Latest Medicare News
Medicare and Social Security go-broke dates are pushed back in a 'measure of good news'
WASHINGTON (AP) — The go-broke dates for Medicare and Social Security have been pushed back as an improving economy has contributed to changed projected depletion dates, according to the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report Monday. Still, officials warn that policy...
Safety lapses contributed to patient assaults at Oregon State Hospital, federal report says
Safety lapses at the Oregon State Hospital contributed to recent patient-on-patient assaults, a federal report on the state's most secure inpatient psychiatric facility has found. The investigation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that staff didn't always...
Biden sees a $35 price cap for insulin as a pivotal campaign issue. It’s not that clear-cut
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rarely a day goes without President Joe Biden mentioning insulin prices. He promotes a $35 price cap for the medication for Americans on Medicare — in White House speeches, campaign stops and even at non-health care events around the country. His reelection...
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...
