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Holding Insurance Companies Accountable Under the law, patients have more rights and protections – and more security that their coverage will be there for them when they need it. For example: No more pre-existing condition denials for children: The parents of over 17.6 million children with pre-existing conditions no longer have to worry that their children […]

Wide differences found in what hospitals charge patients for same procedures By Elise Viebeck – 05/08/13 09:30 AM ET The federal government released stunning figures Wednesday showing dramatic variations in what hospitals charge Medicare for routine procedures.  The Medicare agency reported that medical claims for the same procedure can differ by tens of thousands of

Strengthening Medicare Nearly 50 million seniors and Americans with disabilities depend on Medicare every day. The health care law makes Medicare stronger and extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by eight years. Reducing prescription drug costs in Medicare: Over 6 million seniors and people with disabilities have saved more than $5.7 billion on

Making Care More Affordable The health care law is bringing down health care costs and making sure health care dollars are spent wisely. • 80/20 Rule: The health insurance companies of 76 million Americans now have to meet the 80/20 rule, or Medical Loss Ratio, where they must spend at least 80 cents of your

Increasing Access to Affordable Care Millions of Americans have gained new access to more affordable health coverage and care.  • Coverage for young adults: 3.1 million young adults who were uninsured have gained coverage by being able to stay on their parent’s health plan, giving their families peace of mind.  • Access to free preventive

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/information-for-you/benefits.html How the Health Care Law Benefits You The Affordable Care Act forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition. All Americans will have the

Health Insurance Market Reforms: Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions Insurers pursue multiple strategies to reduce the cost of covering enrollees with pre-existing conditions, or medical conditions and health problems that existed before the individual enrolled in a health plan. One strategy, the pre-existing condition exclusion, allows insurers to refuse to cover any costs associated with care for

medicareadvocacy.org http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/2013/03/28/cms-proposed-rules-on-observation-status-would-not-help-beneficiaries/ CMS’ Proposed Rules on Observation Status Would Not Help Beneficiaries The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued proposed rules and an interim CMS Ruling to allow hospitals to bill Medicare Part B after a Part A claim is denied. 78 Fed. Reg. 16,632 (March 18, 2013).[1]  These actions address some

More people are filing medical claims, and that means less money for state health insurers By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff The state’s largest commercial health insurers posted lower third-quarter financial results Thursday, with most blaming an increase in claims for medical care after a two-year period during which many people went to the doctor less

InSightec, which is headquartered in Tirat Carmel near Haifa and draws 80 percent of its staff from Technion graduates, has developed a surgical system to treat tumors inside the body that perhaps can cure many different illnesses electronically without having to cut open the human body. This Israeli innovation has the potential to transform how