Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Plus: AMA doesn't want the government meddling in how physicians treat patients.

Seven large health insurers have volunteered to temporarily stop marketing their Medicare Advantage plans, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The seven insurance companies are United Healthcare, Humana, WellCare, Universal American Financial, CoventryHealth Care, Sterling Life Insurance and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

The marketing hiatus comes amid allegations of misleading and aggressive sales practices by what CMS called "rogue agents" employed by the insurers. The questionable marketing practices in turn led to patients who are poorly informed about their enrollment status and Medicare benefits. In Other News... · The American Medical Association (AMA) voted to support quality measures and pay-for-performance--but only as long as these initiatives don't open the door the government and insurers meddling in how doctors treat patients. The AMA also called on Congress at its annual House of Delegates meeting to reverse the 10-percent cut that's staring doctors in the face this coming January.