Medicare Part B Fairness Act Would Relieve Part B Penalties
Read moreEarlier this year, Representatives Katie Hill (D-CA-25) and Brian Babin (R-TX-36) introduced the Medicare Part B Fairness Act (H.R. 1788). This bill would limit the amount and duration of the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty and expand the Special Enrollment Period to people with other forms of pre-Medicare insurance (such as COBRA and...
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Do You Work with Older Immigrants? Learn How They Can Qualify for Medicare
Read moreMedicare, the federal health care program for people 65 and older or those younger than 65 with a disability, can be confusing to navigate. This is true whether you’re an older adult, a son or daughter helping your parents or other loved ones with their Medicare coverage, or you’re an advocate working in the...
Feds Put an End to $1.2 Billion Medicare Brace Scam
Read moreIn one of the largest fraud take-downs yet, federal agents broke up a $1.2 billion Medicare brace scam earlier this month. Twelve people were charged. These 12 included doctors who wrote bogus prescriptions for hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide for unneeded orthopedic equipment, such as knee, shoulder, wrist and back braces. Charges...
CHA Supports AB 1088 ~ Helps People with Incomes Near Medi-Cal Limit Stay on Full Medi-Cal
Read moreCalifornia Health Advocates recently submitted this letter in support of AB 1088 which would stop seniors and persons with disabilities from losing access to free Medi-Cal due to a confusing Medi-Cal rule that creates fluctuations in how income is counted even though a person’s actual income has not changed. April 10, 2019 The...
CHA Supports AB 683 ~ Increased Asset Limits for Medi-Cal Programs Serving Older Adults & People with Disabilities
Read moreCalifornia Health Advocates submitted the letter below in support of AB 683 (Carrillo) to increase the assets limits for Medi-Cal programs serving seniors and persons with disabilities. The outdated Medi-Cal asset test, which has not changed since 1989, drives financial instability for seniors in a racially inequitable way, allowing only $2,000 in savings for...
Durable Medical Equipment ~ Medicare Scams on the Rise
Read moreDurable medical equipment is one of the top arenas where Medicare fraud truly has run amok. Here’s a prime example — We’ve all seen ads in the newspapers or on television that say you can get a knee brace (or a neck brace, or back brace, etc.) for little or no cost if you...
New Tool Available to Compare Medicare-for-All & Other Public Health Plan Proposals
Read moreWith a Democrat majority in the House and the 2020 election closer each day, a renewed interest and energy for expanding public health care programs is emerging in current proposed legislation. Proposals cover a broad scope, ranging from creating a national Medicare-for-all plan to allowing people to buy into public plans such as Medicare...
SMP Warning: “Free” Genetic Testing or Cancer Screenings Offers Are a Scam
Read moreIf you are approached by someone who offers a “free” genetic testing or cancer screening, turn it down. This is not a free test and needs to be performed by your primary physician if medically necessary. These scams are currently one of the top three reported to our California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). One...