A recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that Medicaid spending growth slowed dramatically in 2012. The report says that the total amount that the federal and state governments spent on Medicaid increased by 2% in 2012. In 2011 the increase had been almost 5 times that, at 9.7%. Prior to the economic downturn of 2008, the lowest annual percentage increase occurred in 2006, … read more
Medicaid
Mississippi Becomes First to Opt-Out of Medicaid Expansion
Following the summer Supreme Court decision that allowed states to choose to opt out of the Medicaid expansion outlined under the health care reform law, Mississippi recently became the first state to choose to decline the expansion and the federal dollars associated with it. While the healthcare law is almost certainly best known for its requirement for individual Americans to obtain … read more
Avoiding Medicaid Fraud – 3 Tips
Medicaid fraud costs the states and the federal government billions of dollars each year, and the problem is only getting bigger as more and more people apply for Medicaid coverage. While some types of Medicaid fraud, such as illegal price-fixing or illegal advertising by pharmaceutical companies cannot be easily avoided, there are steps you can take to prevent Medicaid fraud from … read more
Federal Government Warns States That Medicaid Expansion Delay May Cost Them
In the wake of this year's Supreme Court decision that overturned the Medicaid expansion requirements imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and allowed individual states to choose to opt-in or opt-out, Federal health officials have recently warned states that a delay in adopting the expansion could result in lost federal dollars. In letters sent to state officials, … read more
Beware of Medicaid Fraud
The amount of money flowing through the Medicare and Medicaid pots is a tempting target for criminals. For example, it is estimated that in 2007 approximately $23.7 billion was paid out improperly from both Medicare and Medicaid, with $12.9 billion of that coming from Medicaid. Given that the United States’ senior population, which is comprised of people 65-and-over, is expected to … read more
Study: Medicaid Expansion May Save Lives
A study recently released by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health shows that states which have expanded their Medicaid coverage to include more people from needy populations have a lower death rate than neighbor states who failed to enact similar expansions. This study shows that after Arizona, Maine, and New York expanded their Medicaid coverage in 2001 and 2002, those … read more
Is Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s Will Invalid?
Check out this week's newsletter - click on our logo below! In this edition, find more about the following topics: Is Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's Will Invalid? Leasing Office Space at 528 College Road Can You Control Your Heirs From the Grave? IRS Gives New Tax Directions for Dual Citizens Medicare B Can Help Defray Medical Costs Give Away Your Potential Tax … read more
Governors Urged to Adopt Medicaid Expansion by Federal Medicaid/Medicare Chief
Following the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, several state governors have declared their intention not to adopt the Medicaid expansion as provided under the law. Because the Supreme Court's ruling essentially allowed states to opt-out of the Medicaid expansion, states have the choice to implement the expansion or not. Recently, however, … read more
New Study Shows Medicaid Patients Not Clogging Hospital ERs
Under the terms of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, state Medicaid programs would've been required to expand their Medicaid eligibility criteria beginning in 2014. After the Supreme Court ruled that the law's Medicaid provisions were unconstitutional, the ruling effectively allows states to choose if they would expand their Medicaid coverage. Some opponents of the Medicaid … read more
What is the Five-Year Medicaid Look Back Rule?
The struggle to pay for nursing home care can put a family between a rock and a hard place. According to Met Life's 2010 Survey of Long Term Care Costs, the average cost of a private room in a North Carolina nursing home is $204 per day – that’s almost $75,000 a year! For a family that has saved diligently and invested wisely, paying for care out-of-pocket can quickly deplete … read more
