Latest KFF Health News Stories
Berwick: “I’ve Got The Back” Of Medicare Beneficiaries – The KHN Interview
Embattled CMS administrator says partnering with providers will improve care and reduce costs.
Medicaid Managed Care Expands In California As State Adds Many Seniors And Disabled
Even critics of managed care are warming to the idea of including nearly 400,000 seniors and disabled person now receiving health care through the traditional Medi-Cal program. The shift to managed care begins today and will be phased in.
Fact Check: Pat Boone On The Ryan Plan
Even as some Republicans distance themselves from the House-passed budget that would fundamentally change the Medicare program, the conservative seniors group 60 Plus’ celebrity spokesman Pat Boone is boosting the plan.
Most Americans Oppose GOP Plan To Cut Medicaid
Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds about 60 percent of Americans want Congress to keep Medicaid in its current form.
‘No Regrets’ In Nursing Home Industry For Health Law Support-The KHN Interview
Mark Parkinson, head of the largest nursing home lobby, says some nursing homes will be hurt by the law’s requirement to offer workers insurance but they still favor the overhaul to bring health care costs under control.
What Medicaid Cuts Will Mean For Seniors And Others With Disabilities (Guest Opinion)
Howard Gleckman wonders how society will provide care to the frail elderly people who rely on the program and account for one-third of its budget.
States Struggling To Pay For Aged, Disabled Community Programs – A KHN Interview
Martha Roherty, who represents officials running state programs, says that “things that allow people to keep their family members at home longer” are often being cut.
Gloomier-Than-Expected Forecast For Medicare
The outlook for the federal health insurance program that, as of last year, covered 47.5 million elderly and disabled Americans is a dramatic shift from last summer.
Audit Finds Widespread Use Of Antipsychotic Drugs In Nursing Homes
About 14 percent of elderly nursing homes residents receives a so-called atypical antipsychotic medicine despite an increased risk of death when the medicines are used to manage dementia in older people.
Medicare’s Math Problem: Taxes – Benefits = Trouble
Why do seniors receive Medicare benefits totaling more than twice what they pay in to the system?
Medicare Patients Aren’t Taking Advantage Of Some Newly Free Tests
This year, seniors enrolled in Medicare no longer have to pay for more than a dozen tests and services to prevent disease thanks to the health law. Many, however, aren’t lining up for mammograms or colonoscopies though free wellness checks are luring many.
Nursing Home Industry Leader Worries About Cuts To Medicare, Medicaid
Too few resources are available to handle the predicted explosion in the number of elderly, says Mark Parkinson, head of the largest nursing home lobby.
Program Gives Dying People Chance At Giving Longer Goodbyes
A program in St. Louis is giving hospice patients one more way to say goodbye to their loved ones – using a series of volunteers trained to help them tell their stories.
Medicare Rule Sparks Concerns About Patients’ Access To Home Health Care
Providers criticize health law requirement targeted at curbing wasteful spending.
HHS Says 48,000 Have Used Medicare Drug Discounts This Year
The health law provides a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs and 7 percent for generics once beneficiaries reach the doughnut hole.
States Pushing Managed Long-Term Care For Elderly And Disabled Medicaid Patients
Some patient advocates, as well as the nursing home industry, object to using managed care for such vulnerable patients, but health plans say they can provide quality services while holding down costs.
Nine Ways The New Health Law May Affect You in 2011
In 2011 many new provisions of the health law kick in, providing benefits for many and potential new costs for some others.
Seniors May Not Rush In For Medicare Wellness Exams
The new health law adds coverage for an annual checkup, but in the past beneficiaries have not shown great interest in the “wellness exams” offered when they first qualify for Medicare.
Long-Term Care: Another Tough Subject For The Next Round Of Reform
Democrats and Republicans may spend the next two years fighting about what to jettison or retain in the new health law. If these battles are resolved, we’ll be back to address another looming challenge: long-term care. It’s best that this happen sooner rather than later.
Innovative Day-Care Program Seeks To Keep Frail, Low-Income Seniors In Their Homes
PACE offers comprehensive medical and social services and supporters say it can reduce hospital and nursing home stays and save money for Medicare and Medicaid.
