Description: The editors of Health Watch have made health care reform the focus of the Sepctember 2009 issue, and provide an introduction to the issue's contents.

Description: Outline of changes to the Adjust Community Rate ACR Proposal process and Beneficary Information Form, Issue No. 38

Description: A proposal to reform current health care market, from a 'preferred payer' system, in which Medicare and Medicaid pay less than the true cost while others must then pay more, to a 'value for money' system. This would be achieved by requiring providers to bill all patients the same rate for the same services, with a standard bundling format to make all providers' rate differences transparent. Differences between billed charges and what Medicare pays would be made up by the Medicare patient, rather than subsidized by those outside of Medicare.

Description: Article describes how Medicare Medical Savings Plans work and why they would be attractive option for insurance companies.

Description: This article focuses on the capitation rate development methodology for the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Demonstration. It also describes the background behind the establishment of the initiative and how it will be evaluated.

Description: Risk adjustment is used to adjust the revenue stream to health insurers that sell ACA eligible plans and Medicare Advantage plans. This article compares and contrasts these risk adjustment programs.

Description: Discussion of recent laws and regulatory changes that have provided Medicare Advantage plans greater flexibility in benefit offerings and plan designs.

Description: Summary of Report examining issues affecting the cost of Medicare supplement insurance policies high trend, high outpatient hospital costs, new prospective payment methods. Issue No. 39.

Description: Issue No. 36. Article discusses new Medicare Options for Seniors Private Fee-For-Service plans and Medicare Medical Savigns Accounts MSA

Description: Congress has been debating a revision to Medicare Advantage payments including limiting payments to the Medicare Fee-For-Service FFS cost. A county-specific impact study to the benchmark payment rates for each county nationally based on the FFS limitation criteria was performed. This article includes results for Florida, California, Pennsylvania and New York.