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News Articles: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services

The Food and Drug Administration has fully approved Leqembi, the first drug shown to slow down Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's drug Leqembi gets full FDA approval. Medicare coverage will likely follow

The first drug found to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease has been granted full approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

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By:
  • Jon Hamilton
Alicia Celaya, David Cardenas and their son Adrian, 3, in Phoenix in April. Celaya and her family will lose their Medicaid coverage later this year, a result of a year-long nationwide review of the Medicaid enrollees that will require states to remove people whose incomes are now too high for the program.

In some states, hundreds of thousands dropped from Medicaid

As states begin to require people to requalify for the free health insurance, many who are eligible are losing coverage because of administrative snafus.

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By:
  • Selena Simmons-Duffin

Hidden audits reveal millions in overcharges by Medicare Advantage plans

Taxpayers footed the bill for care that should have cost far less, according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act. The U.S. government may charge insurers $650 million as a result.

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By:
  • Fred Schulte and
  • Holly K. Hacker
Close-up of African American teenage boy having a session with mental health professional at counselling center.

After dip in funding, second round of federal money aims to get more people on health insurance

A $80 million grant approved by the Biden administration last year will last for three years, supporting navigator programs nationwide. 

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By:
The Biogen Inc., headquarters is shown in Cambridge, Mass. Medicare says it will limit coverage of a $28,200-per-year Alzheimer's drug whose benefits have been questioned.

Medicare proposes covering expensive Alzheimer's drug for those in clinical trials

Aduhelm is the first treatment approved in the country to slow cognitive decline in those living with Alzheimer's. Doctors have refused to prescribe it, given the lack of data and evidence behind it.

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By:
  • Jonathan Franklin
Medicare Advantage health plans have enrolled nearly 27 million members, or about 45% of people eligible for Medicare. A recent analysis finds Medicare overpaid the private health plans by more than $106 billion from 2010 through 2019 because of the way the plans charge for sicker patients.

Medicare Advantage's cost to taxpayers has soared in recent years, research finds

An alternative to original Medicare, the private plans are run mostly by major insurers. A recent analysis estimates Medicare overpaid these insurers by $106 billion from 2010 through 2019.

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By:
  • Fred Schulte
Medicare is funded by a combination of money paid directly to the federal government from paychecks and taxes paid by working Americans. Most dental procedures and tests are not covered under traditional Medicare.

Democrats Hope To Beef Up Medicare With Dental, Vision And Hearing Benefits

When Medicare began in 1965, its backers expected benefits to expand over time, but politics have mostly stymied that. Congressional Democrats are trying again as part of a $3.5 trillion budget plan.

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By:
  • Julie Rovner
Medicare Advantage, a fast-growing private alternative to original Medicare, has <a href="https://www.ahip.org/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-medicare-advantage/">enrolled</a> more than 26 million people. Humana Inc. is one of the largest of these insurers. While popular with seniors, Medicare Advantage has been the target of multiple government investigations.

Humana Inc. Overcharged Medicare Nearly $200 Million, Federal Audit Finds

If the report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General is sustained, Humana Inc. could face a record penalty for overcharges in a Medicare Advantage plan.

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By:
  • Fred Schulte