By category, then articles by date.  Click on the links below.

• CENTER PROJECTS

• CHRONIC CONDITIONS

• COVERAGE & APPEALS

• HOME HEALTH CARE

• HOSPICE

• HOSPITAL

• LITIGATION

• MANAGED CARE

• MEDICAID

• MEDICARE PART B

• MEDICARE REFORM

• MEDICARE SUMMARY

• PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

• SKILLED NURSING FACILITY

• OTHER NEWS

CENTER PROJECTS

• Center For Medicare Advocacy Employees Team Up With The Center To Assist In Hurricane Relief - September 2, 2005

CHRONIC CONDITIONS (ALZHEIMER'S AND MORE)

• Medicare For People With Alzheimer's Disease And Other Chronic Conditions - April 3, 2002

COVERAGE AND APPEALS

• Bush Pushes Plan To Curb Appeals In Medicare Cases: New York Times Article By Robert Pear - March 15, 2003

• CMS Issues Notice Concerning Appeals Of Claims Under Medicare Parts A And B - October 24, 2002

• New Claims Procedure For Claims From Employer-Sponsored Health Plans - September 9, 2002

• Changes To The Medicare Appeals Process - August 15, 2002

• Medicare Appeals Forms Available On Line - March 26, 2002

• Alert - Threat To Medicare Due Process Rights - October 9, 2001

• New Medicare Coverage, Payment, And Appeal Provisions - December 21, 2000

• New Medicare Bill Passed - Public Law 106-554 - December 21, 2001

• HCFA'S Proposed Criteria For Making Medicare Coverage Decisions Will Reduce Access To Care For Medicare Beneficiaries  - May 2000

HOME HEALTH CARE

• Long Awaited Homebound Study Issued: Secretary Recommends Keeping Current Standard - March 29, 2001

HOSPICE

• CMS Administrator Confirms Medicare Coverage for Hospice Services - November 14, 2002

HOSPITAL

• Important Message From Medicare (HCFA-R-193) Regarding Hospital Notice - September 27, 2000

LITIGATION

• Judge Certifies Nationwide Class Of Medicare Beneficiaries Challenging Nursing Home Coverage Rule (.pdf)- September 22, 2005

• Case Filed Challenging New Regulation That Denies Notices Of Initial Determination To Medicare Beneficiaries' Representatives (.pdf) - May 26, 2005

• Federal Judge Issues Final Order Requiring Home Health Agencies To Provide Written Notice Of Intended Adverse Action - December 28, 2004

• Lawsuit Challenges Rigid Interpretation Of "Inpatient" For A Hospital Qualifying Stay - December 16, 2004

• Judge Rules That Managed Care Program Must Ensure That Needed Health Services Are Actually Delivered - September 28, 2004

• Center Lawsuit Results In Clarifications For Medicaid Recoupment And Provider Obligations - April 22, 2003

• Center For Medicare Advocacy And Connecticut Department Of Social Services Win Victory: Federal Case Seeking Due Process Rights For Medicare Beneficiaries - Connecticut State Department Of Social Services V. Thompson - October 2, 2002

• The Center For Medicare Advocacy Wins Victory: Gray Panthers Project Fund V. Thompson: Court Rules That HHS Must Comply With Medicare Statute - October 2, 2002

• Courts Uphold ERISA Plans' Internal Statutes Of Limitations - December 28, 2001

• Gray Panthers Project Fund Update: Court Orders Medicare Agency To Send Out Written Comparative Medicare+Choice Plan Information - September 26, 2001

• Center Wins Court Order:  HHS Secretary Ordered To Comply With The Medicare Statute By The U.S. District Court For D.C. - August 15, 2001

MANAGED CARE ("MEDICARE ADVANTAGE", "MEDICARE +CHOICE", "MEDICARE PART C")

• Medicare + Choice Plans for 2004 - October 23, 2003

• Connecticut Medicare HMO Flash: Healthnet 2004 Medicare Plan - September 23, 2003

• Medicare+Choice PPO Demonstration Programs: Thoughts For Beneficiaries And Advocates - September 9, 2002

• CMS Releases Medicare+Choice Enrollment Schedule for 2003 - August 15, 2002

• Medicare + Choice: Delay Of Lock-In Rules And Change In Annual Open Enrollment Period - June 21, 2002

• Medicare+Choice Plans Serving Only Part of A County - May 14, 2002

• Medicare + Choice Enrollment Changes For 2002 & Beyond - January 18, 2002

• Connecticut Medicare HMO Flash: Health Net (PHS) 2002 Medicare Plan Will Increase Costs To Members And Limit The Number Of Participating Hospitals -January 18, 2002

• Know The Facts Before You Support Increased Funding For Medicare HMOs - October 16, 2000

• Testimony From Forum:  HMO Withdrawals From Medicare+Choice: What You Aren't Hearing From The HMO Industry - August 3, 2000

• Problems with Medicare+Choice - April 2000

MEDICAID (TITLE 19)

• Comments Of Patricia B. Nemore On Medicaid And Long Term Care - March 28, 2003

• Medicaid Cuts Would Hurt Older People And People With Disabilities - March 25, 2003

• The President's Medicaid Proposal Is Bad For Beneficiaries And Bad For The States - February 20, 2003

MEDICARE PART B (DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND MORE)

• Center For Medicare Advocacy's Actions Result In CMS Requiring Durable Medical Equipment Carrier To Issue Proper Notices - March 25, 2003

• New Rule Will Allow State And Local Governments To Pay Part B Surcharge For Some Retirees - October 2, 2002

• CMS Policy On Medicare Coverage Of Injectable Drugs - June 7, 2002

• New Medicare Rules For Ambulance Services - April 3, 2002

• HCFA Changes Rules for Coverage of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices - April 2000

MEDICARE REFORM

• Medicare Beneficiary Groups Tell The Senate: Just Say No To Medicare Reform - November 18, 2003

• Medicare Beneficiaries Urge Congress To Go Home And Listen Before Voting - November 18, 2003

• GOP Leadership Wants Medicare Bill Completed By October 17, 2003 - October 2, 2003

• Medicare Proposals For The Poor: A Bitter Pill - August 6, 2003

• Facts To Consider Before Restructuring Medicare To Be More Like Congress' Health Benefits - March 25, 2003

• The President's Budget Proposal Would Eliminate Medicare As We Know It - February 14, 2003

• The President’s Medicare Proposal Is Neither New Nor Reform. Judith Stein Commentary From The Hartford Courant, Sunday February 2, 2003 - February 3, 2003

• A Stark Translation Of What The President Really Means When He Talks About His Plans For Medicare: Commentary By Congressman Pete Stark (D. CA) - January 30, 2003

• Will Medicare Coverage Offered Through Private Insurance Companies Really Benefit Medicare Beneficiaries - January 14, 2003

• Medicare Advocates Urge Congress To Remember Medicare's Purpose And Private Insurance Failures When Considering Medicare Reform Proposals - January 7, 2003

• Center Letter To The Editor Of The Hartford Courant: Expand Medicare Benefits For All - December 27, 2001

• Attention: Upcoming Changes To Medicare Effective Between 6/1/01 - 10/1/01 - July 2, 2001

• Editorial: Tax Cuts May Cost Medicare Beneficiaries Their Health Benefits - March 23, 2001

• Governors' Message To Bush Administration Regarding Medicare - February 8, 2001

• Medicare Changes: Omnibus Appropriations Act - 2000

MEDICARE SUMMARY

• 2004 Medicare Rates - January, 2004

• 2003 Medicare Rates - January, 2003

• 2002 Medicare Deductible, Co-Insurance and Premium Amounts - October 25, 2001

• Mailings To Medicare Beneficiaries - September 25, 2001

PRESCRIPTION DRUG NEWS (PART D AND MORE)

• Legislation To Blend Medicare Part D With State Programs In CT: A Possible Model For Other States - April 21, 2005

• Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Enrollment And Lock-In Provisions - January 27, 2004

• Facts You Should Know About The Proposed Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit - November 3, 2003

• Medicare Prescription Drug Update From Washington, DC - October 23, 2003

• Questions To Ask About Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Cards - September 10, 2003

• A Letter To Congressman Rob Simmons Enumerating Constituent Concerns About Congress' Prescription Drug Proposals - August 23, 2003

• 13 reasons Why It Is A Bad Idea To Make Dual Eligibles Get Their Drug Benefit Through Medicaid - July 31, 2003

• Prescription Drug Benefits For Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries: A Comparison Of Current Law, S. 1 And H.R. 1 - July 31, 2003

• The Truth About The Medicare Prescription Drug Legislation - July 18, 2003

• Comparisons Of Senate And House Medicare Bills: More, And Less, Than Prescription Drug Coverage - July 18, 2003

• More Than Just Prescription Drug Bills (Part Two): Changes To The Current Medicare Program - July 18, 2003

• More Than Just Prescription Drug Bills (Part One) - July 1, 2003

• Senate: Support A Prescription Drug Benefit That Is Secure, Valuable, And Available to All Medicare Beneficiaries - June 17, 2003

• House Of Representatives: Support A Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit That Is Secure, Valuable, And Available To All Medicare Beneficiaries - June 17, 2003

• Administration Urged To Support Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit For All: President Bush Visits Connecticut - June 13, 2003

• Will Medicare Beneficiaries Really Get Help With Prescription Drug Bills? - June 11, 2003

• Statement Of The Center For Medicare Advocacy Concerning The Senate Finance Prescription Drug Proposal - June 9, 2003

• Speak Out On The Medicare Drug Benefit: A Sample Letter To Your Congressman - May 7, 2003

• Bush's Proposed Medicare Drug Benefit: Nothing To Swallow - March 5, 2003

• Not All Prescription Drug Proposals Add Up For Medicare Beneficiaries - June 17, 2002

• Consider Medicare Prescription Drug Proposals Carefully - May 13, 2002

• Prescription Drug Assistance And Information - February 20, 2002

• Prescription Drugs And Younger Medicare Beneficiaries With Disabilities - February 15, 2001

• New Medicare Prescription Drug Proposal Creates More Problems Than It Solves - June 26, 2000

• House GOP Medicare Prescription Drug Proposal Fails to Provide Medicare Beneficiaries Meaningful Relief - June 14, 2000

• House GOP Medicare Prescription Drug Proposal Fails to Provide Medicare Beneficiaries Meaningful Relief - June 14, 2000

SKILLED NURSING FACILITY ("SNF") and LONG TERM CARE

• One Day After Department Of Health And Human Services Announced Its Nursing Home Quality Initiative, GAO Issued A Highly Critical Report That Recommended Delaying The Initiative - January 7, 2003

• GAO Reports That Medicare Payments To Most Free-Standing Skilled Nursing Facilities Substantially Exceed Facilities' Costs - January 7, 2003

• Limitations On Deposits And Prepayments For Nursing Facility Care In Medicare And Medicaid - August 5, 2002

• The Long Term Care Insurance Program For The Federal Family - August 1, 2002

• CMS Proposes To Allow Paid Feeding Assistants In Nursing Homes - April 10, 2002

• Senate Aging Committee Holds Hearing On Physical And Sexual Abuse In Nursing Homes - April 3, 2002

• Inspector General Finds That, In 1999, Medicare Paid For Services Under Medicare Part B That Were Covered Under Part A's Prospective Payment System For Skilled Nursing Facilities - July 13, 2001

• Summary of the Senate Special Committee on Aging Hearing: "Long-Term Care: Who Will Care for the Aging Baby Boomers?" - July 6, 2001

• Testimony Of Toby S. Edelman:  Medicare Beneficiaries & Access To High Quality Health Care - March 15, 2001

• Senate Aging Committee Holds Hearing On Nursing Home Bankruptcies - September 7, 2000

• Senate Aging Committee Holds Hearing On Nursing Home Staffing - July 27, 2000

• Nursing Home Residents: Short-Changed By Staff Shortages, Part II Hearing Before The Senate Special Committee On Aging - July 27, 2000

• Inspector General Issues Flawed Report On Distinct Part Certification And Financial Screening In Nursing Homes - June 28, 2000

• HCFA Issues Revisions to Skilled Nursing Facility Manual - May 2000

• Medicare Coverage For Skilled Nursing Facility Stay For Terminated Medicare+Choice Beneficiaries Who Lack A Qualifying Three Day Hospital Stay - May 2000

• Keeping Hospital Patients on "Observation Status" Rather Than Admitting Them Harms SNF Patients As Well As Hospital Patients

OTHER NEWS

• Summary Of The Special Committee On Aging Hearing On Elder Abuse - June 26, 2001

• HCFA Has A New Name - June 15, 2001

• Legal Assistance To Medicare Patients (LAMP) Closes - May 15, 2001

• HCFA Responds to Advocacy Concerns About Attorney Access to Medical Records At CHDR - October 1, 2000

• HCFA's Response Regarding Attorney's Fees In Medicare Cases - August 21, 2000

• Assisted Living Federation Of America Hosts Congressional Briefing On Its Affordable Housing Initiative - July 27, 2000