Take a Moment to Review Beneficiary Mailings from CMS, Social Security & Health Plans in 2012/2013
Every year a host of mailings from the Centers from Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Social Security and Medicare Advantage health plans are sent to millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Some…
CMS Announces 2013 Costs & Policy Updates for Medicare Parts C & D
Early this month, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced 2013 payment and policy updates for both Medicare Part C and D plans. Below are a few of the…
Learn Tips for Taking Prescriptions Safely
Poisoning from medications happens all to frequently, and people 65 and older are especially at risk. In fact, each year there are nearly 100,000 adverse drug-related emergency hospitalizations in the…
Update on Medicare and Whooping Cough Vaccination
With a rise in whooping cough cases in many states, we’ve been getting more questions about Medicare coverage for whooping cough treatment and vaccination. To answer about treatment, if someone…
SafeMedService.org & Other Tools for Ensuring Safe Medication Use
While medications may help millions of Americans manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, they also present significant risks. Medication errors kill approximately 34 Americans in their homes…
Pharmacies Must Notify Beneficiaries of Their Part D Appeal Rights ~ New Rule in Effect
As of January 1st of this year, all beneficiaries who are denied coverage for a drug are entitled to receive a standardized written notice from the pharmacy explaining their Part…
CVS Caremark Corp. Charged with Deceptive Pricing Practices on Part D Drugs
CVS Caremark Corporation will pay $5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misrepresented the prices of certain Medicare Part D prescription drugs – including drugs used to…
50% Discount on Part D Brand Name Drugs Continues for 2012; 14% Discount on Generics
Starting January 1, 2012, beneficiaries who reach the Part D coverage gap, or donut hole, continue to have a 50% discount on their brand name drugs, and their generic drug…
Beneficiaries Gain a New Right to Switch to a 5-Star Health Plan Starting 12/8/11
As a way to reward Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans that receive high performance ratings by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and to guide beneficiaries…
Medicare’s Fall Open Enrollment Has Begun ~ Oct 15 – Dec 7
Medicare’s Fall Open Enrollment, officially known as the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) starts and ends earlier now. From October 15 – December 7, beneficiaries can change their Medicare health plan and Part…
