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How to pick the right Medicare drug plan
If you’re about to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan for the first time – or if you’re thinking about changing plans during Medicare’s open-enrollment period – you’ll be facing a daunting number of options. The Kaiser Family Foundation, a…
ACOs, other delivery reforms shift job roles at hospitals
Phoenix obstetrician Megan Cheney no longer makes hours of telephone calls on Thursday nights to report routine results of laboratory tests to waiting patients. The calls, however, still get made every week. A medical assistant with experience in obstetrics and…
Why Smart People Take Social Security Benefits Early
Most self-described retirement experts will advise you to wait as long as possible before applying for Social Security benefits. But I’m here to tell you why this might be wrong. The argument in favor of waiting goes something like this: By…
Sen. Harkin receives Starkloff Disability Institute Lifetime Achievement Award
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 21 (UPI) — U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, was the guest of honor Saturday night at the Starkloff Disability Institute’s annual party in St. Louis. Harkin was selected to receive the award for his work advocating for people with disabilities…
Medicare Advantage Can Be Complex for Patients and Providers
Medicare is a federally funded entitlement program for health insurance for people who are age 65 and older, and for some who are under 65 and meet certain criteria. Since its implementation in 1966, the number of enrollees in Medicare has…
Big changes needed for Medicare, expert says
Medicare must change, and that will be painful. That was the condensed version of the message from Mark Miller, executive director of Congress’ Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, when he spoke to members of the Nashville Health Care Council on Friday. Medicare is…
Deal Reached On Tax-Free Disability Savings Accounts
Federal lawmakers say they’ve reached a deal to move forward on legislation that would establish a new way for people with disabilities to save money without jeopardizing their government benefits. Members of the U.S. Senate said Friday that they have an…
New singles majority is bad news for Social Security
Singles are taking over the nation. For the first time, most American adults aren’t married. But fewer marriages mean fewer kids and eventually, fewer taxpayers. This may be bad news for government sponsored retirement programs. Without reform, economists predict the new singles…
Judge rejects state’s plan for disability reforms
A federal judge has rejected a state plan designed to reduce the segregation of people with disabilities, saying the plan was too vague and lacked measurable goals. The plan, long a priority of Gov. Mark Dayton, was meant to help eliminate barriers to…
Why a Medicare Flat Line is Good News for Seniors
While a flat line in the medical world is usually bad news…when it comes to health care costs in Medicare, this flat line is a good thing. We reported earlier on the latest Congressional Budget Office forecast for Medicare and why that…