Medicare

On February 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent initial offers to the participating drug companies of the first ten prescription drugs selected for negotiation in the first cycle of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. CMS announced the ten initial drugs selected for the first cycle of Medicare drug price negotiation on August 29, 2023, and on October 3, HHS announced that the drug companies of all 10 selected drugs agreed to participate in negotiations with Medicare. Negotiations will continue over the next several months, with negotiations ending by August 1, 2024...

Colin Alexander Health Law Fellowship - Justice in Aging Justice in Aging is currently accepting applications for its Colin Alexander Health Law Fellowship for Summer 2024. They are seeking a rising 3L (current 2L) law student who is passionate about advocating for low-income and underserved populations and possesses strong legal research and writing skills. This full-time, remote, paid fellowship will involve working on various projects related to Medicare, Medicaid, and healthcare programs affecting older adults. The selected fellow will receive a $8,000 stipend, mentorship from experienced attorneys, and the opportunity to craft a post-graduate fellowship application.Applications should be submitted to hiring@justiceinaging.org by...

CMS recently announced the 2023 Medicare costs, including premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts. The standard monthly Part B premium will decrease three percent or $5.20 – the first time in a decade the cost was lowered. CMS attributes the decrease in the Part B premium to lower spending on the Alzheimer drug, Aduhelm, and other Part B items and services.

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced that more than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, now have access to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, authorized, or cleared over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per month from participating pharmacies and health care providers for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Administration's new COVID-19 testing initative will now allow people in either Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage to get up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month at no cost starting this spring. Tests will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities. This is the first time that Medicare has covered an over-the-counter test at no cost to beneficiaries. Through the new initiative, payment from Medicare will be provided directly to participating pharmacies to allow Medicare beneficiaries to pick up tests at no cost.

NCOA, in partnership with the Medicare Rights Center, recently expanded the resources in their toolkit that help explain integrated care coverage options for dual eligibles. New items in the toolkit include a video tutorial explaining integrated care, an infographic for counselors, and comparison charts highlighting the differences between Original Medicare, PACE, Duals Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and integrated D-SNPs.

Justice in Aging's fact sheet, Adding Dental to Medicare Part B: 31 Million Low-Income Enrollees Would Gain Access to Medicare Coverage, describes how millions of low-income Medicare enrollees and Medicare enrollees of color would gain access to coverage if a dental benefit is added to Medicare Part B.

CMS announced the 2022 Medicare & You Handbook will be available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, as well as English and Spanish. Medicare & You is a resource designed to help Medicare enrollees make decisions about their coverage. The new Chinese version, along with Spanish, large print, audio book, and braille versions of Medicare & You are available on Medicare.gov.

The Administration will require COVID-19 vaccination of staff within all Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities to protect themselves and patients from the COVID-19 Delta variant. On Thursday, September 9, 2021, CMS, in collaboration with the CDC, announced that emergency regulations requiring vaccinations for nursing home workers will be expanded to include hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical settings, and home health agencies, among others.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is ready to provide you with the information you need to PROTECT yourself from Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse; DETECT potential fraud, errors, and abuse; and REPORT your concerns. SMPs help educate and empower Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against health care fraud. Your SMP can help you with your questions, concerns, or complaints about potential fraud and abuse issues. It also provides information and educational presentations.