As Sanders Officially Revives Medicare-For-All, Plan B For Democrats Gains Traction
“Medicare for America” seeks to avoid some of the predictable obstacles of a full-blown expansion of Medicare. Can it survive the politics of health reform?
Search
Filter
Clear All341-360 of 972 results
-
Live from Austin, Examining Health Equity
Episode 362The term “health equity” means different things to different people. Beyond guaranteeing all Americans access to adequate, affordable medical care, the pursuit of equity can include addressing social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and environment. Systemic and historical racism — manifested in over-policing or contaminated drinking water, for instance — can negatively affect health. In a live taping at the Texas Tribune Festival, special guests Carol Alvarado, the Texas state Senate’s Democratic leader, and Ann Barnes, president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, along with KFF Health News’ Sabriya Rice and Cara Anthony, join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss addressing health inequities.
-
Costly Confusion: Medicare’s Wellness Visit Isn’t The Same As An Annual Physical
Medicare doesn’t pay for an annual physical, but it does cover an annual wellness visit focused on preventing disease and disability by coming up with a “personalized prevention plan” for future medical issues. It is important to use the correct term when scheduling a doctor’s visit.
-
Feds Join Lawsuit Alleging Sutter Health Padded Revenue With False Patient Data
The whistleblower complaint says that Sutter, one of the largest health systems in the U.S., exaggerated how sick certain Medicare patients were in order to collect higher payments from the government-funded program.
Wrestling With a Giant: How to Dispute a Hospital Bill
Season 9, Episode 3One listener tried to dispute a $1,300 “facility fee” with the treating hospital, his insurer, a bill-mediation service provided by his employer, and finally a debt collector. He didn’t win, but he learned valuable lessons about advocating for hospital discounts.
-
Seniors Steamed Over Cuts To SilverSneakers Fitness Program
UnitedHealthcare has put the skids on offering SilverSneakers, the nation’s fitness program for seniors, as part of its benefit packages. A look at why and some alternatives.
Mental Health ‘Ghost Networks’ — And a Ghostbuster
Season 9, Episode 6What should you do when your search for an in-network mental health care provider comes up empty? Abigail Burman has some expertise to share.
-
As Seniors Get Sicker, They’re More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage plans offer good value and aim to keep patients healthy but sicker people are far more likely to quit because they can’t get the care they need.
By Fred Schulte -
Abortion Bans Are Motivating Midterm Voters, Poll Shows
A new KFF poll shows Democrats and those living in states where abortion is illegal say the issue has made them more motivated to vote. It also shows that 70% of Republicans oppose total abortion bans.
To End School Shootings, Activists Consider a New Culprit: Parents
Episode 333For the first time, a jury has convicted a parent of a school shooter of charges related to the child’s crime, finding a mother in Michigan guilty of involuntary manslaughter and possibly opening a new legal avenue for gun control advocates. Meanwhile, as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a case challenging the FDA’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, a medical publisher has retracted some of the journal studies that lower-court judges relied on in their decisions. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
-
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ ‘Medicare-For-All’ For Dummies
The “Medicare–for-all” debate is already in full swing, but what does that phrase even mean? Joanne Kenen of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner for a beginner’s guide to the next big health policy debate. For “extra credit,” the panelists provide their favorite health policy stories of the week, and as a special Valentine’s Day bonus, their favorite #HealthPolicyValentines.
-
Is New App From Feds Your Answer To Navigating Medicare Coverage? Yes And No
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched this month the “What’s Covered” app, designed to provide yes-or-no answers about what services are covered under traditional Medicare. KHN took it for a test drive with real consumers.
By Rachel Bluth -
As Pandemic-Era Medicaid Provisions Lapse, Millions Approach a Coverage Cliff
States are trying to reach millions of Medicaid enrollees to make sure those still eligible remain covered and help others find new health insurance.
-
KHN Investigation: The System Feds Rely On to Stop Repeat Health Fraud Is Broken
A months-long KHN examination of the system meant to bar fraudsters from Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health programs found gaping holes and expansive gray areas through which banned individuals slip to repeatedly bilk taxpayer-funded programs.
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Lauren Weber -
While Inflation Takes a Toll on Seniors, Billions of Dollars in Benefits Go Unused
With prices of necessities rising dramatically, many older Americans are having trouble making ends meet. They often don’t know that help is available from a variety of programs, and some sources of financial assistance are underused.
When an Anti-Vaccine Activist Runs for President
Episode 299Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s official entry into the presidential race poses a thorny challenge for journalists: how to cover a candidate who’s opposed to vaccines without amplifying misinformation. And South Carolina becomes the latest state in the South to ban abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani about her project to track the billions of dollars coming from opioid makers to settle lawsuits.
-
Two Medicare Advantage Insurers Settle Whistleblower Lawsuit For $32 Million
Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging they overbilled Medicare.
By Fred Schulte -
Seniors Aging In Place Turn To Devices And Helpers, But Unmet Needs Are Common
A new study examines how seniors with deteriorating strength and other physical functions deal with such challenges as taking a shower or getting dressed in the morning.
-
For 2020 Dem Hopefuls, ‘Medicare-For-All’ Is A Defining Issue, However They Define It
Support for “Medicare-for-all” is becoming a front-runner topic among Democratic presidential candidates. But the phrase is being used to describe any number of policies.
-
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Republicans’ Preexisting Political Problem
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss how protections for people with preexisting conditions have become a top issue in the elections, Trump administration efforts to make prescription drug prices more public and the start of Medicare’s annual open-enrollment period. Plus, Rovner interviews California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.