Hospice Medicare Scam on the Rise

Medicare enrollees are being tricked into signing up for hospice without their knowledge and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has issued a public announcement warning against the most common tactics being employed by fraudulent hospice operators, including going door-to-door, communicating via text, calls and emails, and even approaching seniors at bingo halls, community centers and other locations. “There’s a Medicare scam out there that can really hurt people… If you sign that paper, you could be putting your future health care rights at risk.” You can find Dr. Oz’s full statement on the Medicare Facebook page.

Proposal of Medicare “Part E”

Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced the Choose Medicare Act to establish Medicare Part E, which would allow individuals and employers to voluntarily enroll in a new, expanded version of Medicare and opt in via state or federal marketplaces. The proposed Part E would compete with private insurance, sustain itself through premiums and apply existing Affordable Care Act subsidies. Any existing subsidies available for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans would be applicable to Part E coverage.