Blog Military And Veterans AffairsA new bill was introduced in the Senate this week that would lower costs for Americans with diabetes and other chronic diseases who have high-deductible health plans. This legislation would not affect seniors who are covered by Medicare, but it could be very helpful for seniors who are under 65 and still working and who only have high-deductible health insurance. Authored by Sens. John Thune and Tom Carper, the bill, called the Chronic Disease Management Act, would lower health care costs by allowing high-deductible health plans to provide chronic disease prevention services - including insulin for diabetes - to plan enrollees before they reach their plan deductible..If adopted, the Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act would expand Medicare coverage to include essential hearing, vision, and dental care. Under current law, the traditional Medicare program is prohibited from covering these basic health care services, and millions of seniors living on fixed incomes cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for routine care or assistive technologies like hearing aids..In addition, according to the CBO's analysis, around 15 million fewer individuals would receive coverage through the Medicaid program, which currently covers the cost of long-term care for one in five Medicare beneficiaries. The BCRA would do away with the current Medicaid reimbursement system where the federal government matches state Medicaid expenditures and replace it with a new formula that would be tied to inflation. If costs grow more quickly than reimbursements as they are expected to, states would likely need to cut benefits, increase taxes, or restrict Medicaid eligibility. … Continued
State Indicator Health Insurance Coverage Of The Nonelderly 0 64 With Incomes Below 100 Federal Poverty Level Fpl CpsWe look forward to working with Sen. Casey and Rep. Cartwright in the coming months to help build support for this important bill. In addition, we urge our members and supporters to contact their elected officials to request their support for it. For contact information, CLICK HERE..However, a rift has developed among Democrats in the House of Representatives. Those who want to empower the government to demand lower prices from drug makers are concerned that moderates in their party are now emboldened to blunt their ambitious drug-pricing agenda..Annual limits on out-of-pocket costs: Unlike Medigap supplements, MA plans have annual out-of-pocket limits, which can vary and rise annually. In 2016 the maximum annual out-of-pocket that plans can charge is ,700, so your costs would need to be that much before catastrophic coverage begins. On the other hand, the limit protects you in years when you have very high out-of-pocket costs. Medigap plans may have lifetime limits that you could potentially exceed as you get older and sicker. … Continued