Episodes
Wednesday Feb 01, 2012
Medicare Basics:<br>Preventive Services… from A to G
Wednesday Feb 01, 2012
Wednesday Feb 01, 2012
This month on Medicare Minutes we will look at some of the preventive services covered by Medicare Part B. We will talk in detail about the services alphabetically from A to G, and next month we will examine the rest.
Monday Dec 12, 2011
What If I Missed the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period?
Monday Dec 12, 2011
Monday Dec 12, 2011
On the December 2011 edition of Medicare Minutes, we will discuss some options for those who may have missed this year's Medicare annual enrollment period. Don't fear... you may still be able to enroll or change plans.
Wednesday Nov 09, 2011
When Is a Hospital Stay Not a Hospital Stay? The Problem of "Observation Status"
Wednesday Nov 09, 2011
Wednesday Nov 09, 2011
One condition for Medicare payment for skilled nursing facility care is that a beneficiary be a hospital inpatient for at least three days before admission to the skilled nursing facility. A primary concern among advocates has been that time in observation status and in the emergency room was not counted by the Medicare program as part of an inpatient hospital stay, even when that time was followed by a beneficiary's formal admission to the hospital as an inpatient. Recently, however, a new and greater concern has arisen. Beneficiaries throughout the country report that their entire stays in a hospital, including stays as long as 14 days, are classified by the hospital as "outpatient observation".
Tuesday Oct 11, 2011
Updates on the Medicare Improvement Standard
Tuesday Oct 11, 2011
Tuesday Oct 11, 2011
As we have discussed previously previous Podcasts, people with chronic conditions and long-term illnesses are often denied Medicare coverage because they supposedly:
- Will not improve, or
- Need "maintenance services only," or
- Have "plateaued", or
- Are "chronic and stable".
Tuesday Sep 13, 2011
Medicare Facts and Fiction
Tuesday Sep 13, 2011
Tuesday Sep 13, 2011
Congress continues to propose Medicare changes that will have bad consequences for beneficiaries and their families. Policymakers and pundits are feeding the media and the public false information about Medicare. The simple truth is that Medicare works… and it costs LESS than private insurance.
Thursday Jul 21, 2011
Medicaid Matters!
Thursday Jul 21, 2011
Thursday Jul 21, 2011
Obviously here at Medicare Minutes we talk a lot about Medicare and its importance to so many of our country's older and disabled people. Something people might overlook, though, is that the MediCAID program is equally important. And Medicaid matters to Medicare beneficiaries, too.
Monday Jun 27, 2011
Real Solutions for Financing Medicare and Reducing the Deficit
Monday Jun 27, 2011
Monday Jun 27, 2011
It seems like Congress has a lot of trouble understanding that there are some solid, manageable solutions that would actually protect Medicare coverage while still reducing costs to taxpayers. And this month on Medicare Minutes, we're going to highlight a half dozen of them for you.
Thursday May 12, 2011
Medicare Secondary Payer Issues
Thursday May 12, 2011
Thursday May 12, 2011
In this episode of Medicare Minutes we take a look at some issues surrounding the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Program, which seeks to that Medicare doesn not pay for services resulting form injury that should be paid for by another source. For more information on the MSP program, see our topic page, http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/medicare-info/medicare-secondary-payer-program.
Friday Apr 29, 2011
25 years of Advocacy, and Hope for 25 More
Friday Apr 29, 2011
Friday Apr 29, 2011
In April 2011, the Center for Medicare Advocacy celebrates 25 years of advocating for, and on behalf of, older people and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare. And despite constant challenges, there is reason to be hopeful for Medicare's future.
Tuesday Feb 08, 2011
Disenrollment Period for Medicare Advantage Ends February 14th
Tuesday Feb 08, 2011
Tuesday Feb 08, 2011
Are you unhappy with your Medicare Advantage plan? You have until February 14th to do something about it!