Medicare – The News Desk

Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Retirement | Retirement

16Apr

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Money

Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Retirement | Retirement

Key Takeaways: The Social Security retirement trust fund and Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund will both be depleted within the next decade if no action is taken. Joe Biden proposed increasing taxes on high earners to shore up the two trust funds. Donald Trump said he supports the programs but has provided no details about how he plans to address the trust fund shortfalls. Independent and third-party candidates have various approaches to retirement topics, but none are expected to win the presidency and implement their policies. This November, voters will head to the polls to decide who should be president for the next four years. And while debates rage over topics such as border security, immigration and abortion, people shouldn’t overlook the importance of retirement issues.The...

2Apr

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Health

Will Medicare Pay for a Lift Chair?

Getty ImagesThe mobility issues that come with age or illness can make the basic movements of standing up and sitting down difficult or almost impossible for some individuals.Lift chairs can be a simple and safe solution for anyone with mobility issues that do not allow them to sit or stand with ease. Because many people value their independence and want to do as much as they can for as long as they can on their own, a lift chair may be one way to help.Here's what you need to know about lift chairs and whether Medicare covers these devices.What Is a Lift Chair?A lift chair is exactly what its name suggests: a chair that lifts. They look like normal chairs, with most being a recliner-style, but have a motorized lifting device under the cushion and are operated with a remote control. This g...

Lawsuits take aim at use of AI tool by health insurance companies to process claims

21Dec

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Money

Lawsuits take aim at use of AI tool by health insurance companies to process claims

The growing use of artificial intelligence by the health insurance industry faces mounting legal challenges, with patients claiming that insurers are using the technology to wrongly deny coverage for essential medical services.The complaints, which take aim at health insurers United Healthcare and Humana, have sparked fears that AI's integration in the health insurance sector will drive up coverage claims denials, preventing chronically ill and elderly patients from receiving quality medical care. A rash of coverage rejections is fueling calls to increase government oversight of the largely unregulated use of AI by the health insurance industry, experts told CBS MoneyWatch. A class-action lawsuit, filed on December 12, alleges that health insurer Humana used an AI model called nHPredict t...

10Dec

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Health

No, Social Security Isn’t ‘Earned’

Joe Biden and Donald Trump have something in common: Neither wants to touch Social Security. The program’s benefits “belong to the American people,” Mr. Biden said in February. “They earned them.” A month later Mr. Trump said: “We’re going to take care of our Social Security—people have earned that.”Both men have used the program as a cudgel against political opponents who have supported reining in benefits to balance the program’s troubled finances. The same goes for Medicare, which the progressive group Social Security Works has described as “an EARNED benefit,” adding that “anyone who proposes cuts to this program is reaching into your pockets and stealing from you!”Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8 ...

Medicare Part B: Costs, Eligibility and What It Covers

7Dec

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Health

Medicare Part B: Costs, Eligibility and What It Covers

(Getty Images)Navigating the world of health care can be an overwhelming experience, but understanding Medicare Part B is critical for older Americans seeking comprehensive medical coverage.Part of the original Medicare program, Medicare Part B has traditionally provided medical insurance to cover the cost of medically necessary doctors’ services, but the program covers so much more and continues to add services as new medical care needs arise like combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.What Does Medicare Part B Cover?Medicare Part B provides coverage for many routine and preventative services – some of which may be surprising, like bariatric surgery. However, strict medical criteria must be met before being approved for gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic banding surgery.Check out the nume...

Does Medicare Pay for Eye Exams? What Is Covered

5Dec

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Health

Does Medicare Pay for Eye Exams? What Is Covered

head only, rear view.Getty ImagesWhen it comes to health, your eyes can certainly tell a story about your overall well-being. As you get older, that story gets more chapters – and becomes more complex.Staying on top of your eye health is important, but Medicare doesn't cover all vision care needs. Before you head to the eye doctor for a vision check or medical eye exam, you should know what might be covered and what you’ll have to pay for out of pocket.Importance of Regular Eye Exams for Overall HealthAs you age, your eyes change, and your ability to see objects up close or far away often shifts. Routine eye exams or vision tests can help you preserve your vision longer. Staying up-to-date with corrective lens prescriptions can also help keep you safe. Driving at night without glasses, fo...

Medicare Coverage for Hearing Aids 2024: What Is Covered?

4Dec

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Health

Medicare Coverage for Hearing Aids 2024: What Is Covered?

Hearing loss is a common condition in the U.S. and becomes increasingly more prevalent as we get older. In fact, more than 37.5 million adult Americans experience hearing loss.(Getty Images)Untreated hearing loss doesn’t just cause frustration with daily living. The condition is also connected to hidden health risks, such as falls, cognitive decline, emergency room visits and hospitalizations.Despite these health risks, fewer than 15% of adults requiring hearing aids use them. Additionally, on average, it takes nearly nine years for individuals to purchase hearing aids after being diagnosed with hearing loss, according to a 2019 study.“Some older adults may view hearing loss as a normal part of aging and underestimate the importance of hearing health,” says Kathleen Cameron, senior direct...

Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery in 2024?

4Dec

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Health

Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery in 2024?

(Getty Images)If you’re new to Medicare or making different elections for the coming year, you may be wondering about specific coverage areas. For instance, can Medicare help with eye health, namely cataract surgery?Medicare – the federal health insurance program for people ages 65 and older, as well as certain people with disabilities younger than 65 – may be able to help you get this corrective surgery and any post-surgery vision care you might need.Importance of Cataract Surgery for Vision HealthCataracts are common among older adults. They develop when proteins in your eye break down and cause a clouding of the natural lens. This lens bends and refracts light rays that come into the eye, so when it gets cloudy, what you see can look hazy – like looking through a foggy window.Symptoms ...

UnitedHealth uses faulty AI to deny elderly patients medically necessary coverage, lawsuit claims

20Nov

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Money

UnitedHealth uses faulty AI to deny elderly patients medically necessary coverage, lawsuit claims

The families of two now-deceased former beneficiaries of UnitedHealth have filed a lawsuit against the health care giant, alleging it knowingly used a faulty artificial intelligence algorithm to deny elderly patients coverage for extended care deemed necessary by their doctors. The lawsuit, filed last Tuesday in federal court in Minnesota, claims UnitedHealth illegally denied "elderly patients care owed to them under Medicare Advantage Plans" by deploying an AI model known by the company to have a 90% error rate, overriding determinations made by the patients' physicians that the expenses were medically necessary.Medicare Advantage plans, which are administered by private health insurers such as UnitedHealth, are Medicare-approved insurance plans available to elderly people as an alternat...

This doctor wrote the book on medical debt

9Nov

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Money

This doctor wrote the book on medical debt

In 2019, emergency medicine physician and historian Luke Messac was working as a medical resident. He had heard about hospitals suing their own patients over unpaid medical bills, so he decided to investigate whether the hospitals where he worked were doing the same.It turns out they were."The care I was delivering to patients was resulting in them showing up in court, or having their wages garnished, or signing up for a payment plan that they would be paying for the better part of a decade," said Messac.In this episode of "An Arm and a Leg," host Dan Weissmann speaks with Messac about his book, "Your Money or Your Life: Debt Collection in American Medicine," and how people working in health care can try to reform these practices.Host and producer of "An Arm and a Leg." Previously, Dan wa...