Since the last edition of Medicare Law was published, the rules that govern Medicare have been changed substantially, with many of those changes being driven by the Affordable Care Act. The program structure has been altered somewhat, with the addition of new types of government contractors. From a coverage perspective, there are a number of new benefits available as well as new coverage rules. There are several new or modified payments systems that have been put into place. In addition, Medicare has tied its reimbursement rules much more closely to the quality of the services delivered than ever before, with significant reporting requirements now in place. The billing rules have been modified, including new time limits on the filing of claims, and the fraud and abuse rules have been strengthened. Finally, there are new payment approaches, such as Accountable Care Organizations, that are being or have been introduced. In short, our current Medicare system and its governing rules are quite different from those that were discussed in the last edition.

The American Health Lawyers Association is pleased to bring you the Third Edition of Medicare Law. Our tremendous thanks go to Editor-in-Chief Thomas W. Coons and author experts Rodney A. Johnson, Emily Jane Cook, John R. Hellow, David W. Hilgers, Elizabeth T. Thomas, Matthew Philip Utecht, Kathleen Ann Peterson, Anne W. Hance, Gary Scott Davis, Adam J. Rogers, Donald H. Romano, Robert L. Roth, William T. Mathias, and James F. Flynn. Their work, like that of the previous author Terry Coleman, leads you through the Medicare maze, from a discussion about the program's structure, to the critically important aspects of benefits, coverage, and eligibility.

Coverage includes in depth examination and discussion of: