Medicare and Medicaid (BenefitsLink.com)Headlines re Medicare and Medicaid, gathered by BenefitsLink.comOpinion The Age of Tinkering with the Framework of Entitlements Has Begun- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "The age of guaranteed benefits is hardly over, but anxiety over the fraying of the safety net -- private as well as public -- is palpable. It is true that not one of the three White House contenders has offered a comprehensive solution. And except for Barack Obama's proposal that the wealthy pay more in payroll taxes, none have been so bold as to suggest that the government meet its entitlement obligations by raising its take on them. But each has suggested some intriguing...http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/magazine/04wwln-lede-t.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=... States Look to Rein In Private Medicare Plans- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "In the draft of a report prepared by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, state officials say they have received large numbers of complaints but, in most cases, cannot provide direct assistance to beneficiaries or hold insurers accountable. In the report, the state officials propose setting common standards for marketing the private plans, which could then be enforced by states that adopt them. 'The current federal regulatory framework does not adequately protect..http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/health/policy/05medicare.html?partner=rssuserland&em... Guidance Overview CMS Issues Medicare Part D Benefit Parameters for 2009- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: The new parameters will help group health plan sponsors determine whether their plans' prescription drug coverage is creditable for 2009. This information is needed for the disclosures that must be made annually and at other specified times to Part D eligible individuals and to CMS." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)http://www.ebia.com/weeklyguest/19377/200805231c0bd6617873c053ab45007b69bf7c18/BNL080501 Opinion Social Security and Medicare Projections: 2008- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "The 2008 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports show the combined unfunded liability of these two programs has reached $101.7 trillion in today's dollars! That is more than seven times the size of the U.S. economy and 10 times the size of the outstanding national debt. The unfunded liability is the difference between the benefits that have been promised to retirees and what will be collected in dedicated taxes and Medicare premiums." (National Center for Policy...http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba616/ Study Warns Job Losses Will Strain Government Health Programs- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Leading health researchers projected Monday that each percentage-point rise in unemployment during the economic downturn would swell the uninsured by 1.1 million, stoking demand for government health coverage just as states face pressure to cut benefits." (The New York Times; free registration required)http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/health/policy/29kaiser.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=... Opinion Providing Health Care for All Shouldn't Make Insurers Rich- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Government subsidies and outsourcing may be good for business without always being good for the public. Medicare outsources the administration of its prescription drug program, Medicare D, to private insurers. Medicare Advantage -- Medicare C -- subsidizes managed care insurance plans for seniors choosing them. Several current presidential aspirants -- Clinton and Obama -- would subsidize the purchase of insurance for the low-income uninsured. Each of these plans offers...http://www.pnhp.org/news/2008/april/providing_health_car.php SSA's Annual Statistical Supplement, 2007- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Printed copies of this document are scheduled for release in mid-May 2008. (U.S. Social Security Administration)http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/supplement/2007/ Growing Disparities in Life Expectancy (PDF)- (Found July 5, 2008 ) 6 pages. Excerpt: "Increasing longevity, by itself, has clear implications for Social Security and Medicare expenditures. As beneficiaries live longer, they will receive benefits for a longer period, putting additional pressure on the programs' finances." (U.S. Congressional Budget Office)http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/91xx/doc9104/04-17-LifeExpectancy_Brief.pdf CBO Chief Is Health Care Referee- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "The CBO director, who started his four-year term in January 2007, is going beyond the traditional budget-Cassandra role, and analyzing causes and solutions. He has emphasized that the biggest driver of rising medical costs is the increasing use of new technology, not simply an aging population." (The Wall Street Journal)http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120874132955630171.html?mod=hpp_us_inside_today Guidance Overview CMS Announces Indexed Medicare Part D Amounts for 2009- (Found July 5, 2008 ) Excerpt: "On April 7, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the indexed Medicare Part D standard benefit and Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) amounts for 2009. This Capital Checkup features charts comparing the 2009 numbers and the 2008 numbers." (The Segal Group, Inc.)http://www.sibson.com/publications/capitalcheckup/042208.html |