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Providers want the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reconsider cutting physician pay and avoid financial repercussions that could force them to scale back care. Comments healthcare industry groups wrote in response to the Medicare physician fee schedule proposed rule for 2024, which CMS issued in July, object to the agency's plan to reduce doctor pay 1.25% next year. (Berryman, 9/18)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants to make it easier for millions of older adults and people with disabilities to attain Medicare coverage. The agency issued a final rule Monday that aims to streamline the enrollment and renewal process for Medicare Savings Programs by reducing administrative burdens on states and eligible individuals. (Berryman, 9/18)

Florida has more people on Medicare than any other state except one. Almost one in four people who call Florida home rely on the federal government health insurance plan. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare will now be able to bargain over prices for the first 10 drugs covered by the plan. Those drugs include Entresto for heart failure, Enbrel for arthritis, Eliquis and Xarelto to help prevent blood clots, and Jardiance, Januvia, and Farxiga for Type 2 diabetes. (Pinos, 9/18)

KSL Investigators have been hearing from Utahns that COVID-19 test kits are showing up in their mailboxes, out-of-the-blue. They didn’t want them. They didn’t order them. But these test kits have been showing up regardless. Turns out, they are part of a scam that first targeted Medicare and may now be targeting you. (Gephardt and Schrage, 9/18)

Seniors are becoming increasingly overburdened by marketing efforts from private Medicare plans, and low-income beneficiaries are twice as likely to file complaints regarding fraudulent phone calls compared to high-income counterparts, according to a study from The Commonwealth Fund. (Tong, 9/19)