State Indicator Total Medicaid Mco EnrollmentBy U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright.Budget Deal Passes With Provisions To Head Off SSDI Benefit Cut.Heap's story is part of a major investigative series on Medicare drug fraud, by the independent, non-profit investigative news organization ProPublica. Reporters, using Medicare's own data, were able to identify scores of doctors whose prescribing within Part D followed known patterns of fraud. ProPublica's investigation found that "Medicare's system for pursuing fraud is so cumbersome and poorly run that schemes quickly siphon away millions." The stories are drawing a remarkable reaction from the normally snail-paced Medicare. The agency recently announced plans to better control prescription drug fraud, including new authority to revoke doctors' Medicare enrollment if patterns of abusive prescribing are found. … Continued
Care Feeling Anxious About A Post Pandemic World Youre Not AloneThe report's most critical finding was that Social Security's Disability Insurance trust fund remains in serious financial trouble. It is projected to become insolvent in 2016, and if Congress fails to take action, beneficiaries will see a 19 percent benefit cut next December. For the average disabled enrollee, that would amount to almost 0 less in monthly benefits. Each of the six Trustees urged lawmakers to reallocate the payroll tax immediately to address the program's insolvency, and to begin considering long-term solutions that will strengthen both of Social Security's trust funds..Flu vaccination has many benefits. It has been shown to reduce flu illnesses and also to reduce the risk of more serious flu outcomes that can result in hospitalization or even death in older people. Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick..A letter to the editor of The Topeka Capital Journal describes one such case of Medicare's over-compensation problem. The writer said that after receiving a back brace for treatment of spinal stenosis, the local back therapy center billed Medicare ,300. Yet the writer found the same brace from the same manufacturer online for Medicare approved 4 for the brace. The writer said that when he contacted the Medicare fraud unit he was told that 4 was the correct Medicare - approved payment to providers for the brace and was told there was nothing Medicare could do about the over-pricing. … Continued