WEEKLY ALERT ARCHIVE - 2005

 CMA WEEKLY ALERTS ARCHIVE - 2005

• What People With Medicare And Medicaid Should Expect From Medicare Part D After January 1, 2006 - December 29, 2005

• Calculating Costs To And Through The Donut Hole - December 22, 2005
  Home for the Holidays! You Can Leave The Nursing Home! - December 22, 2005

• Legislation To Blend Medicare Part D With State Programs In Connecticut: A Possible Model For Other States - December 15, 2005

• Lost In Transition: What If A Dually Eligible Beneficiary Isn't Auto-Enrolled In A Medicare Part D Plan? - December 8, 2005

• Medicare Help For Beneficiaries With HIV/AIDS - December 8, 2005

• Will My State Cover Drugs Excluded Under Medicare Part D? - December 1, 2005

• To Err Is Human, But Can We Forgive All These Mistakes? - November 23, 2005

• A New Meaning To “Independent” In Qualified Independent Contractor (QIC) - November 17, 2005

• The Great American Smokeout^® – Medicare Can Help - November 17, 2005

• Protect Against Medicare Part D Fraud And Abuse - November 10, 2005

• Center For Medicare Advocacy Publishes Medicare Part D Policy Papers Examining Access to Drug Coverage (Click HERE for .pdf version) - November 10, 2005

• Medicare Part D Myths And Misinformation - November 3, 2005

• CMS' Efforts To Correct The Medicare & You Handbook - October 27, 2005

• Alert Extra! QI Program Saved... Again - October 21, 2005

• Medicare's New Prescription Drug Plan Finder: Pitfalls And Stumbling Blocks - October 20, 2005

• Double Alert: Low Income Benchmark Premium Defined and QI Program Update - October 13, 2005

• QI Program Ends As Of October 1, 2005 - October 6, 2005
  Medicare & You 2006 Handbook Contains Incorrect Information About Premiums And "Extra Help" - October 6, 2005

• Medicare’s Recent Flood Of Information About Medicare Part D Heightens Concerns About Choosing The Right Plan (.pdf) - September 29, 2005

• Medicare Advantage: Timely Choices For 2006 And Beyond (.pdf) - September 22, 2005

• Alert Extra! 2006 Rates! Medicare Beneficiaries Face 13.2% Increase In Monthly Part B Premium For 2006 (.pdf) - September 20, 2005

• Choosing A Drug Plan: It's Not Just The Premium That Matters (.pdf) - September 15, 2005

• Maintaining Dignity: Advocacy Tips For Institutions And Patients (.pdf) - September 8, 2005

• Part D Choices: Sometimes Less Is More (.pdf) - September 1, 2005

• Alert Extra - Still Have Questions About Medicare Part D? (.pdf) - August 31, 2005

• Good News!  Additional Funding For Part B For Part B Premiums For Some Medicare Beneficiaries (.pdf) - August 25, 2005

• Important Health Care Lacking For Older People (.pdf) - August 18, 2005

• CMS Announces Part D Monthly Premium - August 11, 2005

• Medicare And Medicaid: 40 Years Of Success And Promises to Keep - July 28, 2005

• Do You Speak Medicare Part D?  Definitions Of Selected Health Insurance Terminology Under Medicare Part D (.pdf) - July 21, 2005

• New Study Looks At Medicare Prescription Drug Costs For High Spenders After 2006 (.pdf) - July 14, 2005

• Medigap Update (.pdf) - July 7, 2005

• Count-Down To Part D Low-Income Subsidy (.pdf) (1 of 2 Alerts)- June 30, 2005
  CMS Issues Preliminary Instructions For Expedited Review Of Certain Claims (.pdf) (2 of 2 Alerts) - June 30, 2005

• It's Not Too Late To Get Transitional Assistance With Drug Costs: $450 Value If You Apply Before June 30, 2005 (.pdf) - June 23, 2005

• Will My Prescription Drug Be Covered Under Medicare Part D? (Part 2) (.pdf) - June 16, 2005

• Will My Prescription Drug Be Covered Under Medicare Part D? (.pdf) - June 9, 2005

• Pay-For-Performance In Medicare: Hopes And Cautions (.pdf) - June 2, 2005

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

• May Means Medicare Prescription Drug Low-Income Subsidy Month (.pdf) - May 19, 2005

• Access To Power Wheelchairs Still Limited By "For Use In The Home" Requirement (.pdf) - May 12, 2005

• CMS To Exclude Questionable Nursing Staff Data (.pdf) - May 5, 2005

• Two-Part Alert: New Challenges For Advocates Representing Medicare Beneficiaries and
  Grandaughter's Graduation?  Grandson's Wedding?  You Can Leave the Nursing Home! (.pdf) - April 28, 2005

• Understanding The Medicare Secondary Payer Program (.pdf) - April 21, 2005

• Changes To The Medicare Advantage Grievance And Appeals Processes (.pdf)- April 14, 2005

• Alert Extra! Food And Drug Administration Cautions Against Using Antipsychotic Drugs To Treat Behavioral Disorders In Elderly Patients With Dementia (Print .pdf)- April 13, 2005

• Changes To Medicare Appeals Council Review: Another Obstacle To Success On Appeal? (Print .pdf) - April 7, 2005

• Changes To The Medicare Administrative Law Judge Hearing Process (Print .pdf) - March 31, 2005

• The Times They Are A Changin': New Time Frames And Processes For Medicare Appeals (Print .pdf) - March 23, 2005

• March Madness For Medicare Beneficiaries (Print .pdf) - March 17, 2005

• Applying For The Low Income Prescription Drug Subsidy - It's Sooner Than You Think (Print .pdf) - March 10, 2005

• 2005 Poverty Levels Affect Eligibility For Many Federal Health Programs (Print .pdf) - March 8, 2005

• Advocacy Needed To Assure Prescription Drug Coverage For Nursing Home Residents (Print .pdf) - March 3, 2005

• Alert Extra! - MS Drug, Tysabri, Suspended - March 1, 2005

• Restrictions Remain On Power Wheelchairs And Other Assistive Devices: CMS Seeks Comments On Proposed National Coverage Decision (print .pdf) - February 24, 2005

• Mark Your Calendars!  A Timeline For Medicare Part D Implementation (Print .pdf) - February 17, 2005

• Medicare Part D Appeals: A Mixed Bag for Beneficiaries (Print .pdf) - February10, 2005

• States And Advocates Should Prepare Now For Medicare Part D (Print .pdf)- February 3, 2005

• Medicare Part B Matters (Print .pdf)- January 27, 2005

• New Medicare Coverage For Flu Medications: Many Restrictions Lifted On Flu Vaccines, But For People Who Do Get The Flu, Medicare May Help (Print .pdf) - January 20, 2005

• Summary: Activities And Recommendations Of The State Pharmaceutical Assistance Transition Commission - January 9, 2005

• Time Running Out On Opportunity For Some To Enroll In QMB Program (Print .pdf) - January 5, 2005

For further information on these alerts please contact Matthew Shepard at (860) 456-7790 or mshepard@medicareadvocacy.org.

© Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. 05/05/08