Medicare

The Medicare open enrollment period ends today. People over the age of 65 who need to make any necessary changes to their plan need to do so now. This may be one of the few chances to do so until next October. 

VIVA Health is a health maintenance organization that is part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System. Lisa Hay is the director of Medicare sales at Viva. She says Medicare is divided into four coverage pieces…

SEATTLE (AP) — Three doctors and a medical practice have agreed to pay more than $1.1 million to resolve claims that they received kickbacks from a Seattle-area medical testing company.

U.S. Attorney Brian Moran says the doctors and a cardiac center allegedly accepted payments from the now-defunct Natural Molecular Testing Corporation in return for ordering genetic tests, which the company then billed to Medicare.

The doctors and cardiac center, all based in Alabama, agreed to settle the claims by paying more than $1.1 million.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge has sentenced a former Alabama lawmaker to two years of probation for his role in a health care fraud case.

U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins on Thursday sentenced former state Rep. Ed Henry following a plea agreement.

The Hartselle Republican is best known for leading the 2017 impeachment push against then-Gov. Robert Bentley.

An Alabama lawmaker has been indicted on federal charges that he paid kickbacks to a doctor's office that referred Medicare patients to his health care business.

The indictment against Republican state Rep. Ed Henry of Hartselle was unsealed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Montgomery. He is charged with six counts of paying illegal kickbacks and other federal crimes.

Those receiving Medicare coverage in Alabama could see their benefits cut soon.

A federally-appointed oversight committee called the Independent Payment Advisory Board is tasked with reducing Medicare spending. The board is due to release a report, possibly by April 30, that could result in over $1 billion in Medicare cuts nationally.

Mary Grealy is the President and CEO of the Healthcare Leadership Council. She says there are over a million Medicare beneficiaries at risk in Alabama, but the biggest impact could be on the state’s doctors.