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At Hillcrest Medical Center, which is testing a "bundled" Medicare payment system, some seniors get paid up to $1,157 for having surgery. The pilot program aims to save money and improve care by paying doctors and hospitals a lump sum and rewards the patients with part of the savings.
KHN's Phil Galewitz talks to Donald Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and clinical professor of pediatrics and health care policy at the Harvard Medical School.
The Senate Finance Committee calls for cuts in private Medicare plans to help pay for health reform. Some senators on the panel, worried about the 10.5 million seniors in the plans
To get the necessary 60 votes to pass health overhaul legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid must resolve Democrats' disagreements on the public option, abortion, cost and affordability.
Makers of generic drugs say it's unfair to make them pay $460 million to help fund health care overhaul legislation. They warn consumer prices could rise if Congress approves the 10 years of increased Medicaid discounts included in the bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.
Even as Congress moves to expand health insurance coverage to millions of Americans, it's doing little to ensure there will be enough primary care doctors to meet the expected surge in demand for treatment. One prediction: the shortage of family doctors will reach 40,000 by 2019, as medical schools send about half the needed number of graduates into primary care medicine.
Majority Leader Harry Reid added new taxes and modified major provisions of health bills passed by two Senate panels in a health bill unveiled Wednesday night.
Now that the Senate has passed a hotly debated health care bill, Congress is headed to the next step: House-Senate negotiations in January to try to hammer out a final version. Here's where things stand and how you might be affected.
Miami seniors will still pay nothing for coverage; rates to rise in New York and Philadelphia.
While much of the attention paid to the Senate health reform bill has been about the public option or financing, there are many lesser-known provisions that would affect consumers.
For employers, the Senate Finance Committee health bill says size matters. Small businesses that don't offer coverage would get tax credits while the bigger ones could face fines.
Sebelius cites case of Rick Colby, who supports Obama's health care goals, but offers some changes.
Part of the effort to cut health spending aims at Medicare Advantage programs, which often offer benefits that go beyond traditional Medicare. But Obama says they are unfair and inefficient.
The roots of Medicare Advantage plans go back to the late 1970s, when health planners believed they could improve care while saving money. Now, health care reformers say the plans are too costly.
The Senate and House health bills differ in important ways. We ask and answer questions consumers might have about the bills.
As congressional legislation takes shape, most of the major health care players - hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, health insurers and pharmaceutical companies - are likely to benefit over the long term.
Obama and congressional leaders hope to reduce health care spending by promoting prevention to catch disease early. But some insurance and health officials say such efforts-although laudable-may not cut overall health costs.
Unions and advocates for low-income workers are criticizing a possible Senate Finance Committee move to drop an employer mandate in favor of a "free-rider" penalty. The provision would require companies to pay for part of the subsidies for uninsured workers to buy health insurance on the proposed exchanges. Business lobbyists say it's better than a straight mandate.
Powerful hospital trade associations are opposing President Obama's plan for an independent commission to determine how much Medicare pays doctors and hospitals. But certain "model" hospital systems - such as CHRISTUS Health - are breaking ranks and supporting the idea.
Public support for an overhaul the U.S. health care system has slipped somewhat, according to a new poll. But a majority of Americans still believe that "it is more important than ever to take on health care reform now."
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