News by Topic: Medicare and Medicaid

News from the past 14 days. Please visit the News Archive for earlier stories.

House Moves to Block Doctors' Medicare Pay Cuts     Top Story 
Nov 20, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News reports that the House voted largely along party lines Thursday to permanently end annual cuts in doctors' Medicare payments, which the Congress has temporarily averted from year to year,

Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates; Final Rule     Top Story      Federal Register 
Nov 20, 2009 -- This final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from their continuing experience with this system. In addition, it updates the revised Medicare ambulatory surgical center payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from their continuing experience with this system.

Grassley Introduces Bill to Fight Medicare Payment Fraud
Nov 19, 2009 -- Working to protect taxpayers and Medicare beneficiaries, Senator Chuck Grassley has introduced legislation to get at a major factor in Medicare fraud by giving the federal government more time to pay Medicare providers when waste, fraud and abuse is suspected.

HHS Employs New Tougher Standards in Calculation of Improper Medicare Payment Rates for 2009     Top Story 
Nov 18, 2009 -- CMS announces that as part of the Obama Administration's goal of reducing waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) significantly revised and improved its calculations of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) error rates in 2009, reflecting a more complete accounting of Medicare's improper payments than in past years.

New Technology Helps Elderly Stay Healthy at Home     Top Story 
Nov 17, 2009 -- Kaiser Health News tells how devices that measure blood pressure and other health information may help the elderly and people with chronic conditions stay in touch with doctors while remaining at home, cutting health spending by catching problems before they escalate into crises.

Medicare Paid Over $92 Million in Incentives for 2008 Under the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative     Top Story 
Nov 16, 2009 -- More than 85,000 physicians and other eligible professionals who successfully reported quality-related data to Medicare under the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) received incentive payments totaling more than $92 million, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today, well above the $36 million paid in 2007.

2010 Open Enrollment for Medicare Prescription Drug and Health Plan Coverage Begins November 15th     Top Story 
Nov 13, 2009 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announces that the next general open enrollment starts on November 15, 2009, where during this time, people with Medicare can add, drop or change their prescription drug coverage, and can also select a health plan for their 2010 coverage.

Medicare Program; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for Calendar Year 2010; Final Rule     Federal Register 
Nov 10, 2009 -- This final rule sets forth an update to the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates; the national standardized 60-day episode rates, the national per-visit rates, the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factors, and the low utilization payment amount (LUPA) add-on payment amounts, under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health agencies effective January 1, 2010.

Senator Kaufman Introduces Health Care Fraud Enforcement Act     Top Story 
Nov 10, 2009 -- Medicare Update article reports that in an effort aimed to strengthen the U.S. government's capacity to investigate and prosecute waste, fraud and abuse in government health care programs and private health insurance, Senator Ted Kaufman has introduced the Health Care Fraud Enforcement Act of 2009 (S.1959).