Medicare changes payment plan to fight drug fraud
By Kelly Kennedy, USA Today ~ Dec 13, 2011

Medicare will not pay prescription-drug bills if officials see evidence of fraud, which will let them avoid chasing down money after it has been paid out, Vice President Biden announced Tuesday…

The Federal Government’s Deeply Flawed System For Controlling Medicare Costs
By Sally Pipes; Forbes ~ Dec 12, 2011

Medicare’s hospital trust fund is set to be exhausted by 2024, according to the latest report from the program’s trustees. Federal officials are understandably looking for easy ways to cut spending in the entitlement program in hopes of shoring up its finances…

Report: Health care reform law causing Americans to lose insurance ahead of implementation
By Alexis Levinson; The Daily Caller ~ Dec 09, 2011

As a result of President Obama’s health care reform law, some Americans are already losing their health insurance coverage before the law’s regulations even go into effect, according to a new report…

Home Health Advocates Push Remote Monitoring In Medicare
By Jessica Marcy; Kaiser Health News ~ Dec 07, 2011

Home care technology can play a critical role in keeping patients out of hospitals and at home, but many providers believe new policies should be used to encourage its adoption.

10 Signs It May Be Time To Fire Your Doctor
From Deborah L. Jacobs; Forbes ~ Dec 08, 2011

There’s no such thing as a “best doctor,” despite the many books and lists compiling them. But there is such a thing as the wrong doctor for you…

Uncle Sam Can Help You Pay For Long-Term Care Insurance
By Ashley Ebeling; Forbes ~ Dec 06, 2011

Can a tax deduction help you afford long-term care insurance? If you’re buying it as an individual, maybe. If you’re self-employed and buying it through your business, absolutely…

Health Law’s Drug Discount Saves U.S. Elderly $1.5 Billion, Medicare Says
By Alex Wayne; Bloomberg ~ Dec 06, 2011

President Barack Obama’s administration says the health-care overhaul he championed has this year saved Medicare recipients an average of $569 a person in drug costs…

Feds to allow use of Medicare data to rate doctors
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP; The Bulletin ~ Dec 05, 2011

The government announced Monday that Medicare will finally allow its extensive claims database to be used by employers, insurance companies and consumer groups to produce report cards on local doctors – and improve current ratings of hospitals…

How to pay less for your medications
By Kristen Gerencher; MarketWatch ~ Dec 05, 2011

If you take prescription or over-the-counter medicine, you could be overpaying if you’re not part of a store discount program…