From DC is Justice in Aging's weekly roundup of national news and resources about issues impacting older adults. To receive From DC in your inbox as soon as its published, sign up for our mailing list.

CMS Finalizes Rules Improving Medicare Coverage 

Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The rule clarifies additional clinical scenarios in which Medicare will pay for dental services that are integral to the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), including inpatient or outpatient dental or oral examinations, and medically necessary diagnostic and treatment services to eliminate an oral or dental infection. The rule clarifies new coding and payment for caregiver training for direct care services and supports on topics such as pressure sores, wound care, and infection control. CMS is also finalizing a policy to allow caregiver training services (CTS) to be provided via telehealth. Read more in the CMS Fact Sheet. 

As we previously shared, CMS also finalized changes to rules that will make it easier for older adults leaving incarceration to access Medicare. Read our announcement here.  

2025 Medicare Premiums Announced

Last week, CMS announced the 2025 premium, deductible, and coinsurance amounts for Medicare Part A and Part B. Beginning January 1, 2025, the Medicare Part B standard monthly premium will be $185, an increase of $10.30 from the 2024 amount. The Part B deductible will be $257, a $17 increase from 2024. The 2025 Part A inpatient hospital deductible will be $1,676. Additional information, including Part A cost sharing amounts for extended hospital and skilled nursing facility stays and premiums for individuals who do not qualify for free Part A, is available in this CMS fact sheet.

Individuals with limited incomes who qualify for the Medicare Savings Programs can get help with these and other Medicare costs. Learn more in Justice in Aging’s issue brief about recent changes that make it easier to enroll in MSPs and our issue brief on advocacy strategies to improve access in your state to the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program—the most generous MSP.

CMS and CFPB Issue New Resources to Fight Improper Billing 

On October 31, CMS and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced new resources to reduce improper billing of low-income Medicare enrollees. According to CFBP, more than 1 in 10 Medicare-related complaints it receives include a report that a healthcare provider or debt collector attempted to improperly collect payment from a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB). The new resources include guidance to Medicare providers and Medicare Advantage plans about ensuring that QMB enrollees are not billed for medical care, screening for QMB enrollment, refunding payment collected as a result of improper billing, and recalling bills sent to collectors. A CFPB and CMS joint statement reminds debt collectors that debt resulting from improper billing of QMB enrollees should not be collected and should not be used to tarnish an individual’s credit scores.  

Learn more, including additional resources to fight improper billing, in Justice in Aging’s alert. 

New & Updated Federal Resources

Other New Resources