New Legislation Would Combat Medicare Abuse and Fraud Charges; Common Access Card Modeled from Department of Defense I.D. Cards CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–August 11, 2014.  U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today met with local senior citizens from Heritage Woods in Chicago, an Illinois Supportive Living program facility, and AARP’s Illinois Associate State Director[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—August 8, 2014. By Cindy Mann, Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Director of the Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services Over the last year, we’ve seen the Affordable Care Act deliver on a number of important milestones as we work toward more accessible,[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—August 4, 2014. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced today  $106.7 million in FY 2014 grant awards to 46 states, the District of Columbia, and five jurisdictions as part of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (Home Visiting Program) established by the Affordable[Read More…]

221 Health Centers nationwide will expand behavioral health services using funds from the health care law Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 31, 2014.  Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced today $54.6 million in Affordable Care Act funding to support 221 health centers in 47 states and Puerto Rico to establish[Read More…]

Insurers Are Instructed to Remove Exclusions of Coverage Based on Gender Identity in Plans Offered Under Affordable Care Act CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–July 29, 2014.  The Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI)  today issued guidance clarifying that under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Illinois state law health insurers may not discriminate based on[Read More…]

WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)—July 28, 2014. Every year, the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees provide a report to Congress on the strength of our indispensable social insurance programs.  And this morning, the Trustees met to complete their annual financial review and transmit their final reports.  I would like thank my fellow[Read More…]

Findings come on eve of Medicare’s 49th anniversary Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—July 29, 2014. On the eve of the 49th anniversary of the signing of Medicare and Medicaid into law, new information released today by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that more than 8.2 million seniors and people with[Read More…]

WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)—July 22, 2014. The Department of Justice released the following statement Tuesday from spokesperson Emily Pierce regarding the ruling in the case of King v. Burwell by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the ruling by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Halbig v. Burwell:[Read More…]

Referendum to Ask Voters if Health Insurance Plans Should be Required to Cover Contraception CHICAGO–(ENEWSPF)–July 6, 2014.  Governor Pat Quinn today signed a law to let voters weigh in on whether prescription insurance programs should be required to include birth control. The question will now appear on the November 4th[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 2, 2014.  Today, the Council of Economic Advisers released a report, Missed Opportunities: The Consequences of State Decisions Not to Expand Medicaid, which details the effects of state decisions regarding Medicaid expansion on access to care, financial security, overall health and well-being of residents, and state economies.  The[Read More…]