Judge Rules CMS Miscalculated Medicare Star Rating for SCAN Health
June 5, 2024
Morning Briefing
SCAN Health Plan had sued CMS, saying regulators didn’t properly calculate the insurer’s Medicare Advantage rating. The decision could have industrywide implications, Modern Healthcare says.
Democrats Plan to Expand Medicare Hearing Benefits. What Can Consumers Expect?
By Rachana Pradhan
November 5, 2021
KFF Health News Original
KHN answers questions for seniors about how this new benefit might work.
La catarata de información sobre la inscripción a Medicare no explica bien las opciones de Medigap
By Harris Meyer
November 9, 2021
KFF Health News Original
En parte porque las políticas sobre el acceso y los costos de Medigap cambian dependiendo del estado, o por la información confusa, muchos beneficiarios no eligen lo que más les conviene.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, October 11, 2023
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
Abortion law, opioids, Medicare Advantage, covid, Medicaid enrollment, telehealth rules, sepsis, mental health, and more are in the news.
CMS To End Advance-Payment Program For Those Affected By Hack
June 18, 2024
Morning Briefing
The program, launched in March in the aftermath of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, sent advance payments to providers whose operations were disrupted. CMS also announced a do-over of 2024 quality scores for Medicare Advantage plans.
House Passes Bill Barring Use Of QALY Metric In Federal Health Programs
February 8, 2024
Morning Briefing
The legislation would ban the use of quality-adjusted life years indexes when valuing medicines for federal health programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and VA Health Care.
Revised CMS Scores Yield Extra $200M In Bonus Payments For Centene
December 13, 2024
Morning Briefing
Centene told investors Tuesday that the company would get additional bonus payments after CMS updated its Medicare Advantage Star Ratings. More health industry news stories report on legal settlements, layoffs, private equity investments, and more.
‘Big 3’ Medicare Advantage Insurer Algorithms Deny 1 in 4 Post-Acute Care Requests: Probe
October 17, 2024
Morning Briefing
A Senate investigation found the three largest Medicare Advantage insurers have been increasingly denying seniors claims since adopting AI and algorithms to help streamline the approval process, reaching a nearly 1 in 4 denial rate since 2022.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Congress Kicks the (Budget) Can Down the Road. Again.
November 16, 2023
Podcast
Congress narrowly avoided a federal government shutdown for the second time in six weeks, as Democrats came to the rescue of divided House Republicans over annual spending bills that were supposed to be finished by Oct. 1. But the brinksmanship is likely to repeat itself early in 2024, when the next temporary spending patches expire. Meanwhile, a pair of investigations unveiled this week demonstrate how difficult it still is for seniors to get needed long-term and rehabilitation care. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
Insurers Overcharging Taxpayers For Medicare Advantage, Doctors Allege
October 11, 2023
Morning Briefing
The overcharging sum, Physicians for a National Health Program alleges, could be at least $88 billion a year. Meanwhile, Medicare Advantage’s predictive AI software is in the spotlight for cutting off care to people who need it. Also: a federal program to cut sepsis deaths, open enrollment, and more.
Now Included In First-Aid Guidelines: Overdoses, Seizures, And More
December 4, 2024
Morning Briefing
In the first update since 2010, the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross have included how to treat opioid overdoses and open chest wounds, among other things. Other industry news includes strikes, hospital closures, Medicare Advantage, and more.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Newly Minted Doctors Are Avoiding Abortion Ban States
May 9, 2024
Podcast
For the second year in a row, medical school graduates across specialties are shying away from applying for residency training in states with abortion bans or significant restrictions, according to a new study. Meanwhile, Medicare’s trustees report that the program will be able to pay its bills longer than expected — which could discourage Congress from acting to address the program’s long-term financial woes. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University schools of nursing and public health and Politico Magazine, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Survey Finds Nearly 80% Dissatisfied With Cost Of Health Care In US
December 9, 2024
Morning Briefing
In the lowest marks in over two decades, a Gallup poll finds that only 19% of Americans are satisfied with the costs of health care in 2024. Quality ratings suffer as well, with less than a majority of people giving “good” or “excellent.” And a separate survey looks at Medicare Advantage plans.
Demócratas proponen ampliar beneficios de Medicare para la audición. ¿Qué pueden esperar los consumidores?
By Rachana Pradhan
November 5, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Investigaciones han demostrado que la pérdida de la audición puede socavar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores, lo que conduce a la soledad, el aislamiento, la depresión, y trastornos de la comunicación.
Under Trump, Privately Run Health Care Plans Favored Over ACA And Medicaid
November 7, 2024
Morning Briefing
In the aftermath of the election, health care companies that offer federally funded plans, like ACA and Medicaid, are likely to suffer, while private ones, like Medicare Advantage, will likely benefit from the Republican win. Also, more about what to expect from the Trump presidency.
Hospitals Said They Lost Money on Medicare Patients. Some Made Millions, a State Report Finds.
By Fred Clasen-Kelly
October 25, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A North Carolina state treasurer’s report found hospitals give conflicting information about whether they profit from Medicare patients. Experts said the findings are significant because they suggest the federal government has failed to closely watch the billions of dollars in tax breaks that nonprofit hospitals have received.
Say What? Hearing Aids Available Over-the-Counter for as Low as $199, and Without a Prescription
By Phil Galewitz
October 17, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The cheaper over-the-counter aids are for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss — a market of tens of millions of people, many of whom have until now been priced out because prescription devices can cost thousands of dollars.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, September 27, 2023
September 27, 2023
Morning Briefing
Covid vaccine attitudes, shutdown watch, ARPA-H hubs, Medicare Advantage premiums, abortion law, drug pricing, and more are in the news.
CMS-Proposed Rules Would Cap Medicare Advantage Broker Incentives
November 7, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are launching a second-wave effort to target Medicaid Advantage marketing practices in an effort to ensure older Americans have access to Medicare supplemental benefits and drug coverage.
Humana Health Plan Overcharged Medicare by Nearly $200 Million, Federal Audit Finds
By Fred Schulte
April 20, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Medicare Advantage company may face record penalty over alleged billing errors.
