Page 4 - Ted Doolittle News Today

Healthcare

The government plans to aggressively audit Medicare Advantage plans for overbilling but may face lawsuits.

Medicare Advantage plans for seniors dodged a major financial bullet Monday as government officials gave them a reprieve for returning hundreds of millions of dollars or more in government overpayments — some dating back a decade or more. The health insurance industry had long feared the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would demand repayment

The federal Medicare agency will require next to nothing from insurers for excess payments they got from 2011 to 2017 and won’t impose big penalties until audits for 2018 and beyond are conducted, which could be years.

Audits, investigations and whistleblower lawsuits allege that the overcharges cost taxpayers billions per year.

Medicare Advantage plans for seniors dodged a major financial bullet Monday as government officials gave them a reprieve for returning hundreds of millions of dollars or more in government overpayments — some dating back a decade or more.

Health advocates outline priorities for upcoming legislative session  - Small business owners struggling to afford health coverage for their employees, staffing problems in hospitals and nursing homes, and Medicaid for residents without permanent legal status.These are among the top health care issues that advocates are...

If you have noticed that health care costs have soared over the last few years, you’re not alone. But the reasons for higher costs are part of a complex tapestry.

Ketchikan, Alaska news. Southeast Alaska news, Alaska news, national and world news.

Newly released federal audits reveal widespread overcharges and other errors in payments to Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors, with some plans overbilling the government more than $1,000 per patient