown...
Biden administration proposes crackdown on scam Medicare ads
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed a ban on misleading ads for Medicare Advantage plans that have targeted older Americans and, in some cases, convinced them to sign up for plans that don't cover their doctors or prescriptions. The rule, proposed by...
Editorial Roundup: Nebraska
Lincoln Journal Star. December 1, 2022. Editorial: State’s hospitals face pressure on multiple fronts Nebraska’s hospitals are facing a financial crunch that will soon impact every taxpayer in the state. Put at its simplest, costs for hospitals from...
FDA change ushers in cheaper, easier-to-get hearing aids
It's now a lot easier — and cheaper — for many hard-of-hearing Americans to get help. Hearing aids can now be sold without a prescription from a specialist. Over-the-counter, or OTC, hearing aids started hitting the market in October at prices that can be thousands of dollars...
