Health
On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is now able to process requests for Medicare Part A and Part B Special Enrollment Periods, and reductions in Part B and premium Part A late enrollment penalties for certain eligible people in same-sex marriages.
This is another step HHS is taking in response to the June 26, 2013, Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v. Windsor, which held section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional.
Because of this ruling, Medicare is no longer prevented by DOMA from recognizing same-sex marriages for determining entitlement to, or eligibility, for Medicare.
“Today’s announcement helps to clarify the effects of the Supreme Court’s decision and to ensure that all married couples are treated equally under the law,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We are working together with SSA to process these requests in a timely manner to ensure all beneficiaries, regardless of sexual orientation, are treated fairly under the law.”
While Medicare is managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), SSA is responsible for determining eligibility for, and enrolling people in, Medicare.
For additional information, please visit http://medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/same-sex-marriage.html .
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SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill 1816, authored by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), passed the Assembly Committee on Health with unanimous support on Tuesday.
This measure addresses slow, cursory or incomplete investigations of suspected abuse in long-term health care facilities by establishing timelines and procedures for completing an investigation into alleged abuse within a long-term care facility.
“I am pleased that we are one step closer to ensuring that residents in our nursing homes are in a safe and secure environment,” stated Yamada. “When a concern is raised about a resident at risk, we must act swiftly to investigate the matter in order to improve our state’s commitment to providing quality care to those who are among our most vulnerable population.”
Earlier this month, the California Legislature’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee, or “JLAC”, approved a request submitted by Assemblymember Yamada to audit the Department of Public Health's Licensing and Certification Division's regulation of long-term health care facilities.
Yamada co-chaired a joint oversight hearing with the Assembly Committee on Health which revealed thousands of backlogged complaints that have languished for years with incomplete investigations, leaving unanswered questions about safety concerns in long-term care health facilities, and the effectiveness of the state’s safety enforcement apparatus.
Support for this measure includes California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, California Association of Health Facilities, California Communities United Institute, California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association and the Consumer Federation of California. AB 1816 will next be heard in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
Yamada is the chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care and represents the Fourth Assembly District which includes all or parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
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