Medicare Explained has been prepared for Medicare beneficiaries and others whoneed a relatively thorough explanation of the Medicare program with particularemphasis on services covered in institutional settings and services providedby physicians and suppliers. Published annually, Medicare Explained includeschanges made during 2011 by law and regulation amendments and updates toprogram manuals issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).Medicare Explained includes:Analysis of legislative, regulatory and agency guidance issuance on theavailable benefitsExclusions from MedicareThe administration of the Medicare programMedicare payment rules under Parts A, B, C, and DDetails on the process for submitting beneficiary claims as well as theappeals processThe 2012 Edition has been updated to include:Expanded discussion of accountable care organizationsExplanations of new annual election period and "blended benchmark" forMedicare Advantage plan paymentsUpdated discussions of health care reform impact on reimbursement systems for2012Explanations of new requirements for quality improvement organizations