Thursday, March 28, 2024

Health Insurance

58th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

58th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid On July 30, 1965, legislation that established Medicare and Medicaid was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. These programs have protected and saved the lives of seniors and people with disabilities for nearly six decades. This year, labor unions across the nation have organized events in celebration of Medicare’s 58th anniversary to …

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CMS Releases Revised Guidance for Historic Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program

CMS Releases Revised Guidance for Historic Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program From the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services For the first time in history, Medicare has the ability to directly negotiate the prices of covered prescription drugs due to President Biden’s historic prescription drug law, the Inflation Reduction Act. Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released …

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PEBB Medicare Retiree Plans Face Proposed Premium Increases

PEBB Medicare Retiree Plans Face Proposed Premium Increases On Thursday, June 29th, the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) met to discuss proposed Medicare plan premium increases for 2024. All available plans to public retirees receiving their healthcare insurance under PEBB are facing increases in premiums, from 3% to an astounding 22%. Although it is typical to see premiums increase year …

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RPEC Seeks Federal Prescription Drug Subsidy to Lower Healthcare Premiums

RPEC Seeks Federal Prescription Drug Subsidy to Lower Healthcare Premiums This week, four RPEC leaders (Elyette Weinstein, Carol Dotlich, Bev Hermanson and Clair Olivers) worked with Council Office staff to send a letter to State Senator Patty Murray to enlist her help in seeking the federal prescription drug subsidy for government self-insured healthcare plans like UMP Classic Medicare.  This subsidy …

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