A month’s long shortage of cancer drugs may be the result of Medicare regulations. For several years, Medicare has provided coverage for cancer patients, allowing them to obtain treatments that they would otherwise have no access to. While Medicare offers this coverage, however, the number of cancer fighting drugs has been falling steadily. The phenomenon may be the result of a regulation within the Medicare system that dictates that doctors must purchase cancer drugs, not patients. Traditionally, patients have been responsible for purchasing their own medications as prescribed to them…
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Blue Cross Insurers look to expand into the Medicaid market
Independence Blue Cross, one of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s largest health insurance companies, is looking to expand into the Medicaid market. The company has been spending millions of dollars in the effort to carve out a larger share of the market. The Medicaid market has become a popular target for health insurers looking to offer affordable coverage to those that have fallen on hard economic times. Independence Blue Cross already holds a prominent place in this particular market, but is looking to further its hold as the market grows more lucrative. Michigan’s…
Read MoreMedicare costs return to spotlight following deficit debate
Controversial proposals regarding Medicare expenses have moved back into the forefront of discussions as a result of the federal deficit debates, leading many to voice concerns regarding the increase of hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars to the medical bills of seniors. It has not yet been determined whether any of these new proposals will be enacted in 2011, considering the current impasse faced by the government regarding its spending. The Republicans are currently demanding these proposals so that trillions can be hacked from the federal budget. However,…
Read MoreFederal officials ready to debate health insurance rate increase of 10% or more
U.S. officials are getting ready to debate whether or not increases in the rates for health insurance of 10 percent or more were excessive within seven states which have rate review processes that have been labeled ineffective. The rate review systems for Louisiana, Alabama, Montana, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Missouri, as well as four territories have been deemed to be insufficient by the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO). The CCIIO is a branch of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. According to the CCIIO, federal officials, under…
Read MoreSenior beneficiaries of medicare and social security seeking soverage boost
Healthcare coverage and Medicare are currently a prime topic for discussion in Washington, and senior citizens, who are wondering what tomorrow holds in terms of their own medical needs, are taking out supplemental health insurance plans to help to compensate for what is currently lacking and what may go missing in the future. Seniors who are beneficiaries of Social Security and Medicare are wondering what the changes that the government is making to the healthcare system will do to their ability to receive the products and services that they require…
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