August 2009

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette recently ran an article entitled "Special-needs trusts can provide for disabled children".This Article highlights an essential planning tool for individuals with special needs and their loved ones, but also the complexity of such planning. Special needs planning requires a strong estate planning foundation in addition a working knowledge of public benefits

CMS has issued Compliance Standards for Consignment Closets and Stock and Bill Arrangements. The purpose of Change Request 6528 was to define and prohibit certain arrangements where an enrolled supplier of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) maintains inventory at a practice location which is not owned by the enrolled DMEPOS supplier, but

Surprise! Surprise! Another blow to healthcare reform. In an August 7, 2009 letter to the House Subcommittee on Health, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concludes:

"Although different types of preventive care have different effects on spending, the evidence suggests that for most preventive services, expanded utilization leads to higher, not lower, medical spending overall."

"Researchers

PNHP is a group of 16,000 doctors nationwide who advocate for single payor national health insurance for the purpose of "removing the wasteful insurance company middlemen from our health system and redirecting the resultant savings into care."

For an alternative view on the progress of health care reform from a different prospective, check their website