Latest Hospital Injury Penalties Include Crackdown On Antibiotic-Resistant Germs
Medicare reduced payments to 769 hospitals in the program, punishing facilities that have high rates of patient injuries, including infections, blood clots, falls and bed sores. This year, federal officials also added the prevalence of two dangerous bacteria.
769 Hospitals Penalized For Patient Safety In 2017: Data Table
The federal government has cut payments to hospitals with high rates of patient injuries this year. Those hospitals will lose 1 percent of Medicare payments over the federal fiscal year, which runs from October 2016 through next September. Maryland hospitals are exempted from penalties because that state has a separate payment arrangement with Medicare. Below […]
When Looking For A Nursing Home, You May Get Little Help From Your Hospital
Hospitals rarely help patients find the best nursing home. When they do advise, hospitals sometimes push their own facilities.
Some GOP Voters Skittish On Full Repeal, Poll Finds
Trump backers expressed support for some of the health law’s consumer protections, such as allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26.
Enfermos… ¿y en bancarrota? Consumidores gastarán más en drogas en 2017
En 2017, muchos más planes de salud en los mercados de seguros requerirán que los consumidores paguen una sustancial parte del costo de los medicamentos más caros, dicen, para disuadir a pacientes muy enfermos de elegir sus planes.
Need Pricey Drugs From An Obamacare Plan? You’ll Shoulder More Of The Cost
A Kaiser Health News analysis finds that the portion of federal marketplace plans requiring people to pay a third or more of the cost of specialty drugs have jumped from 37 to 63 percent since 2014.
Frustration Runs Deep For Customers Forced To Change Marketplace Plans Routinely
Doctor and hospital switching is a recurring scramble for these consumers who face rising premiums and plan exits.
Poll Finds Majority Of Americans Want Restraints On Drug Prices
As the spiraling costs attract headlines, many people are looking to the government to rein in prescription drug prices, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation poll.
Medicare’s Readmission Penalties Hit New High
Medicare will withhold an estimated $528 million in 2017 from more than 2,500 hospitals that have too many patients returning within 30 days.
Many Well-Known Hospitals Fail To Score 5 Stars In Medicare’s New Ratings
Of the 102 hospitals that received a five-star rating, few are among the elite generally praised for great care.
Medicare Prepares To Go Forward With New Hospital Quality Ratings
The government will soon give hospitals one to five stars to sum up their quality. Some safety hospitals and teaching hospitals won’t fare as well as other facilities.
HHS Announces Plans To Curtail Consumers’ Use Of Short-Term Insurance Policies
The plans, which do not qualify as coverage under the Affordable Care Act and put consumers at risk of a tax penalty, can siphon healthy people away from the online marketplaces because they are generally less expensive.
Critics Of Medicare’s Overall Hospital Star Rating Push For Changes
Federal officials delayed the release of the ratings after the hospital industry and members of Congress objected to the formula, saying it worked against hospitals that take the patients that are the toughest to treat.
Medicare Pays Bonuses To 231 Hospitals With Lower Quality Because Of Cheaper Costs
New research highlights the paradox in the federal program to improve hospital quality.
Hospital Discharge: It’s One Of The Most Dangerous Periods For Patients
Bad coordination and communication can put patients at risk as they’re discharged from a hospital.
Democrats Increasingly Want Expansion Of Health Law, Poll Finds
A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds a majority of Democrats think the law doesn’t go far enough.
Medicare Delays Plans For New Star Ratings On Hospitals After Congressional Pressure
The “overall hospital quality” rating is designed to help consumers who are sometimes confused by the variety of quality measures that the government already provides. But members of Congress had asked for the delay because of concerns that the methodology for the stars was not accurate.
At Teaching Hospitals, Aggressive Screening May Lead To Medicare Penalties
Nearly half of academic medical centers will be penalized by the government this year for high rates of infections and other avoidable complications, but the hospitals say it shows they screen better for problems.
N.H., Calif. Seek To Help Consumers Get Details On Health Care Prices
New Hampshire is expanding its website that lists the cost of specific medical procedures to include dental treatments and 65 prescription drugs. California is expanding its report cards on large medical groups to include cost of medical services by an average patient.
Support For Sanders’ Single-Payer Plan Fades With Control, Cost Concerns
Although half of Americans favor the idea of a government health insurance system, the popularity drops significantly when negative arguments are presented, poll finds.
