Only 251 Hospitals Score Five Stars In Medicare’s New Ratings
By Jordan Rau
April 16, 2015
KFF Health News Original
The ratings, posted on Medicare’s website Thursday, rank hospitals based on patient reviews.
Medicare Raises Part B Deductibles $19, Sets Premium Increases For Some Beneficiaries
November 11, 2015
Morning Briefing
Congressional action last month thwarted a much higher premium increase for new beneficiaries and those with higher incomes.
Home Health Agencies Get Medicare’s Star Treatment
By Jordan Rau
July 16, 2015
KFF Health News Original
For the first time, the government is assigning one to five stars to the agencies that care for seniors in their homes. Nearly half of 9,000 agencies rated captured average scores.
Research Roundup: Mental Health Parity; Kids’ Food Ads; Medicare Part B Premiums
November 13, 2015
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Millions On Medicare Face Unprecedented Premium Increases
October 15, 2015
Morning Briefing
Congress has so far failed to find a way to stave off 2016 Part B premium hikes that could reach 52 percent for more than 30 percent of Medicare recipients.
Want A Good Laugh? Head To The Hospital
By Susan Jaffe
July 8, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Across the country, hospitals are offering seniors social activities and other benefits to help them stay healthy and out of the hospital, while also encouraging them to come back to visit.
Walgreens To Buy Rival Rite Aid For $9.4B, Will Create Drugstore Giant
October 28, 2015
Morning Briefing
The deal, which Walgreens expects to complete in the second half of 2016, will likely draw regulatory antitrust scrutiny.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 […]
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.
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.
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.