Medicare Cuts Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients Keep Ending Up In Hospital
The incentive program to discourage nursing homes from discharging patients too quickly will also give bonuses to facilities with fewer rehospitalizations.
Feds Order More Weekend Inspections Of Nursing Homes To Catch Understaffing
Medicare instructs inspectors to look for staffing inadequacies in homes that report suspiciously low numbers of registered nurses and weekend workers.
Look-Up: Medicare’s Bonuses And Penalties For Nursing Homes Near You
The federal government is issuing bonuses and penalties to skilled nursing facilities based on how often their patients are readmitted to hospitals within a month of being discharged.
Check Your Medical Records For Dangerous Errors
Medical records often contain incorrect information that can lead to inappropriate medical treatment. Patients need to review them on a regular basis and correct any errors that creep in.
Paradise Lost: Wildfire Chases Seniors From Retirement Havens To Field Hospitals
Having fled quickly — often without medications, wheelchairs or pets to comfort them — refugees from the Camp Fire manage as best they can in makeshift shelters miles from home. A virus is spreading, and medical attention is spotty.
Fish Oil And Vitamin D Pills No Guard Against Cancer Or Serious Heart Trouble
And new study finds no reason to get routine vitamin D tests, researchers say.
Trumpeted New Medicare Advantage Benefits Will Be Hard For Seniors To Find
Federal officials are hailing the introduction of services such as transportation to medical appointments, home-delivered meals and installation of wheelchair ramps as a way to keep beneficiaries healthy and avoid costly hospitalizations. But not many plans are offering the services in 2019.
At Death’s Door, Shedding Light On How To Live
When you learn you have a terminal illness, how do you live with purpose and authenticity?
GOP’s Latest Campaign Punch On Health Care Relies On Classic Hook: Medicare
Republicans seek to turn the tables on charges that they are undermining preexisting conditions, so they’re hammering the plans championed by some Democrats to expand Medicare.
In Days Of Data Galore, Patients Have Trouble Getting Own Medical Records
Federal law guarantees that people have the right to see and obtain a copy of their medical records. But, hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and insurance companies often erect obstacles.
Influential Leapfrog Group Jumps In To Rate 5,600 Surgery Centers
In the wake of a KHN/USA Today Network investigation, Leapfrog will check the safety and quality of outpatient centers.
¿Quién lo hubiera dicho? La vida comienza (de nuevo) a los 65
El autor cuenta su propia transición a una etapa nueva de la vida en la que las decisiones cuentan más que nunca. Y ofrece consejos.
Medicare Advantage Riding High As New Insurers Flock To Sell To Seniors
The private health plans that are an alternative to government-run Medicare continue to grow despite the Affordable Care Act’s cuts of billions of dollars in funding.
Who Knew? Life Begins (Again) At 65
Turning 65 is far more life-changing than turning 21 ever was.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Dementia And Guns: When Should Doctors Broach The Topic?
As the number of Americans with dementia rises, health professionals grapple with how to talk to patients about gun safety at home.
Will Maine Voters Decide To Make Aging In Place Affordable?
A ballot initiative in Maine proposes that free home care services be available to all residents who need help with at least “one daily activity.”
Doctors Give Medicare’s Proposal To Pay For Telemedicine Poor Prognosis
Federal officials are proposing that Medicare pay doctors for a 10-minute “check-in” call with beneficiaries. But many doctors already do this for free, and the plan would require a cost-sharing charge of many patients.
Medicare Advantage Plans Shift Their Financial Risk To Doctors
Some private Medicare Advantage plans are offering large physician-management companies more money upfront and control of their patients’ care, but the doctors are responsible for staying within the budget.
Without Safety Net Of Kids Or Spouse, ‘Elder Orphans’ Need Fearless Fallback Plan
Older adults who lack a conventional support system should plan ahead to deal with life’s predictable challenges as they age.
