Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Effect Of Bedside Manner; Migraines And Sexism
Every week, Kaiser Health News reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reading from around the Web. The Economist: Looking To Uncle Sam Politicians want to lower spending, or at least they say they do. But in all the to-and-fro over raising the debt ceiling, little sensible has been said about lowering spending in the long term. […]
Antidepressants Often Prescribed Without A Diagnosis
Antidepressants are the third most common type of medication prescribed in the U.S., with $10 billion a year in sales. Nearly three out of four of those prescriptions are written by non-psychiatric providers (many of them primary care physicians). A study in the journal Health Affairs reports that a growing number of patients receiving antidepressants from […]
The Good, The Bad, And The Costly News On HIV
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that while the overall number of people who are infected with HIV each year is relatively steady — approximately 50,000 new infections each year — there was a 48 percent increase in the number of young HIV-infected African American men who have sex with […]
Making Medicaid As Easy As A Netflix Membership
AUSTIN, Texas — My application for Medicaid in Oklahoma was denied. That’s no surprise, but this is: It took all of 11 minutes to find out — from clicking on the state’s enrollment website to receiving the decision — about the same amount of time invested in launching my Netflix account. That’s because the state […]
Today’s Headlines – August 3, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the impact the debt deal might have on health care providers, as well as how the agreement’s “super committee” will be charged with finding spending reductions in Medicare, Medicaid and a range of other government programs. Los Angeles Times: Debt Deal Raises Pressure […]
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.
Forecasting What Challenges Await The Debt Deal’s ‘Super Committee’
Yes, a debt deal got made, but many think the real work is just beginning. Congressional leaders will select 12 from their own ranks to sit on a “super” joint congressional committee tasked with finding $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion in cuts, by Nov. 23, to follow the more than $900 billion included in the initial […]
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.
Different Takes: What’s Next For Medicare Cost Controls? Vladeck And Wilensky Offer Their Views
During the course of negotiations to rasie 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 […]
Today’s Headlines – August 2, 2011
Good morning everyone! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including how the specifics of the debt-ceiling deal might impact Medicare providers. The Washington Post: House Passes Historic Debt Deal On Eve Of Deadline The Senate vote is set for noon Tuesday. Approval would send the measure to President Obama and immediately grant the […]
Medicare Scales Back Rule On Hospitals With Pricey Patients
Medicare today scaled back its proposal to hold hospitals accountable for the cost of patient care in the 90 days after discharge. Medicare announced in its final rule that hospital payment would be reduced if the hospital’s average patient had a higher than normal cost to Medicare during their stay until 30 days after discharge […]
Hospitals, Nurses Group Lash Out At Debt Deal
As provider groups dig into the details of the debt ceiling compromise struck over the weekend, some aren’t too happy. “We could not be for this legislation, because it as an arbitrary, automatic reduction … that is for fiscal reasons that have nothing to do with health policy. And we can’t support that,” Chip Kahn, […]
Free Birth Control For Many, Courtesy of HHS
With co-payments of $10 to $35 a month, birth control pills can add up to an expensive precaution for American women, even those with private insurance. But a new rule issued today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services makes those fees a worry of the past for many insured women. Under the health […]
Social Media Tools Aid Public Health Officials
Dr. Raina M. Merchant, an emergency physician and assistant professor at the Pearlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, noticed her patients were becoming far more social media savvy than the health care system they were being treated in. She told Kaiser Health News that after reviewing news stories on the use of […]
Today’s Headlines – August 1, 2011
August is here and a debt deal looks near. Here’s what we’re reading to get up to speed. Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how the politics and policies involved of the debt-ceiling deal are taking shape. The New York Times: Obama And Leaders Reach Debt Deal President Obama and […]
Reinhardt On Medicaid, Medicare And The Default
In our calls for our story on the effect of default on the health care industry, we spent some time talking with Princeton economist Uwe Reinhardt. He doubts that health care would be affected, unless someone wanted to “make a dramatic statement.” He believes most doctors’ offices, labs and hospitals could survive a few weeks without […]
Group Seeks A ‘Center-Right’ Consensus To Replace Health Law
A group of Washington D.C. Republican-leaning former business and government officials have launched a coalition to build support for a policy to replace the sweeping 2010 health law if it were to be repealed through the legislative or judicial process. Headed by James Wootton, the Partnership for America, is expected to have a budget of […]
What Will States Do If Federal Dollars Stop Flowing?
With Congress continuing to struggle to reach a deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling before the Aug. 2 deadline, speculation abounds about what might happen if the federal government goes into default. Many of the questions have to do with health care spending. The bottom line: It’s a climate of uncertainty. Gail Wilensky, who ran Medicare and Medicaid during the George […]
Today’s Headlines – July 29, 2011
Happy Friday! Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest on the stalled debt-ceiling vote and speculation about how the debate may have altered the discussion regarding changes to Medicare. The Washington Post: Debt-Limit Vote Is Canceled In House As Boehner, GOP Leaders Struggle To Gain Votes House Speaker John A. Boehner […]
