From The Arc, Scranton PA On February 9, Governor Wolf proposed a $33.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2016-2017. This is a 10.89% increase compared to the $30.03 final 2015-2016 budget. The General Assembly is currently creating their own budget proposal for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. After it is formally…
PA Governor’s Budget for Pennsylvanians with Disabilities
Q & A: Medicare for Workers over Age 65
From AARP.com, Written by Patricia Barry Medicare’s 50th anniversary on July 30 celebrates the enduring popularity of a program that has transformed health security for older and disabled Americans. Medicare has protected many millions from poor health, premature death and medical bankruptcy, as was the hope when President Lyndon Johnson signed the program into…
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment 2015
From The Pennsylvania Department of Aging Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment will begin on Thursday, October 15. This is when Medicare beneficiaries can choose, switch, add or drop their health and prescription plan coverage. The open enrollment period is scheduled to end Monday, December 7. Health and prescription plans change from year…
Strengthening Medicare
From AARP.com, written by Patricia Barry, John Burgess, AARP Bulletin, July/August 2015 Medicare has made an enormous difference in the health and lives of older Americans, but, as with every big program, there’s room for improvement. We asked experts for specifics. The suggestions listed below vary in cost and savings and are not universally…
Is Home Health a Solution to Rising Health Costs?
From US News, Written by By Kimberly Leonard Despite good news in recent weeks about the future of health care spending, a daunting reality remains: The projections may turn out to be true for the next decade, but in the more-distant future, what can be done as Americans get older? “I cannot…
Things You Need to Know About Medicare
Source from AARP Timing is everything Most people are eligible for Medicare when they turn 65, and most sign up for Medicare at that time to avoid late penalties. If you already receive Social Security benefits, you’ll be automatically enrolled. Otherwise, you must apply to sign up. However, if you…
Lifting the Veil on Payments to Doctors
Source from AARP Bulletin, written by Bill Hogan Does your doctor take money from the drug or medical device companies to push their products? You really haven’t had a way to find out, though in recent years more than a dozen drugmakers have made public their payments to physicians-usually as…
HEALTH CARE ALERT: Medicare "Observation Status" Warning
Source from Bottom Line When you go to the hospital as a Medicare patient with an acute condition that requires a stay of two or more nights, you are supposed to be admitted as an inpatient. However, more and more hospitals now will place you on “observation status” instead. Warning:…
Top 10 Medicare Mistakes
Common errors can be costly, but here’s how to avoid them, by Patricia Barry, AARP Medicare is uncharted territory for most of the 10,000 people a day who currently come into the program. It’s not a minefield exactly, but lurking in the undergrowth are pitfalls and traps that can be costly unless you take…
Home Health Patients Are 3x Less Likely to be Admitted to Hospital with Meditation
Source from Medical News Today Low-risk Medicare patients entering home health care who received medication therapy management by phone were three times less likely to be hospitalized within the next two months, while those at greater risk saw no benefit, according to a study led by Purdue University. The study helped determine…
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