Medicare Watch

Health Reform and Medicare

In the coming weeks, Congress will take a series of votes to pass President Obama’s health reform plan. That plan will provide health coverage to over 30 million uninsured Americans, including people with disabilities who are stuck in the two-year wait for Medicare. It will improve coverage of prescription drugs and preventive services for people with Medicare, and strengthen Medicare’s finances and the quality of care it delivers. Read more about Medicare and Health Reform.

Helping Consumers Save on Drug Costs

Medicare Rights provided recommendations to the Obama Administration on how it can help low-income consumers who qualify for premium-free drug coverage under Extra Help but chose a plan that now charges them more than $10 each month. Medicare Rights recommends that the administration should try to match consumers’ drug regimens with the drug plan’s list of covered drugs before reassigning them to a zero-premium plan. Consumers with Extra Help would keep the right to override the assignment and choose their own plan. Read the details in Medicare Rights Center’s comments on administration rules for Medicare private health and drug plan coverage in 2011.

Medicare Reminder

Consumers who are not enrolled in Medicare, but should be, are urged to enroll by March 31 for Part B coverage, which would take effect July 1. Medicare Part B covers doctor visits and other outpatient care.

Read the full press release here.

Spotlight

Medicare Rights joined other consumer advocates in urging the Obama administration to tighten rules on the marketing of Medicare private health plans. Read advocates’ recommendations to strengthen oversight of agents and marketing firms that break the rules and bully consumers or misrepresent coverage to get consumers to join plans that do not meet their needs.