Last month, Congress approved a record amount of money for Native American tribes in the American Rescue Plan. This plan allocates $31 billion to serve tribal communities, including $20 billion to tribal governments, $6 billion to bolster health care systems, and more than $1 billion for housing. This is one of the biggest single investments in history that the federal … [Read more...] about American Rescue Plan Gives Big to Native Communities
Help the VA Connect Veterans to Their Entitled Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to providers, health care professionals and advocates, social workers, and other people who have contact with veterans through their jobs in an effort to make sure our veterans know about their VA benefits. Many Veterans, according to the VA, don't fully understand all the VA benefits they qualify to receive. That's why … [Read more...] about Help the VA Connect Veterans to Their Entitled Benefits
California’s Dual-Eligible Demonstration Project Delayed to June 2013
Better coordination of care for beneficiaries with both the federal Medicare program and the state Medi-Cal program is one of the many goals within the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As part of meeting this outcome, California and 14 other states have received a federal grant to develop and implement a 3-year demonstration project to have dual eligibles (those with both Medicare … [Read more...] about California’s Dual-Eligible Demonstration Project Delayed to June 2013
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 has whooping cough (also known as pertussis), then yes, Medicare would cover any treatment that is deemed medically reasonable and necessary. As for vaccination, many Medicare Part … [Read more...] about Update on Medicare and Whooping Cough Vaccination
New Agreement Between AMR & Advocates Gives Beneficiaries More Time to Resolve Ambulance Appeals
With ambulance rides being one of the most expensive modes of transport, Medicare has strict medical necessity guidelines to prevent overuse of this benefit. If Medicare has reason to doubt medical necessity in a beneficiary’s ambulance transport, Medicare will often deny payment of the claim. While these strict guidelines are understandable, advocates across the state have … [Read more...] about New Agreement Between AMR & Advocates Gives Beneficiaries More Time to Resolve Ambulance Appeals