Friday, September 11, 2015

TGIF

The FEHBlog is up in the Nutmeg State again, and there's limited blogging time this morning so here are some quick hits.

  • Recently the FEHBlog noted that CSRS annuitants are staring down the barrel of large Medicare Part B premium increases due to a statutory quirk. The FEHBlog thought that the quirk was that CSRS annuitants did not pay Medicare taxes, but a reader commented that the FEHBlog was wrong about that rationale.  (Thanks commenter.) It turns out that CSRS annuitants will be subject to a large Medicare Part B premium increase because their Medicare Part B premiums are deducted from their CSRS annuity checks. FERS annuitants will be eligible for the statutory hold harmless against Medicare Part B premium increases because their Medicare Part B premiums are deducted from the Social Security benefit payments.  That's nuts. The Washington Post has more details here
  • The Hartford Courant reports that a House judiciary committee held a hearing on healthcare mergers yesterday. The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, and AHIP all testified. 
  • The FEHBlog was amused by this Health IT Analytics article about how the lack of electronic medical record interoperability is interfering with accountable care organization population heath efforts. ACO have to offer out of network coverage.  This is the same problem facing FEHBP carriers who are under OPM pressure to manage population health. 

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