Medicare Monitor

The Palm Beach Post's veteran Washington correspondent, Larry Lipman, tracks policy makers and interest groups who are shaping the future of the federal health insurance program for the elderly.

Medicare Web Resources

Government

•Medicare
•Medicare Frequently Asked Questions
•Medicare Booklet
•Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
•Medicare Payment Advisory Commission

Organizations

•AARP
•America's Health Insurance Plans
•Brookings Institution
•Center for Medicare Advocacy
•Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
•Century Foundation
•Commonwealth Fund
•Families USA
•Florida 50+
•Heritage Foundation
•Kaiser Family Foundation
•Medicare Rights Center
•National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
•National Academy of Social Insurance
•National Center for Policy Analysis

Blogs
•AARP Issues Blog: Medicare
•Cato Institute Health Care Blog
•Entitled to Know National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
•The Health Care Blog

Medicare at a glance
Medicare is the federal health care system that covers about 36 million people age 65 and older, plus 7 million disabled. It has four parts:

Part A Covers inpatient hospital care as well as nursing home, home health and hospice care. Nearly all elderly and disabled Americans qualify for Part A coverage.
Financed by a 2.9 percent payroll tax divided equally between employees and employers.

Part B Covers outpatient care, doctor’s services, durable medical equipment, home health visits and preventive care. Part B coverage is voluntary, but roughly 40 million are enrolled.
Financed by beneficiary premiums and federal general revenue. Current monthly premiums are $93.50. Starting this year, individuals whose taxable income is more than $80,000 will pay a higher premium.

Part C Medicare Advantage managed care plans provide health care normally covered by Medicare Parts A and B. They may also provide some other benefits, including prescription drugs, not covered by traditional Medicare. Oart C is voluntary; about 7 million beneficiaries are enrolled.
Financed by Medicare and beneficiary premiums, which vary among plans.

Part D Medicare prescription drug plans come in two types, those that just cover prescription drugs and those that cover drugs as part of a broader managed care benefit. Part D is voluntary. About 9.2 million beneficiaries are in stand-alone drug plans and about 5.1 million are in managed care drug plans.
The plans are private and financed by Medicare and beneficiary premiums, which vary among plans.
-- Larry Lipman

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The entry titled "Bush will veto Medicare bill," and any of the comments about it.

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Bush will veto Medicare bill

By Larry Lipman | Thursday, July 10, 2008, 04:05 PM

President Bush intends to veto a Medicare bill that would avert a 10.6 percent pay cut for doctors, a White House spokesman said today.

The statement came a day after the Senate, on its third try, overcame procedural roadblocks set by the Republicans on a 69-30 vote — two more than necessary to override a veto.

Last month, the House passed the bill 355-59, well above the two-thirds margin needed for an override.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters at the daily noon briefing that Bush would veto the bill because he objected to the way Congress paid for averting the physician pay cut.

The bill would reduce payments to private managed care Medicare Advantage plans by nearly $14 billion over five years. Bush has previously opposed cuts in Medicare Advantage payments although the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has repeatedly said the plans are overpaid.

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By Bill Jackson

July 30, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this

What Are Medication-Related Problems and How Do They Effect Seniors?

Many seniors open up their medicine cabinets each morning to a wall of pill bottles as a part of their morning routine. If you or your loved one is taking multiple medications for multiple conditions, you may want to consider reviewing all of your medications with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that you are not the victim of medication-related problems. Medication-related problems are defined as events or situations related to drug therapy that have negative effects on a patient’s health. The 8 ways to classify medication-related problems are as follows:

Overdosage is when a patient receives too much medication as treatment for his/her conditions. Subtheraputic dosage is when a patient receives too little medication as treatment for his/her conditions. Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) is when a patient is suffering from a condition that has been caused by an adverse reaction or effect of drug therapy. Drug Interaction is when a patient is suffering from a condition that has been caused by the negative interaction of a drug therapy with food, another drug therapy, or laboratory. Failure to Receive Medication is when a patient is suffering from a condition that has been caused by the patient’s inability to receive medication for any reason Untreated Condition is when the patient is suffering from a condition but not receiving any type of drug therapy Drug Use Without Indication is when a patient is receiving drug therapy for a non-existent condition Improper Drug Selection is when a patient is receiving the wrong drug therapy for their condition Because aging inevitably brings increased medical conditions, it also brings increased medications. It is important to be proactive and be clear as to what medications you take and how they treat your conditions. Be aware of the medication-related problems listed above and you can avoid unnecessary medical conditions and issues that come with them. For more info click www.homehealthseniorcare.com

By Bill Jackson

July 30, 2008 2:47 PM | Link to this

What Are Medication-Related Problems and How Do They Effect Seniors?

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