Report: Big Flaws In How Medicare Pays Hospitals, Doctors
A prestigious Institute of Medicine panel says Medicare's methods of evaluating regional costs are disturbingly imprecise and need to be overhauled.
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Medicare Announces Rules For Quality Bonuses To Hospitals
Extra funding will be awarded to facilities that do better than average on quality of care and patient satisfaction.
By Jordan Rau -
Medicare To Begin Basing Hospital Payments On Patient-Satisfaction Scores
Beginning in 2012, bad grades from unhappy patients could cause hospitals to lose out on bonuses.
By Jordan Rau -
Patient Safety Expert Says Law Could Lead To Overuse Of Medical Care: The KHN Interview
Rosemary Gibson, who has led national efforts to improve health care quality and safety, is concerned about 32 million newly insured Americans being exposed to too much treatment.
By Jordan Rau -
New ACO Rules Outline Gains And Risks For Doctors, Hospitals
As many as 4 million Medicare beneficiaries could end up in new model of health care, but initial savings for government are small.
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Brokers Seek To Preserve Role In Health Insurance Marketplace
Insurance agents fear the health reform law threatens their livelihood and want changes in rules to protect their commissions and guarantee them a role in the new health exchanges.
By Julie Appleby and Jordan Rau -
From California To The New York Island, A New Understanding Of Higher Medicare Spending
CMS analysis shows that some regions with high spending levels are below the national average if patient health and special expenses are factored in.
By Jordan Rau -
Many Americans Incorrectly Believe Health Law Has Been Repealed
Nearly a year after passage of the health care overhaul law, barely half of Americans know the law remains intact, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows.
By Jordan Rau -
Lobbyists Challenging Limits On Health Flexible Spending Accounts
Companies that administer or profit from flexible spending accounts are trying to change provisions in the new health law restricting the pre-tax funds used by millions of consumers.
By Jordan Rau -
GOP Vows To Attack Health Law Tree, Branch By Branch
A look at six provisions that House committees could try to ax as they begin working to revise the health overhaul.
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Insurers Clash With Hospitals And Doctors Over ACO Rules
Powerful interests that are supposed to create and run the health law's new accountable care organizations are fighting over what the rules governing ACOs should say.
By Jordan Rau -
Texas Town
McAllen, Tex. spends more on Medicare patients than almost any other part of the country. But a new study contradicts the assumption that McAllen, Texas doctors over-treat everyone.
By Jordan Rau -
As Hospital System Expands, Patient Advocates Worry
Sutter Health, the most expensive health system in California, is expanding at a rapid pace and transforming itself into an "accountable care organization." Some worry about the nonprofit hospital's growing leverage.
By Jordan Rau -
Insurers’ Payments To Hospitals Vary Significantly By Region
A study of four major insurers' payments to hospitals finds great differences among different parts of the country. San Francisco is the most expensive city among the eight areas in the study.
By Jordan Rau -
New Deficit Report Recommends Seniors Pay More For Medicare
A blue-ribbon bipartisan panel of experts, chaired by former budget director Alice Rivlin and former Sen. Pete Domenici, recommends major changes to the way the government pays for health care.
By Jordan Rau and Phil Galewitz -
Hospice Or Hospital? Where You Die Depends On Where You Live
An analysis of Medicare data finds many cancer patients are getting aggressive end-of-life care. The intensive approach might not be best for them and adds to the drain on Medicare's budget.
By Jordan Rau -
California Hospitals: Prices Rising Rapidly, But Quality Varies
Prominent hospitals and networks, especially those in the San Francisco Bay Area, can keep raising prices beyond inflation because their sizes or reputations give them clout in negotiating rates with insurers, researchers say. Yet high prices don't always equate with superior care.
By Jordan Rau -
How KHN Obtained Data For The California Hospital Prices Story
Kaiser Health News' story on California's Costliest Hospitals, months in the making, relied on data from a number of sources.
By Jordan Rau -
Researchers Say Access To Primary Care Doesn’t Always Guarantee Better Health
Dartmouth researchers examining records of Medicare patients found that having access to a primary care doctor didn't always result in the best health outcomes.
By Jordan Rau -
Medical Spending Accelerating
Experts cite a disturbing trend in the acceleration of medical spending in areas like Provo, Utah, once noted for lower costs.
By Jordan Rau
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