This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule to make enrolling and staying in Medicaid easier, especially for older adults and people with disabilities. This rule is a companion to one finalized last fall that streamlined enrollment into Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Medicaid is a […]
Despite Medicare’s significant successes, for many enrollees, health care cost problems are far too common. The program’s benefit design and lack of financial protections expose beneficiaries to frequent and high costs. Enrollees financially contribute to their coverage through payroll taxes, premiums, deductibles, and other cost-sharing amounts. Many also pay for […]
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed 14 years ago this week, strengthened Medicare and Medicaid and created important coverage guarantees and consumer protections for people of all ages. From expanding access to affordable care to preventing discrimination based on health status, as well as improving Medicare’s financial status, the ACA […]
Direct care workers are vital to ensuring older adults and people with disabilities can safely remain in their homes and communities. Such workers, as formally classified by the Department of Labor, include certified nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides, caregivers, and companions. Medicaid funds many direct care workers, […]
A new study from University of Southern California (USC) researchers shows that Medicare Part D plans have been increasingly restricting access to some prescription drugs through the years. Plans have used prior authorization, step therapy, and formulary restrictions to curb beneficiaries’ ability to take certain important prescriptions. The study covered […]
On Monday, the White House released President Biden’s budget request to Congress for fiscal year (FY) 2025, which begins on October 1. Presidential budgets are important policy and messaging tools that articulate the administration’s goals and are often used to guide reforms, introduce or refine ideas, and stake out positions. They are […]
Many people with Medicare Part D drug coverage—in particular those who reach the catastrophic coverage phase—may experience unexpected costs and significant confusion as their out-of-pocket obligations change throughout the year. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) brings much-needed consumer protections and predictability to these coverage phases, limiting financial exposure for everyone […]
Through an annual document known as the Advance Notice (AN), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D payment policy. On Friday, the Medicare Rights Center weighed in on the agency’s recommendations for 2025. As in previous years, we are supportive of the […]
