Recently, with all the wrangling back and forth between Congress and the White House regarding the new Medicare legislation that was approved, then vetoed and then approved again over the veto, we have heard a lot of the negatives of this legislation.  It’s time that we focus on the positive aspects of the legislation. This legislation [...]

In 2006 Medicare made it mandatory for all pharmacies accepting Medicare as payment for prescriptions become ready for E-Prescriptions.  Two years later, currently in 2008, Medicare is offering doctors who use E-Prescriptions when prescribing prescription medications, a bonus for five years, beginning in 2009. Because there have been so many errors when it comes to writing [...]

The news tells us on a regular basis about prescriptions gone wrong.  A physician prescribes blood pressure medication for an elderly patient but the pharmacist can’t read the handwriting, so the patient ends up with a blood thinner which causes a hemmorage that lands them in the hospital.  Or, a child is prescribed an antibiotic [...]

Because Congress stood firm and overturned President Bush’s veto, not only are physicians and their patients on Medicare protected for now, but other provisions have been spared as well. The developments have made it possible for individuals dealing with Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) wounds and issues associated with them to be able to maintain assistance and [...]

It is now mid-July and Congress has been going back and forth with President Bush over Medicare cuts to doctors for what seems like forever.  In a strong show of bipartisanship, Congress, last week, after the July 4th break, voted to block the 10.6% cuts to doctors who accept patients on Medicare.  This was a [...]

If you are an individual receiving Medicaid benefits there are various rights that you are entitled to.  For example, if your are denied services for any reason, you are entitled to appeal the decision.  The appeal is supposed to be addressed within 90 days from the time it is filed.  Since Medicaid is a program which [...]

The new Medicare bill that was just passed will help millions of individuals and the doctors who treat them.  It provides a halt to the proposed pay cut for doctors who treat individuals covered by Medicare, and it even offers a small (1.1%) raise for those doctors in 2009. Another essential area that will be greatly [...]

Many doctors and caregivers have long felt that with the right information, equipment and know-how, patients can get – and stay – well with the help of family and maintain or increase their recovery and their health. To that end, the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) was pleased that The Medicare Improvements for Patients and [...]

There is good news today for doctors who treat Medicare recipients, and for those recipients who are their patients.  Congress and the Bush Administration have been playing tug of war regarding proposed 10.6% cuts in payments to doctors treating patients on Medicare.  Doctors have said that they might have to stop treating these particular patients if [...]

We’ve been hearing about it in the news for months and it has become a critical issue waiting for a last minute pre-fourth of July solution for the crisis with Medicare fees for doctors.  The country – especially the seniors in this country – has been holding its breath waiting for Congress to put a [...]

It has been about two years since the Deficit Reduction Act went into effect (7/1/06) requiring all immigrants to give proof of legal immigration or citizenship when they are applying for Medicaid for the first time.  This applies to children, as well.  Most legal immigrants cannot receive Medicaid benefits for the first five years that [...]

We have all been hearing about he Bush Administration’s idea to cut payments to doctors seeing patients covered by Medicare.  The issue on the table has been to cut payments to doctors by 10%.  This would create a huge problem for Medicare recipients because many doctors would not be able to afford to continue seeing [...]

What do you do in a situation when your parent is having surgery and needs some recovery time?  How do you deal with the situation where your parent wants to recover at home – which creates a cost savings, no matter what sort of coverage they do or do not have – but Medicare Advantage [...]

With identity theft running rampant throughout the world, guarding Social Security numbers and other personal and pertinent information has become essential.  Private insurers issue identification cards, and they used to place the individual’s Social Security number on the cards as part of the identification or as the identification number itself.  In recent years, this practice has [...]

Ohio Congressman and Republican Leader John Boehner was praised today for advancing the bipartisan efforts to stop the Bush Administration’s plan to cut senior’s Medicare Part A Nursing Home funding.  If the cuts are put through, they could badly hurt the most vulnerable seniors in the country, creating a $45 million loss in Ohio in [...]

What happens to a Boomer when he or she is 55, has worked his or her 20 to 25 years and is ready to retire?  Good question.  What happens if this same Boomer wants to begin a second career at least until they are 62 or 65 – actual retirement age. Too young for Medicare at [...]

Medicare Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has been working on a pilot program for three years.  The pilot program has involved over 250 hospitals and has monitored quality measures in those hospitals during that time, offering rewards for high quality.  This partnership between the hospital consortium and Premier and the CMS spent the three [...]

Long term care has long been an important issue that needs to be addressed and has been debated many times.  With Medicare and Medicaid systems under so much financial strain and with proposals in the works for revisions and provisions, it seems that Congress on both sides of the aisles is grappling with the issue [...]

There are stories about individuals and families having some issues with services through Medicaid because of misunderstandings with providers or not understanding their coverage.  Sometimes mistakes are made and must be fixed.  The majority of the time providers try to work with Medicaid recipients to provide the best service they can. In New Jersey, however, there [...]

As most of us who read or listen to the news know, there are some extensive efforts by Congress at this time to stop the Bush Administration from enacting regulations making cuts to the pay of doctors and creating other problems for Medicare and Medicare beneficiaries. There are many points that AARP is looking at backing [...]