11 Things NOT Covered by Medicare?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py3RRgI0Tvk

Biden Urged to Crack Down on 'Terrifying' Use of AI by Medicare Advantage Insurers

Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined healthcare campaigner Ady Barkan and others on Monday in sounding alarm over a recent investigation showing that Medicare Advantage insurers are using unregulated artificial intelligence systems to determine when to end payments for patients' treatments, a practice that has prematurely terminated coverage for vulnerable seniors.

STAT reported earlier this month that while "health insurance companies have rejected medical claims for as long as they've been around," AI is "driving their denials to new heights in Medicare Advantage," a privately run program funded by the federal government…

https://www.commondreams.org/news/biden-ai-medicare-advantage

Inside UnitedHealth’s Effort to Deny Coverage for a Patient’s Care — ProPublica

More than 200 million Americans are covered by private health insurance. But data from state and federal regulators shows that insurers reject about 1 in 7 claims for treatment. Many people, faced with fighting insurance companies, simply give up: One study found that Americans file formal appeals on only 0.1% of claims denied by insurers under the Affordable Care Act. 

Insurers have wide discretion in crafting what is covered by their policies, beyond some basic services mandated by federal and state law. They often deny claims for services that they deem not "medically necessary."…

https://www.propublica.org/article/unitedhealth-healthcare-insurance-denial-ulcerative-colitis

Medicare payment change is making it harder for some patients to get home health care - The Washington Post

Experts say there are fewer incentives for agencies to deal with those who need extensive physical, occupational and speech therapy — and some are losing services.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/medicare-payment-change-is-making-it-harder-for-some-patients-to-get-home-health-care/2020/02/14/a8aaf43c-46ad-11ea-bc78-8a18f7afcee7_story.html

Obamacare’s Secret Success - POLITICO - Opinion

With little notice, the ACA has racked up a big win – near-universal coverage. ....
https://www.politico.com/news/agenda/2020/01/27/obamacares-secret-success-103589

Court to look anew at birth control rules in health care law | PBS NewsHour

The Supreme Court will consider allowing the Trump administration to enforce rules that allow more employers to deny insurance coverage for contraceptives to women. The justices agreed Friday to yet another case stemming from President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, this time about cost-free birth control. The court probably will hear arguments in April. ...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/court-to-look-anew-at-birth-control-rules-in-health-care-law

The Sanders-Warren ‘feud’ and Ukraine revelations are nowhere near equal in importance. Try telling the media that - The Washington Post

Barraged by news and distraction in the Trump era, we've lost all sense of proportion.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-sanders-warren-feud-and-ukraine-revelations-are-nowhere-near-equal-in-importance-try-telling-the-media-that/2020/01/17/a04848e4-393d-11ea-bf30-ad313e4ec754_story.html

Christian ‘health care sharing’ group denies sick child’s claim — then tells family to ‘just trust God’ – Raw Story

Christian nonprofit organization Samaritan Ministries charges customers hundreds of dollars in monthly premiums while advertising itself as an alternative to traditional health insurance. However, the organization warns enrollees that “there is no coverage, no guarantee of payment” when they get sick, at which point the enrollees are instructed to “just trust God.” ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/christian-health-care-sharing-group-denies-sick-childs-claim-then-tells-family-to-just-trust-god/

TX Federal Judge Rules Obamacare 'Invalid,' Appeals Sure To Follow - TPM

A conservative federal judge in Texas has ruled the Affordable Care Act "invalid" on the eve of the sign-up deadline for next year. But with appeals certain, even the Trump White House said the law will remain in place for now. In a 55-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor ruled Friday that last year's tax cut bill knocked the constitutional foundation from under "Obamacare" by eliminating a penalty for not having coverage. ....
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/texas-federal-judge-obamacare-invalid

How to Mute Trump’s Boombox - POLITICO

It ain't news when he says something that's untrue or uninformed. ....
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/24/trump-news-coverage-221878

All the Questions You Should Ask Your Insurance Company Before You Have a Baby - VICE:

The Tonic guide to navigating health insurance for pregnant people, including how to get insurance, what's covered, and what steps you need to take before the baby arrives. ....
https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/pa8k5k/pregnancy-health-insurance-benefits

Don't fall into these Medicare traps – they could cost you thousands - CNBC

Many people tend to underestimate the complexity of Medicare, assuming it will be similar to workplace-based health insurance.....
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/21/picking-the-wrong-medicare-plan-could-cost-you-thousands-of-dollars-.html

Trump's New Obamacare Sabotage Could Really Stick It To Consumers -- HuffPost

The Trump administration's new attack on Obamacare will expose consumers to surprise, sometimes staggering medical bills. Just ask some of the state officials who deal with these kinds of issues every day....
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-short-term-junk-insurance-naic_us_5b662e57e4b0fd5c73da5ab0

Sniffles? Cancer? Under Medicare Plan, Payments for Office Visits Would Be Same for Both - The New York Times

The Trump administration hopes to cut red tape by establishing a single Medicare rate for office visits. But the change could reduce payments for the sickest patients, doctors warn. ....
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/22/us/politics/medicare-payments-trump.html

Here's what really scares Donald Trump -- CNN

In this terrific New York Times piece on Donald Trump in the White House, one line stood out to me as critical to understanding how he approaches the job. ....
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/11/politics/donald-trump-tv-analysis/index.html

'I'm watching now and screaming': Fox News employees anonymously trash the network's Russia coverage -- Business Insider

Several Fox News employees trashed the network's coverage of charges brought in the special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. ....
http://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-employees-russia-mueller-coverage-2017-10

Bernie Sanders' Health Care Debate Was a Good Idea for a Very Simple Reason -- Mother Jones

When CNN announced last week that it would hold a debate on health care between Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham and progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar, the reaction in some Democratic circles was anxiety. ...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/09/bernie-sanders-health-care-debate-was-a-good-idea-for-a-very-simple-reason/

Trump's misleading claim on pre-existing protections in Graham-Cassidy | PolitiFact

President Donald Trump said the latest Republican bill to get rid of Obamacare raises no concerns on coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. The question has become a sticking point in the repeal effort. Before the Affordable Care Act, insurers could deny coverage to people who had cancer, asthma or some other illness. The law banned that practice....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/sep/21/donald-trump/trumps-misleading-claim-pre-existing-protections/

Bill Cassidy offers misleading defense in face-off with Jimmy Kimmel | PolitiFact

Following a sharp rebuke by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., hit the airwaves on Sept. 20 to defend his bill that would undo much of the Affordable Care Act.

The bill, which Cassidy proposed with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was approaching Senate floor consideration when Kimmel took aim at the bill’s impact on some Americans’ ability to secure health insurance.

Under the Graham-Cassidy bill, Cassidy said, "More people will have coverage, and we protect those with pre-existing conditions. (In) states like Maine, Virginia, Florida, Missouri, there will be billions more dollars to provide health insurance coverage for those in those states who have been passed by by Obamacare."....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/sep/20/bill-cassidy/bill-cassidy-offers-misleading-defense-face-jimmy-/

Hospitals Group: 'Tens Of Millions' Could Lose Coverage Due To ACA Repeal -- TPM

The American Hospital Association on Tuesday said it opposed the latest Republican proposal to repeal Obamacare, and predicted that "tens of millions of Americans" will be at risk of losing coverage under the proposed legislation. ....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/american-hospital-association-opposes-graham-cassidy-obamacare-repeal-proposal