Bloomberg News (1/12, Frier) reports that “UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) and Humana Inc. (HUM) are among insurers offering fitness memberships with their Medicare programs as a way to draw healthier and less costly patients, said a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.” What’s more, “35.3 percent of new enrollees in a fitness membership [...]
In a front-page story, USA Today (12/6, A1, Kennedy) reports that the government plans to announce that “more than 2.65 million Medicare recipients have saved more than $1.5 billion on their prescriptions this year, a $569-per-person average, while premiums have remained stable.” In addition, “as of the end of November, more than 24 million people, [...]
They’re often called the “Golden Years”-and they should be. What a wonderful time of life to enjoy time with family and friends, devote time to hobbies and other activities, and to travel or explore new interests! On the flip side of the coin are the increased risks of health problems and the potential for major [...]
The AP (7/5) reported, “The federal healthcare overhaul delivers deep price cuts this year that will benefit Medicare prescription drug customers who fall into a coverage gap known as the ‘doughnut hole.’ But limited coverage still may pose a financial challenge for a few more years.” The healthcare overhaul “took a step toward filing the [...]
The Oregonian (10/12, Rojas-Burke) reports that insurance companies “across the country are leaving the market as a result of a federal law passed in 2008,” which requires private fee-for-service plans to “meet the same requirements” as HMOs and PPOs “serving Medicare enrollees.” In Oregon, private health insurers are “dumping about 25,000 retirees and others” next [...]
The Washington Post (8/10, Andrews) reports, “Starting in January, the new healthcare law will make it easier and cheaper for seniors to get preventive care. Medicare beneficiaries will be able to receive for free all preventive services and screenings that receive an A or B recommendation for seniors from the US Preventive Services Task Force, [...]
The Hill (7/27, Lillis) reports, “The majority of the nation’s seniors have little understanding of what the Democrats’ newly enacted healthcare law actually does, according to poll results released Monday.” According to a poll “sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), an advocate for seniors…only 17 percent of respondents could answer even half of [...]
The New York Times (7/21, Russakoff) “The New Old Age” blog reported, “The population of older Americans is growing faster than ever and living longer than ever, but not as long as in much of Europe and elsewhere in the developed world, according to ‘Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being,’ a report compiled by [...]
The Atlanta Business Chronicle (7/16, Massad) reported that medical professional believe that healthcare reform and an aging population “could dramatically change how care is administered in the US”. Notably, since healthcare reform will insure 30 million more people, experts predict that a new “framework that places an emphasis on preventive care … could gradually shift [...]
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The government is mailing $250 checks this week to seniors who fall into the gap in Medicare’s prescription drug coverage. The first checks will be sent June 10, three weeks earlier than scheduled, to about 80,000 people. The rebates are the first step in closing the Medicare “donut hole.” More [...]