NEWS RELEASE
Pearl W. Stanley, CFCS
County Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Education
Bolivia, NC 28422
September 21, 2000
As Medicare changes, many beneficiaries find it difficult to know what changes are taking place and how these changes will affect them. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 brought more choices in coverage plans and more benefits for preventive services. The Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 (BBFA) brings even more changes in 2000. The Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) of the North Carolina Department of Insurance is available to answer your questions about these changes.
The SHIIP Consumer line answers hundreds of calls daily to provide information to Medicare beneficiaries about the Medicare changes. Some of the most common questions SHIIP receives from Medicare beneficiaries are "How will this affect me?" and "Will I have to pay more out-of-pocket costs?"
One of the biggest changes that may affect the out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries is the new Outpatient Prospective Payment System. This system was adopted to ensure that services are reimbursed appropriately and to encourage more efficient delivery of care for Medicare beneficiaries. In the future, this payment system should result in savings for Medicare beneficiaries for their out-of-pocket outpatient hospital expenses and produce less complicated and more predictable revenue for hospitals.
The BBRA was put into action to protect Medicare beneficiaries and also give Medicare+Choice programs more incentives to move into areas where there are no other health plan choices for Medicare beneficiaries. The guarantee issue provisions of the BBRA provide more flexible options for beneficiaries who are affected by Medicare HMO non- renewal.
The BBRA is offering more incentives for Medicare HMOs to move into an area where the only choice is traditional Medicare and a supplement. This will allow beneficiaries in the areas affected to have a choice about the way their Medicare works. In the BBRA, the Medicare+Choice programs may be able to receive increased payments when they enter these areas. However, this is temporary, and there can be no other Medicare+Choice plan in the area.
"The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and the Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 have made significant changes to Medicare," says North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Jim Long. "The Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program has trained volunteers across North Carolina to answer your questions about these changes and other senior health insurance concerns."
To contact SHIIP for counseling through its Toll Free consumer line, obtain information about Medicare supplements or Medicare HMOs, or to request a speaker, call 1-800-443- 9354. To reach a SHIIP volunteer counselor in your area, contact: Mrs. Pearl Stanley, CFCS, County Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Education, at the Brunswick County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Bolivia, telephone: (910) 253-2610.
Please e-mail Pearl Stanley, CFCS, County Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Education for further information or assistance.
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URL Address: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/brunswick/
Date Created 9/28/2000
Last Revised 9/28/2000