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Benefits in the News > By Subject >Medicare and Medicaid |
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[Guidance Overview] UAW-Type VEBAs Must File New Retiree Drug Subsidy Applications Excerpt: "Faced with the prospect of employers transferring retiree medical liability to union-sponsored voluntary employees' beneficiary association (VEBA) trusts, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued guidance confirming that VEBAs can participate in the Part D retiree drug subsidy (RDS) program but must file their own RDS applications." (Mercer) [Guidance Overview] 2008 Year-End Checkup for Pension and Welfare Benefit Plans (PDF) 17 pages. Excerpt: "This Alert will help identify general year-end administrative and planning issues that could lead to compliance or employee relations problems if not addressed before, or early in, 2009. In addition, we have highlighted recent legislative or regulatory developments that may require plan design or documentation changes." (Aon) [Guidance Overview] Five New Health Plan Compliance Developments Need Consideration (PDF) 5 pages. Law firm's newsletter provides overview of rules on mental health parity, bicycle commuter benefit, Michelle's Law, clarification of dependent child definition and Medicare secondary reporting requirements. (Trucker Huss) Removing Barriers to Retirement Saving in Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (PDF) 24 pages. Excerpt: "In addition to imposing what amounts to a steep implicit tax on saving, asset tests in means-tested benefit programs treat retirement saving in a confusing and seemingly arbitrary manner. Each program has its own asset policy, so some retirement accounts are counted in certain programs but not in others. And in some programs, a retirement account is counted in some states but not in others. As a result, one family may be able to retain its retirement savings when it needs to turn to means-tested benefits, while a similar family that uses a different retirement saving vehicle or lives in a different state may have to deplete its retirement savings or forgo means-tested benefits during a time of need." (The Retirement Security Project) [Opinion] Election Result of Generational Change Faces an Inter-Generational Challenge Excerpt: "Many have commented on the generational change embodied by this week's election of Barrack Obama as the next president of the United States of America. This result and its unmistakable connection to the state of our economy has also brought renewed attention to the speed at which we are accumulating and piling on to the economic burden of future generations." (Savannah Morning News) Health Insurers Prime for New Business With Democratic Rule Excerpt: "A research report issued by Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. this week estimates that health-insurance industry's revenue could actually grow slightly more -- albeit with a small decline in profit margins -- under an Obama administration compared with the status quo, or if Republican Sen. John McCain had won the White House." (The Wall Street Journal) [Guidance Overview] Links to 2008 Q&As Submitted by Benefits Attorneys to Various Benefits-Related Federal Agencies These links are not new, but the documents are interesting and useful enough that we wanted to be sure you know about them. Especially interesting are DOL answers about claims procedures and IRS answers about section 409A. Excerpt: "Each year, the Joint Committee on Employee Benefits (JCEB) of the American Bar Association meets with officials of federal agencies in Washington, D.C., to discuss issues of interest to employee benefits practitioners. This year the JCEB met with the IRS, DOL, SEC, PBGC, EEOC, HHS and CMS. . . . The question and answer transcripts listed below are based on these informal discussions between private sector representatives of the JCEB and agency officials." (Joint Committee on Employee Benefits, American Bar Association) [Official Guidance] HHS Office of Inspector General Publishes 2009 Work Plan The OIG conducts audits relating to the Medicare program and prepares reports to Congress about administration of Medicare. Areas listed in the work plan are those that OIG considers might be subject to abuse, so providers, hospitals, health plans and others might wish to be aware of those areas when developing compliance work plans for the next year. Information OIG gleans from its evaluations also can indicate areas in which OIC might direct future criminal investigations. Increasing emphasis and scrutiny is being placed on Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug programs. (Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) [Guidance Overview] Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage Notices are Due and Mandatory Insurer Reporting is Forthcoming (PDF) 3 pages. Excerpt: "For group health plans that have insurers, or third-party administrators that pay or adjudicate claims, the third-party administrator (or insurer) is the responsible reporting entity that must meet the filing deadlines and requirements. Employers should make sure their third-party administrator (or insurer) is taking steps to comply with the program. For group health plans that already participate in a voluntary data sharing agreement or a voluntary data exchange agreement with CMS, electronic registration began in October 2008, and reporting begins in the first quarter of 2009. For all other group health plans, electronic registration begins in April 2009 and reporting will begin on July 1, 2009." (Seyfarth Shaw LLP) [Opinion] Help, I've Fallen Into the Doughnut Hole and I Can't Get Up: The Problems with Medicare Part D (PDF) 8 pages. Excerpt: "This issue is so important that the president elect, as well as the members of the new Congress, should be pushed to develop concrete proposals for helping seniors escape the doughnut hole well in advance of the inauguration. For once in office, the president will be so busy dealing with the extremely volatile global economy, what looks like a recession in this country, and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan that addressing the problem of the coverage gap could fall by the wayside, becoming the subject of commissions and task forces rather than action." (The Century Foundation) [Guidance Overview] 2009 Limits for Benefit Plans 4 pages. Excerpt: "Each year, the U.S. government adjusts the limits for pension plans, Social Security, Medicare, and other benefit programs to reflect price and wage inflation, and changes in the law. As a result, employee benefit specialists must annually adapt their benefit plans to accommodate the new limits." (Aon Consulting) [Opinion] Avoiding the Tough Issues: The Candidates on Health Care and Entitlements Excerpt: "Wharton faculty say the candidates have done a better job of clarifying their positions on these difficult issues than their predecessors in prior elections. Still, they add, Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and John McCain of Arizona fall short of laying out richly detailed plans to solve the deep, structural problems with these programs, mainly because there are no easy solutions and speaking hard truths is likely to alienate voters." (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania) [Guidance Overview] Health Plan Medicare Secondary-Payer Reporting Begins Jan. 1, 2009; Details Announced Excerpt: "Starting in 2009, employers may need to help insurers and third-party administrators report group health plan participant and dependent Social Security numbers to CMS. Employers with self-insured and self-administered group health plans must also comply." (Mercer) The 2009 U.S. Health Legislative Agenda (PDF) 5 pages. Excerpt: "This article highlights key measures that Congress is likely to consider early in 2009: State Children's Health Insurance Program(SCHIP), Medicaid, Medicare, health information technology, 'follow-on' biologics and the Medicare prescription drug benefit." (McDermott Will & Emery) [Guidance Overview] CMS Guidance on Health Plan Reporting Requirement (PDF) 2 pages. Excerpt: "The Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) imposes a new reporting requirement on group health plans that cover Medicare-eligible individuals. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun to issue guidance on this new requirement, which becomes effective in 2009." (Buck Consultants) [Guidance Overview] Medicare Update: 2009 Premiums, New Marketing Rule Effective October 1; November 15 Deadline Reminder Excerpt: "CMS finalized new marketing rules for Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans that go into effect no later than October 1, 2008, the beginning of the marketing year. The rules finalize six new marketing provisions and modify the 'file and use' process . . . ." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com) Medicare Retiree Drug Subsidy Faces Increased Scrutiny Excerpt: "The CMS plans to perform financial audits on one-third of all of the 450 prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans each year over the next three years, with an eye toward identifying and stemming fraud, waste, and abuse . . . ." (Wolters Kluwer) [Opinion] Reagan Warned Against Legislation That Would Guarantee Health Care for Older Americans — the Program Now Known As Medicare Excerpt: "Conservative Republicans still hate Medicare, and would kill it if they could -- in fact, they tried to gut it during the Clinton years (that's what the 1995 shutdown of the government was all about). But so far they haven't been able to pull that off. So John McCain wants to destroy the health insurance of nonelderly Americans instead." (The New York Times; free registration required) Older Workers Worried About Promised Medicare and Social Security Benefits Excerpt: "A new study has found that many older workers, and particularly those without employer-sponsored retirement plans or other financial resources, do not expect to receive their full Social Security or Medicare payments after they retire. Confidence is particularly low among those who are younger, female or have a lower level of education, according to a recent survey." (Watson Wyatt Worldwide) [Guidance Overview] Annual Part D Creditable Coverage Notice Due by November 15 Excerpt: "The November 15 deadline is fast approaching for sponsors of group health plans to provide their Medicare-eligible beneficiaries with a notice advising the beneficiaries whether or not the employer coverage for prescription drugs is actuarially equivalent (creditable coverage) to the Medicare Part D drug coverage." (Wolters Kluwer) 2009 Medicare Premiums, Deductibles and Coinsurance Excerpt: "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the changes to the Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles and coinsurance paid by beneficiaries that become effective on January 1, 2009. There will be no increase in the standard monthly Part B premium or deductible . . . . The Part A numbers, however, will increase by 4.3 percent. The table [on the target page] summarizes the Part B and Part A numbers and also includes the base Part D beneficiary premium announced in August, which will increase less than 1 percent." (The Segal Group, Inc.) Update: Employer Health Plans Face Medicare Secondary Payer Reporting Requirements Excerpt: "Starting in 2009, group health plans must report information about plan participants to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To enforce Medicare secondary payer (MSP) rules, CMS will use the new reports to determine who has dual coverage. The MSP program makes employer group health plans the primary payers of claims from active employees and family members also covered by Medicare." (Mercer LLC) [Official Guidance] Medicare Premiums and Deductibles for 2009 Excerpt: "The Part B deductible was increased to $110 in 2005 and, as a result of the Medicare Modernization Act, is currently indexed to the annual percentage increase in the Part B actuarial rate for aged beneficiaries. In 2009, the Part B deductible will be $135, the same as it was in 2008." (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) [Guidance Overview] CMS Reminder That It Does Not Require Copies of HIPAA or Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage Certificates Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: This guidance caught our eye for two reasons. First, it allows entities who have been mistakenly providing copies of HIPAA or Medicare Part D creditable coverage certificates to CMS as well as to individuals to reduce their paperwork burden. Note, however, that group health plan sponsors who provide Part D creditable coverage documents to individuals must still notify CMS about the creditable status of their drug coverage in general, using a separate 'Disclosure to CMS Form' . . . ." (Employee Benefits Institute of America) [Guidance Overview] Key 2009 Medicare Values (PDF) 2 pages. Excerpt: "This For Your Information provides key 2009 Medicare values just released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including the income-adjusted Medicare Part B premiums as prescribed by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA)." (Buck Consultants) How Does the Benefit Value of Medicare Compare to the Benefit Value of Typical Large Employer Plans? Excerpt: "This analysis finds that, even with its new drug benefit, Medicare on average provides less generous benefits to seniors than they would receive under a typical large-employer health plan or the most popular plan available to federal employees. The study compares the traditional fee-for-service Medicare benefit package, including the drug benefit, with a typical large employer PPO plan and with the Blue Cross/Blue Shield standard national PPO plan available to federal workers under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan, which covers about half of all federal workers." (Kaiser Family Foundation) [Guidance Overview] Prohibitions on Health Plan Opt-Out Incentive Options (PDF) Page 6 of 7 pages. Excerpt: "Both Medicare and TRICARE prohibit employers from offering any financial or other incentives to Medicare or TRICARE eligible employees to not enroll, or to terminate enrollment, in an employer-sponsored group health plan that is or would be primary to Medicare or TRICARE." (Miller & Chevalier Chartered) No Rise in Monthly Medicare Premium for 2009 Excerpt: "The monthly premium for the elderly and disabled participating in Medicare will hold steady at $96.40 next year. It's the first time since 2000 that the charge for health coverage is not increasing." (The Washington Post; free registration required) [Guidance Overview] Reminder: Deadline for Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage Notices Approaches (PDF) 2 pages. Excerpt: "Medicare Part D notices of creditable coverage must be provided to Medicare-eligible individuals prior to November 15 of each year. Many employers satisfy this requirement by including the notice in enrollment materials or in separate mailings in the fall. In preparing materials for distribution this fall, employers should be aware of revised model notices provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)." (Buck Consultants) Health Plan Reporting for Medicare Secondary Payer Program Begins Jan. 1, 2009 Excerpt: "Starting Jan. 1, 2009, group health plans must provide the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with information about plan participants who also have Medicare coverage. The new reports will help CMS enforce Medicare secondary payer rules, which require employer group health plans to pay most claims from active employees and family members with Medicare coverage before the government program does." (Mercer) Rep. Stark Introduces Electronic Health Records Bill That Includes Incentives, Penalties for Providers Excerpt: "House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on Monday introduced a bill (HR 6898) that would use Medicare payments to encourage health care providers to adopt health information technology systems, CQ Today reports. The bill would offer payment incentives to physicians who are early adopters of health IT, such as electronic health records, and impose penalties on providers that delay implementation or fail to switch to the technology (Armstrong, CQ Today, 9/15)." (Kaiser Family Foundation) Removing Barriers To Retirement Saving in Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income 24 pages. Excerpt: "In addition to imposing what amounts to a steep implicit tax on saving, asset tests in means-tested benefit programs treat retirement saving in a confusing and seemingly arbitrary manner. Each program has its own asset policy, so some retirement accounts are counted in certain programs but not in others. And in some programs, a retirement account is counted in some states but not in others. As a result, one family may be able to retain its retirement savings when it needs to turn to means-tested benefits, while a similar family that uses a different retirement saving vehicle or lives in a different state may have to deplete its retirement savings or forgo means-tested benefits during a time of need." (The Retirement Security Project) [Guidance Overview] Medicare Secondary Payer Mandatory Reporting Requirements (PDF) 4 pages. Excerpt: "On August 1, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Supporting Statement outlining the Medicare mandatory reporting data elements under the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (Act). Effective January 1, 2009, these data elements must be reported to CMS on a quarterly basis. The penalty for failing to report the required data elements is $1,000 per day per person for which the data should have been submitted." (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP) CMS's Summary of Proposed Mandatory Reporting Requirements Under the Medicare Secondary Payer Rule; Comments Requested Excerpt: "Effective January 1, 2009, as required by the MMSEA, an entity serving as an insurer or third party administrator for a group health plan and, in the case of a group health plan that is self-insured and self-administered, a plan administrator or fiduciary must: (1) Secure from the plan sponsor and plan participants such information as the Secretary may specify to identify situations where the group health plan is a primary plan to Medicare; and (2) report such information to the Secretary in the form and manner (including frequency) specified by the Secretary." (International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans) Social Security and Medicare and Americans' Confidence in Their Retirement Future Excerpt: "Academics, policymakers and the media have been sounding alarms about shortfalls ahead for Social Security and Medicare for some time now. And many Americans have taken their warnings to heart, according to Watson Wyatt's 2007 U.S. Survey of Older Employees' Attitudes Toward Lump Sum and Annuity Distributions From Retirement Plans. Roughly 61 percent of older workers -- those 50 to 64 years old -- are not confident of receiving unreduced Medicare benefits, and 52 percent are not confident of receiving unreduced Social Security benefits, according to the survey." (Watson Wyatt Worldwide) [Opinion] Mother's Day - May 2008: Addendum to the 2007 Mother's Day Report - Medicare for All 4 page Microsoft document. (Older Women's League) [Guidance Overview] CMS Summary of Proposed Mandatory Insurer Reporting Requirements Excerpt: "This issue summarizes information recently published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about the implementation of new data-collection rules that will affect employer-sponsored group health plans starting January 1, 2009." (The Segal Group, Inc.) [Guidance Overview] CMS Taking Steps to Implement New Medicare Secondary Payer Reporting Requirements Excerpt: "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has set up a Web site to facilitate implementation of new mandatory reporting requirements relating to the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) rules for group health plans. The CMS Web site can be accessed at www.cms.hhs.gov/MandatoryInsRep. The new reporting requirements will be implemented on January 1, 2009, and the CMS's Web site will be a 'one-stop shop' for all relevant implementation and compliance materials." (Deloitte) The Medicare Part D Coverage Gap: Costs and Consequences in 2007 Excerpt: "This study quantifies, for the first time, the number of Medicare Part D plan enrollees in 2007 who reached a gap in their prescription drug coverage known as the 'doughnut hole,' as well as the changes in beneficiaries' use of medications and out-of-pocket spending after they reached that gap. The analysis excludes beneficiaries who receive low-income subsidies because they do not face a gap in coverage under their Medicare drug plan." (Kaiser Family Foundation) [Guidance Overview] CMS Posts Mandatory Reporting Guidance on Website Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Group health plan sponsors are likely to appreciate the 'one-stop shopping' website approach for guidance about how to comply with this new mandate. However, in addition to becoming familiar with the new guidance, it's also important to stay tuned! CMS indicates that future implementation details on the website will include a registration process, user guides for submitting data, and a suggested model form for collecting Medicare beneficiary information." (Employee Benefits Institute of America) [Opinion] Maximum Coverage As Defined by Anthem Blue Cross Excerpt: "Letter From: Anthem Blue Cross, Oxnard, California . . . Enclosed you will find a Part D Coordination of Benefits Survey. By completing the survey, it will help assure that you receive the maximum coverage benefits from your drug plan. . . . What's this? Why would a generous offer from a health insurer to assist an insured in receiving maximum coverage benefits be included in a health policy forum? The reason is that the apparent intent of this request is very different from its true purpose, and that difference exemplifies one of the most fundamental flaws in our current health care financing system." (Physicians for a National Health Program) [Guidance Overview] New Medicare Secondary Payer Reporting Requirements Excerpt: "The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (the 'Act') will require group health plan insurers, third‑party administrators, and some plan administrators and fiduciaries to comply with new Medicare Secondary Payer ('MSP') reporting requirements effective January 1, 2009." (Dorsey & Whitney LLP) Medicare Secondary Payer — Coordination of Benefits (PDF) 18 pages. Excerpt: "Under certain conditions, the law makes Medicare the secondary payer to insurance plans and programs for beneficiaries covered through (1) a group health plan based on either their own or a spouse's current employment; (2) auto and other liability insurance; (3) no-fault liability insurance; and (4) workers' compensation situations, including the Black Lung program. The purpose of the MSP program is to shift costs from Medicare to private sources of payment, thus reducing Medicare expenditures." (U.S. Congressional Research Service) Medicare Drug Plan Monthly Premiums Up About 12% for 2009 Excerpt: "The typical Medicare beneficiary can expect to see about a $3 increase in their monthly premiums for prescription drug coverage in 2009, federal officials said Thursday. Officials made the projection based on bids from private insurers that get the premiums along with a federal subsidy to administer the benefit. The increase of 12% will up the monthly premium to $28 for standard drug coverage." (USA TODAY) No Help Coming for Massachusetts City's Retiree Medicare Cost Excerpt: "It looks like Worcester's municipal retirees will not be getting help from the city anytime soon when it comes to paying their Part B Medicare costs. City Manager Michael V. O'Brien said there is no 'fiscally feasible means' for the city to pick up the tab for any portion of the retirees' Part B Medicare costs without a reduction in municipal services or raising property taxes." (Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp.) Kucinich Introduces Legislation That Seeks To Lower Prescription Drug Costs by Replacing Medicare Part D Excerpt: "Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) recently introduced a bill (HR 6800) that would replace the Medicare prescription drug benefit with a new program in an effort to reduce costs, CQ HealthBeat reports. The legislation would require Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for discounts on prescription drugs and eliminate copayments, premiums and deductibles for medications for beneficiaries." (Kaiser Family Foundation) [Guidance Overview] Medicare Law Will Impact Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PDF) Excerpt: "On July 15, Congress overrode President Bush's veto of Medicare legislation that blocked cuts in physician payments and provided enhanced benefits to Medicare beneficiaries. Most significant for employers are provisions that reduce funding for Medicare Advantage plans and that change how private fee-for-service plans must be structured." (Buck Consultants) [Guidance Overview] Medicare Part D Creditable Coverage Notices Are Updated Excerpt: "[The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' three Model Notices are revised primarily to reflect formatting and organization changes. Substantive changes appear minor but include: Re-Enrollment: Definitive disclosure of whether the individual can re-enroll in the plan after dropping coverage. Medicare Special Enrollment Period: Clarification that the special enrollment period for enrollment in Medicare Part D is 2 months (rather than 60 days) after loss of Creditable Coverage." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com) Medicare Reform Law May Impact Retiree Medical Plans (PDF) 1 page. Excerpt: "The recently passed Medicare Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (the 'Act') includes a number of reforms to Medicare which may impact employer sponsored retiree medical plans. Specifically, the Act imposes additional requirements on Medicare Private Fee for Service ('PFFS') plans." (Haynes and Boone, LLP) [Opinion] Make Original Medicare the Foundation for Health Care Reform Excerpt: "[O]riginal Medicare stands as a shining example of a needs-based program that has consistently served the public interest. Despite being weakened by privatizing, it gives us a solid foundation for real health care reform, when access to necessary health care is even more difficult than in the 1960s. It is time to expand Medicare as a social insurance program for all Americans through a single risk pool of all 300 million of us. This is the most efficient, fair and sustainable way to insure us all against the costs of illness and injury, coupled with the strengths of our private delivery system." (Seattle Post Intelligencer via California Nurses Association / National Nurses Organizing Committee) Legislation Would Require Greater Transparency in Physician Self-Referrals for Imaging Procedures Excerpt: "Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recently introduced legislation (S 3343) that would require physicians to disclose their financial ties to imaging services ordered under Medicare when making self-referrals, CQ HealthBeat reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation) 2009 Retiree Drug Subsidy Application Deadline Is Near Excerpt: "Retiree medical plan sponsors that want to receive the Medicare Part D retiree drug subsidy (RDS) for the 2009 calendar year should begin the application process now. Calendar-year plans must apply for the 2009 RDS by Oct. 2, 2008 -- 90 days before the start of the plan year for which the subsidy is sought. The RDS requires a new application for each plan year, even if a sponsor previously received the subsidy. Applications that fail to include a new actuarial attestation, signed plan sponsor agreement and list of qualifying covered retirees will be denied." (Mercer LLC) [Guidance Overview] CMS Posts Spanish-Language Versions of Model Disclosure Notices for Medicare Part D Eligible Individuals Excerpt: "CMS officials have informally indicated that the Medicare Part D rules do not require group health plan sponsors to provide the disclosure notices in languages other than English. Nevertheless, sponsors of plans with participants who speak Spanish may find the Spanish-language versions of the notices to be useful in educating portions of their workforce about Medicare Part D." (Employee Benefits Institute of America) [Guidance Overview] COBRA Was Required for Former Employee Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits Excerpt: "Medicare entitlement can affect an individual's COBRA rights in several different ways, and keeping all the rules straight is not an easy task. This case illustrates that one source of confusion can be the various benefit programs that the SSA operates. As this court explains, receipt of Social Security disability benefits does not justify a failure to provide COBRA." (Employee Benefits Institute of America) [Guidance Overview] Medicare Reform Bill Passes Over President Bush's Veto Excerpt: "The Medicare reform law will creates issues for plan sponsors that provide retiree health coverage. If a plan sponsor currently offers Medicare Advantage Private-Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans, it may want to look into a switch or migration in the next couple of years into other Medicare Advantage (MA) plan types or consider offering coverage that supplements traditional Medicare." (The Segal Group, Inc.) Medicare Part D a Boon for Drug Companies, House Report Says Excerpt: "U.S. drug manufacturers are reaping a windfall from taxpayers because Medicare's privately administered prescription drug benefit program pays more than other government programs for the same medicines, a House committee charged in a report Thursday." (Los Angeles Times) General Motors Working with Firm to Help Retirees Transition to Medicare Coverage Excerpt: "General Motors will contract with benefits consultant firm Extend Health to provide guidance to retirees in choosing appropriate Medicare plans to replace benefits previously offered by GM, the Detroit Free Press reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation) [Guidance Overview] Updated Medicare Part D Notices (PDF) 1 page. Excerpt: "The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ('CMS') recently updated the model notices required under Medicare Part D, including the model notices of creditable and non-creditable coverage. For any notice of creditable or non-creditable coverage provided after June 15, 2008, plan sponsors should utilize these updated notices." (Haynes and Boone, LLP) Sen. Kennedy Wins Fight Against Creeping Privatization of Medicare Excerpt: "[Ted Kennedy, who is fighting a brain tumor, made a dramatic appearance on the Senate floor, casting the decisive vote on the Medicare payment bill] amid cheers from his colleagues. . . . But the vote was bigger than the theatrics. It was the first major health care victory that Democrats have won in a long time. And it was enormously encouraging for advocates of universal health care." (The New York Times; free registration required) American Academy of Actuaries Posts an 'Election 2008' Section Excerpt: "A special election-year series from the Academy, offering short summaries of key issues from an actuarial perspective. [Key issues: Health care reform and Medicare reform; Social Security reform.]" (American Academy of Actuaries) |
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