After Vidant Pungo Hospital was shuttered this summer, physicians and patients in this rural North Carolina town fear for their future.
Nurse Practitioners Gain Flexibility With New State Law
The law, effective July 15, is viewed as an innovative compromise in Kentucky, but some people involved in national scope-of-practice debates are skeptical.
CMS May Soften Paperwork Requirements For Home Health Care
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) Doctors may not have to write a narrative summary for patients needing home health care if a proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is finalized. For Medicare to pay for a home health visit, which includes physical therapy, speech therapy and skilled […]
Health Care System Needs To Prepare For Global Warming
Dr. Al Sommer, the former dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who helped produce a new report on climate change, says changes expected this century could lead to many deaths and a strain on hospitals.
Enroll America Pushes Ahead To Second Enrollment Period
Enroll America convened a national conference this week in Washington to review the strategies that proved successful during the inaugural Affordable Care Act open enrollment period and to gear up for the next one, which will start Nov. 15. Organizers also want to ensure that the navigators and organizations working toward enrollment maintain their energy […]
PhRMA, Advocates: Specialty Drug Costs For Patients Too High
Here’s the next salvo in the back and forth between insurers and the drug industry over drug prices: the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America are pushing the Department of Health and Human Services to take action to protect consumers who have gained insurance via the health law’s online marketplaces from high, out-of-pocket costs for specialty drugs. Specialty drugs are most often […]
Survey: Many Women Unaware How Health Law Benefits Them
A large number of women face significant barriers to health care, and while the health law will likely help them get services, some are unaware of the benefits already in effect, according to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) Intended as a […]
D.C. Health Insurance Tax Triggers Insurer Pushback
All insurers that sell health-related policies would be required to pay the assessment, even those whose products aren’t sold on the exchange.
Telemedicine Policy Draws Opposition From Patient Advocates, Health Care Providers
A policy statement issued by the Federation of State Medical Boards updates the group’s views on telehealth, and is leading to questions about whether it could restrict rather than expand patient access to care.
First-Aid Training For Mental Health Could Aid At-Risk Veterans
When done right, first aid quickly identifies a problem and triages patients so the more urgent cases get treated first and followed up on. Now, with federal aid, that same strategy will apply to the pressing problem of veterans’ mental health. A push for new funding — and the use of existing funds — may soon make […]
RAND: Medicare Should Weigh Cost In Coverage Decisions
The agency that oversees the Medicare program should be able to consider the cost effectiveness of drugs and medical devices when making coverage determinations, according to a new report by the RAND Corporation. But study authors acknowledge that this recommendation — a significant change from current practice in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is barred from […]
Incomplete Face-To-Face Doctor Exams Put Home Health Agencies In Tight Spot
Medicare is paying billions of dollars to home-health providers without adequate documentation of patients’ needs by doctors, according to a new report by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The cost of caring for homebound patients is rising, and the government is trying to get a better grip on spending by […]
State Exchange Directors Offer Enrollment Snapshots
This post was corrected and updated at 4:50 pm, April 11. The Obama administration is touting the success of the health law’s open enrollment, which signed up at least 7.5 million Americans for health coverage through the online insurance marketplaces. But the experience varied according to states and Families USA brought together five state exchange […]
Alzheimer’s Disease Support Model Could Save Minn. Millions
As states eye strategies to control the costs of caring for Alzheimer’s patients, a New York model is drawing interest, and findings from a study of Minnesota’s effort to replicate it shows it could lead to significant savings and improved services. The New York University Caregiver Intervention (NYUCI) program offers caregivers six sessions of individual […]
