Here are 11 issues dealing with Medicare or Medicaid that occurred in the past week, starting with the most recent.
1. Sixty members of Congress wrote a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner urging CMS to table the proposal expanding multiple procedure payment reductions.
2. Although Mississippi is one of the poorest and sickest states in the country, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said the state will not take part in the federal healthcare reform law's Medicaid expansion.
3. Although two major Medicare payment programs for rural hospitals have expired, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said restoring those payments will be "one of my top priorities" before the end of this year.
4. The idea of turning Medicare into a "premium support" program, or a voucher-based system, has been floating around for a long time now, and a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that a premium support design would actually raise premiums for most Medicare beneficiaries.
5. Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) proposed the Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2012, a bill that would restructure the way Medicare Recovery Auditors — formerly known as recovery audit contractors — can review providers.
6. St. Louis-based Centene Corp., one of the most prominent Medicaid HMOs in the country, said it plans to terminate its managed care contract with Kentucky's Medicaid program by next July due to its concerns with the state's high-cost Medicaid issues.
7. A report from Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne Bump discovered that thousands of out-of-state residents may be receiving benefits under MassHealth, Massachusetts' Medicaid program, and others may not meet income conditions.
8. During Tuesday's presidential debate, healthcare and Medicare issues took a backseat to energy, tax and immigration policy.
9. A report from the Commonwealth Fund said President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law will attempt to cut back on $12.7 billion in annual overpayments to Medicare Advantage insurers.
10. A report from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured found that so far this year, 26 states have submitted proposals to CMS to reform how they take care of dual eligible patients.
11. The American Medical Association and more than 100 state and specialty medical societies sent a letter to Congress outlining the principles and core elements the groups believe are needed to successfully transition to a high-performing Medicare program.
1. Sixty members of Congress wrote a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner urging CMS to table the proposal expanding multiple procedure payment reductions.
2. Although Mississippi is one of the poorest and sickest states in the country, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said the state will not take part in the federal healthcare reform law's Medicaid expansion.
3. Although two major Medicare payment programs for rural hospitals have expired, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said restoring those payments will be "one of my top priorities" before the end of this year.
4. The idea of turning Medicare into a "premium support" program, or a voucher-based system, has been floating around for a long time now, and a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that a premium support design would actually raise premiums for most Medicare beneficiaries.
5. Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) proposed the Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2012, a bill that would restructure the way Medicare Recovery Auditors — formerly known as recovery audit contractors — can review providers.
6. St. Louis-based Centene Corp., one of the most prominent Medicaid HMOs in the country, said it plans to terminate its managed care contract with Kentucky's Medicaid program by next July due to its concerns with the state's high-cost Medicaid issues.
7. A report from Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne Bump discovered that thousands of out-of-state residents may be receiving benefits under MassHealth, Massachusetts' Medicaid program, and others may not meet income conditions.
8. During Tuesday's presidential debate, healthcare and Medicare issues took a backseat to energy, tax and immigration policy.
9. A report from the Commonwealth Fund said President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law will attempt to cut back on $12.7 billion in annual overpayments to Medicare Advantage insurers.
10. A report from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured found that so far this year, 26 states have submitted proposals to CMS to reform how they take care of dual eligible patients.
11. The American Medical Association and more than 100 state and specialty medical societies sent a letter to Congress outlining the principles and core elements the groups believe are needed to successfully transition to a high-performing Medicare program.
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