Patients enrolled in Medicare and their health care providers and coordinating health plans should start using new Medicare Identification Numbers on new Medicare Cards that CMS recently sent to Medicare enrolled individuals rather than Social Security Numbers when conducting Medicare transactions.
Voters’ election of President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican Majority put health care reform squarely back on the table even as leaders debate if repeal or reform, and if reform, what reform Americans want.
Beginning January 1, 2014, the individual coverage mandate rules of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA) generally required most American citizens to maintain health coverage meeting the “minimum essential coverage” mandates of ACA or pay an “individual shared responsibility payment.” With the deadline for filing 2014 individual tax returns rapidly approaching, Americans now generally will be required to show their fulfillment of or exemption from this mandate or pay the “individual shared responsibility” payment that ACA imposes as a penalty for failing to meet its individual coverage mandates when filing their 2014 individual tax returns
With Congressional Health Care Reform at a critical point this week, many are asking which members of Congress to talk to, how to reach them and what to tell them. The following are some pointers on contacting the key decision-makers and structuring your message.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) today (November 19, 2009) introduced his latest health care reform proposal, the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 (S.1796), the text of which is available for review here. Chairman Baucus’ introduction of S. 1796 follows the November 7, 2009 passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the massive health care reform proposal sponsored by Representative John Dingell (D-MI) and supported by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR. 3962). Review highlights and get link to text of bill here!
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed forward with plans for House members to vote on the House Democratic Leadership’s proposed health care reform package, Congressman Michael Burgess (R-Tx), a physician, on November 4 introduced a much shorted health care reform proposal, the Guaranteed Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009 (HR 4020).