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Specialty Medicines Injected By Doctors Straining Budgets Of Medicare And Patients

November 24, 2015 Morning Briefing

A study finds that these drugs that must be administered under doctor supervision cost Medicare $20.9 billion in 2013, while the out-of-pocket share for Medicare Part B beneficiaries ranged from $1,900 to $107,000. In other Medicare news, KHN reports on the end of a bonus program that will impact primary care doctors’ pay, and Reuters writes about adult children struggling to care for two parents at once.

UnitedHealth Reports 3Q Revenues Up, Earnings Flat At $1.6B

October 15, 2015 Morning Briefing

The health insurer beat expectations due in part to growth in its pharmacy benefits management business, spurred by a recent purchase of Catamaran.

HHS Proposes Narrowing Drug Discount Program

August 28, 2015 Morning Briefing

The program, known as the 340B program, would tighten control on the deep discounts that some patients, drugs and providers get.

How Medicare Beneficiaries Can Pick The Best Drug Plan For Their Pocketbook

October 22, 2015 Morning Briefing

With the open enrollment period running through Dec. 7, PBS Newshour offers advice for choosing a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Meanwhile, PBS’ Next Avenue looks at who might be affected by a 52-percent Medicare Part B premium increase in 2016, how to lessen the pain and what might stop the hike.

Advocates Say Mental Health ‘Parity’ Law Is Not Fulfilling Its Promise

By Jenny Gold August 3, 2015 KFF Health News Original

A landmark federal law requiring insurers to cover mental illness as they would any other disease is not being followed or enforced, say patient advocates and attorneys. Insurers say they have taken “tremendous steps.”

758 Hospitals Penalized For Patient Safety In 2016: Data Table

By Jordan Rau December 10, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Medicare is lowering its 2016 payments by 1 percent for 758 hospitals with high rates of potentially avoidable infections and complications such as blood clots, bed sores and falls. This is the second year of the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Reduction Program, which was mandated by the federal health law to reduce patient injuries. Below are the […]

Hillary Clinton Targets ‘Quiet Epidemic’ Of Drug Abuse With $10B Plan

September 3, 2015 Morning Briefing

Funding for addiction treatment, prevention programs and criminal justice reforms are part of her proposal. “Plain and simple, drug and alcohol addiction is a disease, not a moral failing,” the Democratic candidate wrote in an op-ed.

Researchers Try New Approach To Getting Patients To Take Their Medication

September 8, 2015 Morning Briefing

In other public health news, colleges push meningitis B vaccinations, whooping cough is likely more spread from siblings than from mother to child, some cucumbers are recalled over a salmonella outbreak and the FDA examines caffeine overdoses.

How Getting Married Affects Health Insurance Tax Credits

By Michelle Andrews April 28, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about cost and coverage.

In Sunlit Paradise, Seniors Go Hungry

By Sarah Varney May 26, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Even in what look like middle class enclaves in Florida, a growing number of seniors are having trouble keeping food on the table. The rate of food insecurity across the country more than doubled among seniors between the years 2001 to 2013.

Staffing An Intensive Care Unit From Miles Away Has Advantages

By Michael Tomsic, WFAE May 8, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Some hospitals are using a remote command center to keep an eye on ICU patients. This brings the expertise of a major medical center to rural hospitals — and may help keep the rural centers open.

Report: Ohio’s Medicaid Costs $2B Below Estimates

August 14, 2015 Morning Briefing

The report found that Medicaid costs, even with the state’s expansion and increase in eligible beneficiaries, were 7.6 percent less that projected for the fiscal year ending in June. Meanwhile, Georgia’s health care agency has all but rejected Grady Health System’s proposed waiver to cover more uninsured people. News outlets in Kansas, Maine and Iowa also report on Medicaid-related developments.

Consumers Drawn To Low Prices Of Temporary Health Plans Despite Risks

By Julie Appleby June 3, 2015 KFF Health News Original

The policies offer a stopgap for people between jobs, but enrollees still pay a federal tax penalty because the policies fall short of health law standards.

FAQ: Congress Passes A Bill To Fix Medicare’s Doctor Payments. What’s In It?

By Mary Agnes Carey April 15, 2015 KFF Health News Original

A rare bipartisan effort will scrap the troubled physician payment formula and transition to a system focused on new quality measures.

Obamacare Ruling Could Kill Coverage For 413,000 In Georgia

By Misty Williams, Atlanta Journal-Constitution June 17, 2015 KFF Health News Original

No tax credit means no health insurance at all for tens of thousands of Georgians.

Online Doctor Appointment Service ZocDoc Valued At $1.8B

August 21, 2015 Morning Briefing

The company is raising money to expand. Elsewhere in health care technology news, Google Glass finds a place in the doctor’s office and startups aim at giving second opinions on expensive surgery.

Errors Can Turn Affordable Care Benefits To Customer Torment

By Ann Doss Helms, The Charlotte Observer March 23, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Pairing federal payments with private insurance brings benefits to many but creates dueling bureaucracies for some customers caught between them.

FRONTLINE CHAT: “How Would You Spend Your Final Days?”

February 12, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold co-hosted a live chat,“How Would You Spend Your Final Days?” with Frontline documentary maker Tom Jennings. They discussed Being Mortal, the film based on the book by Atul Gawande. You can watch the documentary online and check out other KHN stories about end-of-life issues.

Medicare Itemizes Its $103 Billion Drug Bill

By Jordan Rau April 30, 2015 KFF Health News Original

Federal officials release data showing prescription histories of hundreds of thousands of doctors and identifying the most common and costly drugs.

Hospital-Acquired Condition Penalties By State

By Jordan Rau December 19, 2014 KFF Health News Original

Medicare is reducing payments to 721 hospitals with high rates of infections or other medical complications. About 1,400 hospitals, including all in Maryland, are excluded from the program and Medicare did not assess their rates of patient harm.

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