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Healthy Chilled Soup Recipe: GazpachoAs the summer months heat up, there’s nothing better than indulging in a refreshing beverage, but what about a refreshing entrée? If you’ve found yourself asking this question, then this chilled soup recipe may be perfect for you.

Gazpacho is a chilled vegetable soup that originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. It is said that this dish may have originated during the Middle Ages when Spain was part of the Islamic world. Back then, the soup was called ajo blanco and contained bread, almonds, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. As the recipe evolved, it began to contain more chopped vegetables and less bread. In 1963, this soup made its way into an influential American cookbook, stating, “Gazpacho, the soup-salad of Spain, has become an American food fashion.”

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Medicare Fraud: Provider Billing Rights Revoked as Seniors Urged to Report Fraud and AbuseMedicare fraud is not only a rising threat to seniors, but also to the entire nation and our economy. Hence, the government is cracking down on provider billing rights and enlisting the help of beneficiaries nationwide.

Medicare fraud and abuse continue to cost the government and taxpayers billions of dollars each year. As estimated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), health care fraud costs the country an estimated $80 billion a year; between 3-10% of all total health care expenditures can be attributed to these fraudulent activities. Gross spending for the Medicare program came to about $551 billion in 2012. If the FBI’s percentages for fraudulent billings were applied, Medicare fraud costs could have totaled from $17-$55 billion last year.

The government continues to make changes to how they fight Medicare fraud and how beneficiaries themselves can become more involved. Recently, the Medicare program has employed many different tactics to fight fraud, which include the following.

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Healthy Fish Recipe: Baked Tilapia for Better Heart HealthWorried about staying healthy and reducing your chance of heart disease? This easy and healthy basked fish recipe could be a great meal choice for you and your family.

Fish can be an important part of a healthy diet; seafood and fish are not only high in protein and low in saturated fat, but they also contain many nutrients and beneficial unsaturated fatty acids, also known as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (or omega-3s). There are health benefits for every age group in increasing their intake of omega-3s, according to WebMD. For example, studies state that omega-3s could benefit middle-age and older adults by reducing rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, increasing bone density for those with osteoporosis, and/or lowering the risk of dementia in older individuals. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week to improve heart health and does not consider fish oil supplements a “sufficient replacement for eating fish.”

For those of you who are short on time, yet still looking to make a delicious, heart-healthy dinner, here this week’s quick and easy recipe for baked fish:

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Better Outlook Expected for Medicare, Trustee Report ShowsAccording to a report released last week by the Medicare trustees, the federal Medicare trust fund will be exhausted in 2026, two years later than previously anticipated.

Last week, Medicare trustees released new projections on the future of the Medicare program. Because of slower growth in health care spending trends as well as other factors, the projected exhaustion of funds in the Medicare trust fund has been pushed back two years to 2026. This change has been partially attributed to the financial improvements resulting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

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mHealth: Mobile Apps Look to Evolve the Doctor/Patient RelationshipThere are thousands of health-based mobile applications (or mobile apps) available to cell phone and tablet users. But does the healthcare industry embrace or reject them?    

No matter your goal, there’s probably a mobile app designed to assist you in that task. Looking for GPS navigation to a place you’ve never been? How about converting one currency to another? Or trying a new recipe for dinner? There are apps for these functions and, most likely, anything else you can imagine as well. But what about healthcare? Is there room in the mobile marketplace for health-conscious apps and, more importantly, are they effective in their designated task?

The answers are surprising.

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“Granny Pods”: A High-Tech Option for Elderly Living and Caregiving“Granny Pods,” or MEDCottages, are high-tech independent living facilities that allow families to keep their loved ones close to home.

Since the start of 2011, roughly 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 daily and will continue to cross that threshold each day until there are a projected 88.5 million people age 65 or older in 2050. As the American population ages, the number of family caregivers of the elderly is also growing. There are an estimated 44.4 million caregivers in the general population providing unpaid care to family members over age 18, with more than 80 percent of those receiving care being 50 years or older, according to a study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.

For many caregivers, the question of where to house elderly parents and grandparents is one that they will have to face. While there are risks to letting elderly loved ones live alone, it can also be hard to ask them to give up their independence and move into a nursing home or an assisted living center: this is why some opt for a “granny pod” for privacy, independence, and safety. These free-standing long-term care housing units are placed on a caregiver’s property and include a variety of high-tech features and health monitoring tools.

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Medicare Supplement Enrollment Hits Ten Million BeneficiariesAs of December 31, 2012, over 10 billion Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in a Medicare Supplement plan in the United States.

Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, have the option of enrolling in a Medicare Supplement plan, also known as Medigap, to help fill in the “gaps” in coverage, such as co-payments and co-insurance costs. There are a variety of Medigap plan options available to beneficiaries, and as of December 31, 2012, over 10 million beneficiaries have taken advantage of this coverage.

This month, Mark Farrah Associates (MFA) released a Healthcare Business Strategy compiling data from financial statements filed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This report revealed that membership in Medicare Supplement plans increased by 2% from 9.9 million in 2011 to 10.1 million in 2012. The MFA also found that the number of newer policies that were issued in the last three years increased by 4.4% year-over-year.

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A Quick and Light Summer Recipe: Grilled Sirloin Kebabs with Peaches and OnionsHeading into the long Memorial Day weekend, many Americans will take a break from their day-to-day routines by enjoying the fast-approaching summer swelter with grilled food and refreshing beverages. But it doesn’t have to be all greasy hamburgers and oversized steaks at your holiday cookout. The magic of grilling can unlock the flavor in just about any food, and that’s especially true of fruits and vegetables. Here’s a recipe that combines the best of these worlds, while incorporating a little twist on a tired and true formula.

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Medicare Parts versus Medicare Plans: Understanding the DifferenceOne common source of confusion for those traversing the Medicare landscape is distinguishing between “parts” and “plans.” Despite the similarities between the words, these are two drastically different pieces of the Medicare program. 

Parts refer only to the four components of Medicare: Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance), Part C (Medicare Advantage) and Part D (prescription drug coverage).

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Significant Difference in Hospital Billing: Hospital Charges vs. Medicare PaymentIn an unprecedented move, the federal government recently released information on how much hospitals charge Medicare for common procedures. The data shed light on the dramatic variation in hospital billing across the nation and within communities.

Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offered the public a view into one of healthcare’s biggest mysteries: the actual cost of providing medical care to Medicare beneficiaries. By releasing data from more than 3,000 hospitals, CMS showed what individual hospitals charge Medicare and how much they actually get paid for 100 of the most common inpatient services, including the diagnosis and treatment of chest pain and simple pneumonia. This release of information is part of a three-prong initiative for transparency and better understanding of the variations in pricing by hospitals.

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