Latest KFF Health News Stories
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says the “super committee” has a chance at tamping down the nation’s debt and slowing Medicare spending growth because the American public understands the stakes – the American Dream.
Letters To KHN: Prominent Doctor, Nurses And Other Readers On Medicare Readmissions
Readers react to Jordan Rau’s review of the upcoming Medicare push to make hospitals accountable for some of what happens to patients after discharge
Pawlenty Points To Minn. Health Law As Model For U.S.
The former governor says he “passed health care reform the right way. No mandates. No takeovers.” But critics argue that it is unclear if the law will lower costs and it does little to expand insurance coverage.
States Face Challenges In Controlling Health Insurance Premiums
The federal health care law gives officials new tools to help hold down rates, but states’ authority and political will still vary widely.
Insurance CEO Says Prevention, Collaboration Are Key To Controlling Costs–The KHN Interview
Bruce Bodaken of Blue Shield of California says encouraging patients to live healthier lives will help head off chronic disease and pay off in lower costs.
Health On The Hill Transcript: Medicaid Untouched, Medicare Spared – For Now – In Debt Deal
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks about the lack of Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the initial round of cuts tied to the debt ceiling increase, and about what sort of cuts the programs could be open to later in the year.
Panel Formed To Give Consumers Reliable Treatment Information
The group, mandated in the federal health law, is expected to provide research that can empower patients to make informed choices and steer clear of unnecessary options.
Health Care Recommendations From Previous Bipartisan Deficit-Reduction Groups: Document
The debt-ceiling agreement calls for a bipartisan “super committee.” This is not the first effort to find a bipartisan agreement on reducing the federal deficit; here is a guide to the health-care recommendations from four groups.
Community Hospital In Rural Arizona Finds Innovative Ways To Survive
The Copper Queen Hospital in Bisbee over the past four years has made a surplus of 5 to 10 percent, a margin much higher than rural hospital averages. But it is a success that officials fear won’t continue as Arizona reduces overall health spending by $500 million in 2012.
Different Takes: What’s Next For Medicare Cost Controls? Vladeck And Wilensky Offer Their Views
During the course of negotiations to raise the debt ceiling, proposals to reduce Medicare costs had an on-again, off-again presence at the table. We asked Bruce Vladeck and Gail Wilensky which of these ideas could have a positive or negative impact on the program. A ‘Pernicioius’ Idea: Proposals To Forbid First-Dollar Coverage For Medicare Beneficiaries […]
As the country has struggled to raise the debt ceiling, there have been periodic expectations that the current fiscal distress would produce the “right environment” to finally reform entitlements — particularly Medicare. This has seemed quite astounding to me, 15 months before a presidential election year, given the presence of a divided Congress and our highly charged political environment.
Proposals To Forbid First-Dollar Coverage For Medicare Beneficiaries
The usual laundry lists of proposals for Medicare savings are already being circulated throughout official Washington. Most of these ideas have been around for years, and have never gotten past the talking stages because of political opposition or because they are simply bad ideas. But one especially pernicious proposal appears to have increasing traction among both politicians and policy analysts.
Medicare Prepares Rule To Penalize Hospitals With High Readmission Rates
The federal health care program also wants to pay less to hospitals with higher-than-average costs for patient care.
Health Industry Could Feel Pinch, Then Pain From Default
Within a few weeks of a shutdown of Medicare and Medicaid money, health care providers could be in financial trouble. No one knows how to plan for it.
Ga. Firm’s Blueprint For Taming Health Costs
When a company reports that its health costs have increased by an average of less than 2 percent per year over the past decade, it makes for an interesting case study.
Nation’s Health Care Bill To Nearly Double By 2020
New estimates from Medicare’s actuaries find the nation’s health spending will grow by 5.8 percent a year through 2020, compared to 5.7 percent without the overhaul.
Poll Finds Americans Gloomy On Some Promises In Health Law
Only 20 percent of people believe consumer protections will get better under the law.
Health On The Hill: Medicare, Medicaid Taken Off Table In Budget Talks
Neither the Boehner nor the Reid plans include cuts to Medicare or Medicaid. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about why that happened and what could bring these entitlements back into the deficit-reduction conversation.
At Age 46, Is Medicare Ripe For A Change?
Seven experts explore what it would take to muster the political will to revamp the popular health care program.
