Latest KFF Health News Stories
Advocates Head To Court To Overturn Medicare Rules For Observation Care
Some hospital stays are not considered in-patient care, but seniors often don’t know that until they find they don’t qualify for full Medicare coverage.
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We will edit for space, and we require full names.
Seniors Get Hung Up In Health Care Scams
Law enforcement agencies report an increase in phone scams by fraudsters who prey on the public’s confusion over the massive changes taking place in the nation’s health care system — and the thieves often target senior citizens.
Questions About Colon Screening Coverage Still Vex Consumers
Although the federal government has tried to clarify the preventive care provisions that mandate no out-of-pocket expenses for patients on screening exams, there is still a good bit of confusion.
Medicare Revises Readmissions Penalties
More than 1,200 hospitals are receiving good news
Access To Primary Care Is A Challenge For Some Texas Medicare Patients
The annual congressional battles over the “doc fix” and the threat of lower reimbursements have left some Texas doctors insecure and unwilling to take on more Medicare patients.
In New York, Palliative Care Adds A Layer Of Support For The Seriously Ill
A New York law passed last year ensures that everyone with “advanced life limiting conditions or illnesses who might benefit from palliative care” not only be informed of these services but also that the provider facilitate access to that care if they desire it.
Hospital Executive Bracing For Budget Cuts Says ‘We Need To Deal With Medicare’
David Blom, the president of OhioHealth, talks about the effects of sequestration and the need to find a long-term fiscal remedy.
Higher Hospital Readmissions Aren’t Linked To Fewer Deaths, Study Finds
The research bolsters Medicare’s efforts to prompt hospitals to reduce the number of patients who return quickly even though some experts assert that might be a sign of good care.
Medicaid Transformation Watched Closely In Florida
The federal government gave the green light to Florida to put its long-term-care Medicaid patients into managed care. The big question now is: Will it work?
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We will edit for space, and we require full names.
San Diego Hospice Files For Bankruptcy
After a federal investigation and the prospect of having to return Medicare reimbursements, the hospice
Research Finds Link Between Poor Health And Seniors Switching Out Of Private Medicare Plans
Some advocates are concerned that the Medicare Advantage plans have incentives to skim off the lowest-maintenance customers and leave the expensive patients to the traditional program.
Kidney Sharing System May Change To Better Accomodate Older Patients
The United Network for Organ Sharing system for allocating kidneys is considering ranking the ages of donors and potential recipients. Kidneys with the lowest expected survival would be distributed more widely across the country, a move that would help older patients whose life expectancy is limited.
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Face Challenges To Independence
The advocates for elderly and disabled people living in nursing homes or assisted living centers responded to 204,000 complaints nationwide in 2011.
Slowly Dying Patients, An Audit And A Hospice’s Undoing
For one San Diego Hospice, the trouble began with a federal audit.
‘The Matrix’ Meets Medicine: Surveillance Swoops Into Health Care
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is testing how using technology to monitor seniors’ health can save money on medical costs and help seniors feel secure enough to “age in place.”
As Population Diversifies, Rethinking How We Care For Elderly
Gerontologist Peggye Dilworth-Anderson discusses why we need to rethink what we perceive of as “normal” aging.
Insurance Commissioners Reject Calls To Limit Seniors’ Medigap Policies
The group argues that increasing cost-sharing would stop people from seeking necessary care.
Feds Say Nursing Homes Overbilled Medicare By $1.5 Billion
Nursing home group lashes out at government report, saying “bureaucrats” don’t know what’s good for patients.
