Legislation, property sales, layoffs, program closures and partnerships are among the measures the two Lewiston hospitals have taken in recent years to address what officials say is a huge unexpected cost of filling critical vacant positions and dealing with low government reimbursement rates.
medicare
New weight loss drugs are out of reach for millions of older Americans because Medicare won’t pay
Obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are capturing the attention of celebrities and showing promising results in helping people shed pounds.
10 drugs targeted for Medicare price negotiations as Biden pitches cost reductions
The move is expected to cut costs for some patients but faces litigation from the drugmakers and heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers.
Our View: When will we pay appropriate attention to late-life care?
Under Medicare, eligibility for hospice care is narrowly capped. Once it ends, as a recent Press Herald report outlined in heartrending detail, you’re on your own.
A Cumberland couple’s hospice care has ended. Their need for it has not
The home visits that Babette O’Dwyer, 94, has been receiving since suffering a stroke in 2018 have been cut off, putting the entire burden on her 77-year-old husband, Bartholomew.
Martin’s Point Health Care to pay $22 million to settle Medicare fraud claims
An agreement announced Monday, the largest Medicare fraud settlement in state history, includes a $3.8 million payment to a whistleblower who sued Martin’s Point in 2018 alleging that it was miscoding the health conditions of Medicare Advantage patients.
New law will put more dollars into pockets of older, low-income Mainers
About 19,000 Maine residents over 65, many of them low-income women living alone, will be made eligible for the program under the new law.
Maine Voices: Bring nurses and doctors into medical billing conversation
With the Press Herald’s reporting as an exception, I have failed to understand the media’s resistance to this important subject.
Waterville hospital violated policies in assessment of man who later shot himself, federal report says
The suicidal man, who died from his wounds, had sought care at Northern Light Inland Hospital in August but a proper evaluation of him was not done, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Maine Voices: It’s time to lower financial barriers to vaccination
The Maine delegation can help by supporting Protecting Seniors Through Immunization, letting those on Medicare access all recommended shots at no extra cost.