Medicare Itemizes Its $103 Billion Drug Bill
Federal officials release data showing prescription histories of hundreds of thousands of doctors and identifying the most common and costly drugs.
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Federal officials release data showing prescription histories of hundreds of thousands of doctors and identifying the most common and costly drugs.
The problem, which is often preventable, is estimated to cost more than $143 billion annually and disproportionately affects people older than 65. It is often misdiagnosed as dementia.
Dr. Robert Wachter says medicine’s move to a computer age can improve care but patients still face serious challenges in adapting to the new technology and the prospect of overcoming a fragmented health system.
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to respond, react and comment on our stories.
Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case challenging some of the health law's insurance subsidies, but not before considering whether the plaintiffs had standing in the case. KHN's Mary Agnes Carey and Julie Rovner discuss surprises from the hearing.
Groups urge women to tell their own abortion stories to helps change the public view of abortion.
KHN’s consumer columnist answers a reader’s question about whether coverage from the health law’s online exchanges is compatible with Medicare and another question on Medicare drug coverage options when seniors move.
Though not a part of the health law’s open enrollment period, Medicare’s enrollment period runs during some of the same time period. Changes to Medicare advantage and the so-called Medicare prescription drug “doughnut hole” are taking center stage.
A consumer reporter shares what she learned when getting ready to join the federal health plan for seniors.
Surging contracts related to the Affordable Care Act have helped make the Department of Health and Human Services a fount of revenue for private business.
But the fund that pays disability benefits needs help fast.
Kaiser Health News' consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers these questions.
Among the most significant difference is that patient with their own insurance don't face the same danger of losing nursing home coverage.
Testifying before a House subcommittee, a key Obama administration official lays out the updates that HHS is making to the online marketplaces before enrollment begins in November. Mary Agnes Carey and Politico Pro's Jennifer Haberkorn discuss.
When Congress created the option for beneficiaries to join the private Medicare Advantage plans, it gave oversight to federal officials, preempting state insurance laws and procedures.
The court says closely held corporations may be exempted from the health law's mandate that employer health plans cover certain types of contraception at no cost to the employee.
Many health plans could be affected by the coming high court ruling on cases challenging the mandate to provide specific types of contraception.
An analysis of newly available data may reveal fraud. But experts caution that the raw data alone could also make physicians who are doing nothing wrong look bad.
Billing data show that some doctors charge the government much more than their peers in the same specialty by deeming almost all office visits "complex."
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