State Highlights: Md. Hospitals’ Experiment Generates $100M In Medicare Savings; N.Y. To Invest $7.3B In Delivery System Overhaul
June 30, 2015
Morning Briefing
News outlets report on health care developments in Maryland, Connecticut, New York, Alaska and Kentucky.
Grassley Urges Tighter Scrutiny Of Medicare Advantage Plans; House ‘Cures’ Bill Mark Up Delayed
May 21, 2015
Morning Briefing
In other Capitol Hill happenings, supporters of the 340B Drug Discount program urge lawmakers not to make changes in it as part of the “Cures” bill that would overhaul the FDA’s drug approval process. Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, gives a bleak VA progress report.
Administration Says Hospitals Will Save $5.7B From Unpaid Bills Due To Health Law
By Mary Agnes Carey
September 24, 2014
KFF Health News Original
About three-quarters of the savings will go to hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid.
Many Medicare Outpatients Pay More At Rural Hospitals, Federal Report Says
By Jordan Rau
October 8, 2014
KFF Health News Original
An investigation by the HHS inspector general says beneficiaries getting the treatments at “critical access” hospitals pay between two and six times more than those at other hospitals.
The Latest In Public Health Funding: Tapping Investors
By Anna Gorman
October 23, 2014
KFF Health News Original
An asthma prevention program in California hopes to offer returns based on savings from reduced hospital visits.
$10B VA Health Care Choice Program Has Disappointing Results
April 24, 2015
Morning Briefing
The program was supposed to shorten waiting lists by allowing patients to switch to private-sector doctors. Meanwhile, a Florida congressman has introduced legislation that would make it easier to fire Veterans Affairs employees.
What To Know About Medicare’s Enrollment Period
By Mary Agnes Carey and Julie Rovner
November 13, 2014
KFF Health News Original
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.
Letters To The Editor: Chronic Care Transitions, Proton Therapy, California’s Caregivers
January 28, 2015
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to respond, react and comment on our stories.
North Carolina’s $10B Medicaid Challenge: Pay For Other States Or Take Federal Money?
By Ann Doss Helms and Tony Pugh, Charlotte Observer
September 3, 2014
KFF Health News Original
State taxpayers could spend more than $10 billion by 2022 to provide medical coverage for low-income residents of other states while getting nothing in return.
Turning 65? 9 Tips For Signing Up For Medicare
By Caroline Mayer
October 7, 2014
KFF Health News Original
A consumer reporter shares what she learned when getting ready to join the federal health plan for seniors.
Overtreatment For Breast Cancer Costs $4B Annually, Study Finds
April 7, 2015
Morning Briefing
The research, published in the journal Health Affairs, examines the costs associated with mammograms that generate false alarms and treatment of tumors unlikely to cause problems.
Readmissions Penalties By State: Year 3
October 2, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Medicare evaluated the readmission rates of the nation’s hospitals in determining the third year of penalties in the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. This table lists the average impact on hospitals in each state.
Improve Oversight Of Hospital Discount Drug Program, Watchdogs Say
March 25, 2015
Morning Briefing
As participation in the federal 340B drug discount program has quickly expanded, officials told lawmakers at a House hearing that new legislation may be necessary to make sure that benefits go to eligible providers and patients.
Report: US Pays $125B To Ineligible Recipients
March 6, 2015
Morning Briefing
The Government Accountability Office said the federal government lost ground last year in reducing improper payments from programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and tax credits for the working poor. Meanwhile, a group advising Congress pushes for changes to policies on short hospital stays.
Drug Discount Program Has Drugmakers Crying Foul
By Kristian Foden-Vencil, Oregon Public Broadcasting
June 23, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Hospitals and drug makers are waging a pitched battle over the program — known as 340B — that requires drug manufacturers to give steep discounts to hospitals that treat a large percentage of poor patients.
Good News For Boomers: Medicare’s Hospital Trust Fund Appears Flush Until 2030
By Julie Rovner
July 28, 2014
KFF Health News Original
But the fund that pays disability benefits needs help fast.
More Scrutiny Coming For Medicare Advantage, Obamacare
By Fred Schulte, The Center For Public Integrity
November 3, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Federal officials are planning a wide range of audits into billing and government spending on managed health care in the new fiscal year, ranging from private Medicare Advantage groups that treat millions of elderly to health plans rapidly expanding under the Affordable Care Act.
State Highlights: State Medicaid Fraud Units Net More Than $2B
March 2, 2015
Morning Briefing
A selection of health policy stories from Connecticut, Georgia, California, Maryland, Texas, Idaho, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Wisconsin, Kansas and Washington.
Drug Discount Policy For Hospitals, Clinics Under Scrutiny
By Mary Agnes Carey
June 23, 2014
KFF Health News Original
Critics argue that some facilities using the program should not be eligible and that the money they receive from the sale of the discounted drugs is not always being plowed back into patient care.
State Highlights: CDC Official Says Ind. HIV Outbreak Could Be ‘A Model Response’; Minn. House GOP Advances $1B In Cuts To Health And Human Services Spending
April 29, 2015
Morning Briefing
News outlets cover health care issues in Indiana, Minnesota, California, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, Arizona and Texas.