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.
Here’s what we’re watching in Washington:
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 Justice in Aging Resources
- Justice in Aging’s Statement on the Election (11/7)
- Issue Brief: Nursing Home Debt Collection Practices Put Residents’ Family and Friends at Risk (11/1)
- Issue Brief: Breaking Down Barriers to Personal Care: Unlocking Vital Services for Those Who Need Them Most (10/28)
- Fact Sheet: 2024 Legislative Bills and Budget Requests Related to the Master Plan for Aging (10/17)
- Fact Sheet: Congress Should End Mandatory Estate Recovery (10/16)
- Fact Sheet: Important Changes in 2025 to Special Enrollment Periods for Low-Income Medicare Enrollees (10/15)
Upcoming Justice in Aging Webinars
New from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights (NCLER)
On November 21st, NCLER will host a training on Helping Older Borrowers Apply for Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge. Many older student loan borrowers are struggling with a disability that prevents them from working to pay back the loans they took out for their own education or to pay for their children's or grandchildren’s education. These borrowers may be eligible to have their federal student loan debt discharged under the Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) Discharge Program. Presenters will provide an overview of the TPD Discharge Program, including new TPD discharge rules, and the application process. Register and get more information.
New & Updated Federal Resources
- ASPE: Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges (10/31)
- DOJ: Annual Report to Congress on Department of Justice Activities to Combat Elder Abuse (October)
- White House: How You Can Effectively Participate in the Regulatory Process Through Public Comment (October)
Other New Resources
- Webinar Recording: Understanding the Legal Attacks on Racial Health Equity Programs, Health Equity Community Collaborative
- Trump, Republican Congress Health Care Proposals Could Pose Risks to Access and Affordability, CBPP
- What Trump's 2024 Victory Means for Medicaid, KFF
- A Look at Waiting Lists for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services from 2016 to 2024, KFF
- Language Rights Campaign Toolkit, National Language Rights Campaign
- Housing & Health Care Policy Solutions for Middle-Market Older Adults: Research Brief and Webinar Recording, NORC
