Page 18 - NBY News October 2020

Medicare 2021 LIVING
LIVING
LIVING
LIVING
LIVING
TR
TRUSTS
TR
TRUSUSTTSS
A look at current rule revisions and TRUSUSTTSS
the candidates’ differing views of
Medicare’s future.
As October 15, 2020 approaches,
Medicare open enrollment period • A Free Consultation
will begin, the Centers for Medicare • A Living Trust - Single or Married
and Medicaid Services have • Pour-Over Will(s)
announced a number of changes in • Power(s) of Attorney For:
Medicare procedures and coverage Health Care, Asset Management
for calendar year 2021. • All Transfer Documents to Trust
• Notarization Fees Included
As to the current changes, for the
first time, all Medicare-eligible Free Family Information Packet
patients suffering from end-stage NO EXTRA CHARGE
renal disease will be allowed to FOR IN-HOME SERVICES
enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.
Other changes include modification SIRKIN & SIRKIN
of data score targets to reflect ATTORNEYS AT LAW
disruption caused by the COVID-19
pandemic; a credit for Medicare 800-300-9977
Advantage providers serving
certain rural areas; and expansion of
the list of circumstances that could Medicare spending reductions over 10
trigger a special enrollment period. (1) years, most of which would come from
Looking ahead, Rich notes that
Democratic Party presidential reducing payments to healthcare
providers. In May, the Trump
(3)
candidate Joe Biden’s campaign
announced a somewhat detailed administration and the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services
healthcare plan in July. Key proposals announced finalized requirements
in the plan call for the federal
government to: designed to:
**Increase access to telehealth for
**Lower Medicare age to 60. This
would make roughly 20 million more services in Medicare Advantage plans;
**Expand the range of supplemental
people eligible for Medicare and would benefits for beneficiaries with a
be funded by regular tax revenues. Medicare Advantage plan who have
**Install a government-run public
option. The option would be available chronic diseases;
**Provide support for more Medicare
to anyone, including the uninsured, Advantage options for patients living in
beneficiaries in the ACA exchange, and rural areas
people dissatisfied with their **Expand access to Medicare
employer-sponsored coverage. Advantage for patients with end-stage
**Boost the Affordable Care Act. The (4)
plan would reduce deductibles and co- renal disease.
pays for subsidized beneficiaries, as 1. “Fact Sheet 2021 Medicare
well as reduce the share of income Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement
subsidized households pay for Fact Sheet.” CMS, cms.gov/newsroom/fact-
coverage. sheets/2021-medicare-advantage-and-part-
**Stop surprise billing. Biden says he d-rate-announcement-fact-sheet.
would bar providers from charging 2. Pifer, Rebecca. “5 Key Pillars of
out-of-network rates in situations Biden’s Healthcare Plan.” Healthcare Dive,
where the patient has no choice of 28 Apr. 2020, healthcaredive.com/news/5-
provider, such as emergency surgery key-pillars-of-bidens-healthcare-plan/
and ambulance transport. 576656/
**Control prescription drug prices. 3. “Medicare in the 2021 Trump
Biden plans to repeal the exception that Budget.” Center on Budget and Policy
allows drug companies to avoid Priorities, 13 Feb. 2020, cbpp.org/blog/
negotiating with Medicare over drug medicare-in-the-2021-trump-budget.
prices. (2) 4. “Trump Administration
President Donald Trump’s proposed Announces Changes to Medicare Advantage
2021 budget, announced in February, and Part D to Provide Better Coverage and
contains about $500 million in net Increase Access for Medicare Beneficiaries.”

18 October 2020