Medicare Change: Therapy Cap Limits and What it Means to You

The hard cap on outpatient physical, speech and occupational therapy under Medicare Part B is no more. Congress ended the two-decade long battle of making exceptions for therapy cap limits when the new federal budget passed in early February of this year.

Currently, Medicare beneficiaries will no longer have to worry about receiving medically necessary services that go over the previously set cap limit.

“Our profession has faced many challenges over the years, and there will be more ahead,” said Amy Lamb, President of the American Occupational Therapy Association, in a press release.

“For today, we must celebrate the end of a senseless policy that threatened the health and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries and our profession for 20 years.”

Medicare beneficiaries who needed outpatient therapy services were subject to a hard cap of $2,010 in 2018. That hard cap will now be replaced by a targeted medical review when services reach $3,000.

Medicare Cards are Changing in 2018: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

February 2, 2018
JJ Kravit
Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicare Advantage

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare cards to help prevent fraud, fight identity theft and protect taxpayers with Medicare.

Medicare cards will now have a new Medicare Number, called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), that is a unique number to you and it will replace the Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN). New cards will start being mailed as early as April in states across the country, but here are five fast facts you need to know now about what to expect with this important Medicare change.

2017 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Announced

November 14, 2016
JJ Kravit
Drugs & Prescriptions, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Open Enrollment, Retirement

piggy bank and stethoscope Date: 2016-11-10
Title: 2017 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Announced
Contact: press@cms.hhs.gov

2017 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles Announced
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2017 premiums for the Medicare inpatient hospital (Part A) and physician and outpatient hospital services (Part B) programs.

Medicare Part B Premiums/Deductibles
Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and other items.