Latest News On Hospitals

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Under New Cost-Cutting Medicare Rule, Same Surgery, Same Place, Different Bill

KFF Health News Original

A Trump administration Medicare rule will push some hospital patients into a Catch-22: The government says several hundred procedures no longer need to be done in a hospital, but it did not approve them to be performed elsewhere. So patients will still need to use a hospital while not officially admitted — and may be charged more out-of-pocket for the care.

College Tuition Sparked a Mental Health Crisis. Then the Hefty Hospital Bill Arrived.

KFF Health News Original

A student sought counseling help after feeling panicked when she had trouble paying a big tuition bill. A weeklong stay in a psychiatric hospital followed — along with a $3,413 bill. The hospital soft-pedaled its charity care policy.

Medicare Cuts Payment to 774 Hospitals Over Patient Complications

KFF Health News Original

Renowned medical centers are among the quarter of general hospitals that will lose 1% of Medicare payments for one year because their patients have high rates of bedsores, sepsis and other preventable complications.

Montana’s Health Policy MVP Takes Her Playbook on the Road

KFF Health News Original

Marilyn Bartlett, credited with saving Montana’s state employee health plan millions of dollars, is a busy consultant now, as states, counties and big businesses try to use her playbook to bring down hospital costs.

If This Self-Sufficient Hospital Cannot Stand Alone, Can Any Public Hospital Survive?

KFF Health News Original

New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C., makes money and does not require taxpayer subsidies. But the county is selling the public hospital because officials say it needs more capital to compete. Civic leaders say the change will lead to higher health care costs.

California’s Top Hospital Lobbyist Cements Influence in Covid Crisis

KFF Health News Original

Carmela Coyle, who represents California’s hospitals in the state Capitol, is a power player whose clout has grown during the pandemic. Though she hasn’t won every battle, she has helped shape the state’s response to the crisis.

Hospitals’ Rocky Rollout of Covid Vaccine Sparks Questions of Fairness

KFF Health News Original

The lack of a federal strategy on how distribution should work at the local level means that states, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies are making decisions on their own about who gets vaccinated and when.

Health Workers Unions See Surge in Interest Amid Covid

KFF Health News Original

Many front-line health workers who have faced a perpetual lack of PPE and inconsistent safety measures believe the government and their employers have failed to protect them from covid-19.

An Urban Hospital on the Brink Vs. the Officials Sworn to Save It

KFF Health News Original

The wealthy corporation that owns Chicago’s Mercy Hospital says it must close the hospital because it’s losing money. A government board says no. The corporation still has the upper hand.