In July Congress overrode a presidential veto to pass a Medicare bill that maintains payment levels for doctors and expands access to a variety of services for beneficiaries. Some changes start immediately; others will be phased in over the next six years.
Coming soon:
- Elimination of the Part D late enrollment penalty for those eligible for the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS)
- Exemption of the value of life insurance policies and in-kind support and maintenance from LIS definitions of income and resources
- Additional funding for outreach and enrollment assistance for Part D/LIS program
- Augmentation and extension of the funding for the Qualified Individual (QI) program that helps low-income beneficiaries pay their Part B premiums
Down the road:
- In the next year, members have up to a year to make a “Welcome to Medicare” physical, from 6 months; the cost will no longer be counted against the deductible.
- Medicare gained the ability to determine which preventive services to cover; previously Congress made the decisions about covering mammograms and the like. Starting this year, expansions should be easier and quicker.
- Over the next six years, out-of-pocket costs for members who use mental health services will be reduced from 50% of the cost to 20%, lining up co-pays with other Medicare services.
- In 2013, Part D will cover benzodiazepines and barbiturates for patients with certain conditions.
The Center for Medicare Advocacy details the the bill, and the Wall Street Journal takes a broader look at these changes.
Medicare D and LIS Outreach
I has been doing outreach for Medicare and Medicaid throught SHINE and SMP of MA for the last eleven years. In my opinion if you have to go three month before or after when you turn 65 to sign for Medicare will be better if you can offer a free counseling about Medicare, LIS and public benefits.Consumers will be advise and this make everything easy to better understanding of this big and very complex issue.
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