New York State’s 2012-2013 budget restored $30.6 million to the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program that helps low- and moderate-income seniors pay for medications not covered by Medicare.

The new federal health reform law could help enrollees in traditional Medicare save more than $3,500 over the next decade, and maybe as much as $12,300 for those seniors and people with disabilities who have high prescription costs.

The Medicare Part D system, designed to encourage competition and subsidize low-income Medicare patients, isn’t paying enough to insurance companies who cover the low-income segment of the program, a new study suggests.

Federal health reform has led to more than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries receiving prescription drug cost relief, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

HealthSpring plans to create the seventh largest Medicare Advantage plan through its acquisition of Baltimore, Md.-based Bravo Health.

Federal authorities say the 10-year cost estimate for Medicare Part D came in 43% lower than the initial cost estimate of $634 billion.

Limits on contributions and low interest rates mean the role of health savings accounts (HSAs) in saving for health care costs in retirement will be “minor,” according to a new report.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has suspended the marketing and enrollment activities of a New York-based company for not meeting the prescription drug needs of some of its members in 21 states.

Reston, Va.-based MAXIMUS was recently awarded a one-year contract by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue it work independently reviewing reconsiderations of beneficiary appeals for the Medicare Part D program.

Marylanders continue to spend more on prescription drugs compared to their national counterparts, despite the state’s lower overall health care spending, according to an analysis of state and national health care expenditure data.