Calls On Congress To Stop Medicare Doctor Cuts
The American Medical Association (AMA) is now airing television ads calling on Congress to stop Medicare physician payment cuts to seniors. The ad, titled the Faces of Health Care, depicts seniors who will be hurt by looming Medicare cuts and the physicians who care for them. “This television ad is part of our campaign to get Congress to stop Medicare physician cuts that will harm seniors,” said AMA Board Chair Cecil Wilson, MD. “We are raising awareness of the severity of the problem.” Next year, Medicare will cut payments to physicians by 10 percent. Over nine years the cuts swell to about 40 percent, while practice costs increase 20 percent. Only congressional action can stop the cuts, and avert an access to care crisis for seniors who rely on Medicare. “Sixty percent of physicians tell the AMA that next year’s Medicare cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat,” said Dr. Wilson. “As the baby boomers begin to age into Medicare in just three short years, we’re concerned that the cuts will mean that there simply won’t be enough doctors able to care for all the new Medicare patients.” The AMA is encouraging seniors and their loved ones to contact their members of Congress to tell them we need action to stop Medicare cuts to physicians now. Americans can contact their members of Congress through the AMA’s Patient Action Network Web site or at (888) 464-6200. The AMA also published print ads earlier this month in Capitol Hill papers. The print ads call on Congress to stop next year’s Medicare physician payment... read more
Florida Medicare Advantage Plans from Freedom Health
Freedom Health, which was founded in 2004, is a Tampa, Florida-based health insurance business that’s operated and owned by a group of physicians. The organization administers Medicare and Medicaid benefits throughout many Florida counties. It aims at providing members with affordable health coverage which is designed to upgrade their quality of health care and cut down on out-of-pocket costs. The organization works closely with a network of local health insurance brokerages and agents and also has offices in Casselberry, Fort Myers, Ocala, Spring Hill, and Vero Beach. Since the health maintenance organization (HMO) deals strictly in Medicare and Medicaid plans, its medicare supplemental coverage is offered in combination with an existing Medicare or Medicaid policy. Therefore, to qualify for one of their health plans, you will already have to be enrolled in a Medicaid policy or Medicare Part A and Part B. Freedom Health has several different Medicare Advantage plans to choose from. These include plans that provide prescription drug coverage and have Part B premium reductions, as well as those aimed at customers with chronic conditions and those who have coverage with both Medicare and Medicaid. In the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans, you have to use prescription drugs that have been placed on an approved list. The policy can be part of your Part B or D premium, cover medication through the coverage gap, and sometimes offers reduced co-payments for mail-order and generic drugs. However, you need to be aware that if your Medicare Advantage plan offers coverage for prescription drugs and you then enroll in a standalone drug plan, you may be removed from the Medicare... read more
Medigap Plans from Gerber Life Insurance
Gerber life started out as a life insurance company building a sterling reputation over a 156 year history. Now they are on their way to dominating the Medicare supplemental insurance market. Gerber life sells Medicare supplements which are also called Medigap plans a senior citizens health insurance option to cover the costs not covered by Original Medicare Parts A and B. Currently Gerber has the Plan A, Plan B, Plan F and Plan G available to Medicare beneficiaries. Remember these are Medigap plans, so there are no networks, you can use any Dr. or medical provider in the country that accepts original Medicare and assignments and you will not have to worry about a Dr. list. All of these Medicare supplement plans offered through Gerber life will cover your major out-of-pocket costs, those being the part a and part B deductibles and other costs associated risk receiving treatment from a Medicare contracted provider such as outpatient lab testing, outpatient surgeries and Dr. visits. An interesting fact about Gerber life Medicare supplements is that they are actually underwritten by Mutual of Omaha. So if you call the 800 number for Gerber Medicare Supplement quotes, they will answer the phone as Gerber but you are in fact common to Mutual of Omaha’s call... read moreAMA Television Ad Calls On Congress To Stop Medicare Doctor Cuts
Part D beneficiaries need more coverage Senior beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan still lag behind the coverage afforded seniors covered by employer plans or under a veterans’ health plan, according to a report in the journal Health Affairs. The report, which surveyed some 16,000 senior citizens, states that while more senior citizens have drug coverage than before due to the Medicare Part D program, more of those participating seniors are paying greater out-of-pocket expenses, especially when contrasted with their counterparts who received drug benefits through the Veterans Administration (VA) and employer-provided coverage programs. According to the report, 26 percent of the responding Part D beneficiaries spent at least $100 each month for prescription drugs. The report stated that another 8 percent reported spending at least $300 each month for prescription drugs, which is less than those without Part D coverage, but still more than those beneficiaries under a VA or employer-provided coverage program. Only 8.5 percent of senior citizens in 2006 did not have prescription drug coverage, whereas 33 percent of senior citizens were without such coverage in 2005, according to the report. Despite the Medicare Part D program’s low-income subsidy (LIS) allowances, only 53 percent of Medicare Part D beneficiaries who were surveyed knew about the program, and only 52 percent of the non-participating senior citizens who were surveyed had knowledge of... read more
Take a look at the Humana Gold Plus HMO plan for Seniors
Humana Gold Plus® is a Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plan with a wide range of coverage for seniors. Humana has contracted with Medicare to provide you with services that are not covered by your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits under original Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage Humana Gold Plus HMO Plans offer prescription drug coverage. With Gold Plus HMO Plans your out-of-pocket costs are reduced and more predictable than with the majority of other plans. You may enroll in Gold Plus HMO plan only during specific times of the year. You can compare this to Humana’s Gold Choice PFFs, Humana’s Part D Drug Plans, HumanaChoice PPO and Humana Enhanced PDP. Below is an example of one of the many plans offered by Humana. Summary Plan Type Humana Gold Plus H1951-013 (HMO) Office Visit for Primary Doctor $10 copay for each primary care doctor visit for Medicare-covered benefits. Office Visit for Specialist $10 to $25 copay for each specialist visit for Medicare-covered benefits. Doctor Choice Plan Doctor Only Annual Deductible None Out-of-Pocket Maximum $4,900 Prescription Drug Coverage Yes Physical Exams $0 copay for all preventive services covered under Original Medicare at zero cost sharing. Hospital Services Coverage Emergency Room $65 copay for Medicare-covered emergency room visits. $25,000 plan coverage limit for emergency services outside the U.S. every year. Ambulance Services $200 copay for Florida Medicare-covered ambulance benefits. Outpatient Lab/X-Ray $0 to $25 copay for Medicare-covered lab services. $0 to $50 copay for Medicare-covered diagnostic procedures and tests. $10 to $50 copay for Medicare-covered X-rays. Outpatient Surgery $250 copay for each Medicare-covered ambulatory surgical center visit. $0 to $250... read more