Telemedicine or In-Person Visit? Pros and Cons
By Bernard J. Wolfson
October 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
The volume of virtual medical appointments has exploded during the pandemic as patients and doctors have sought to avoid infection through in-person visits.
La revancha del debate Biden-Harris destaca diferencias en los planes de salud
By Emmarie Huetteman
July 31, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Hay casi tantas versiones de “Medicare para Todos” como candidatos demócratas, y cada uno piensa que su plan es el camino para asegurar a todos los estadounidenses.
KHN Sues To Get Medicare Advantage Audits Released
September 27, 2019
Morning Briefing
The news service is seeking copies of 90 government audits of Medicare Advantage health plans conducted for 2011, 2012 and 2013 but never made public. News on Medicare Advantage comes from Florida as well.
Readers and Tweeters Defend Front-Line Nurses and Blind Us With Science
December 17, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Making Smarter Decisions About Where To Recover After Hospitalization
By Judith Graham
April 11, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Older adults — and their families — often find it challenging and stressful to find the best facility. And they often end up in the wrong spot, new research shows.
Medicare Advantage Plans Shift Their Financial Risk To Doctors
By Phil Galewitz
October 8, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Some private Medicare Advantage plans are offering large physician-management companies more money upfront and control of their patients’ care, but the doctors are responsible for staying within the budget.
Medicare Advantage Riding High As New Insurers Flock To Sell To Seniors
By Phil Galewitz
October 15, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The private health plans that are an alternative to government-run Medicare continue to grow despite the Affordable Care Act’s cuts of billions of dollars in funding.
Feds Join Lawsuit Alleging Sutter Health Padded Revenue With False Patient Data
By Samantha Young
December 14, 2018
KFF Health News Original
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.
Medicare Advantage Paying For A New Air Conditioner? Plans Starting To Embrace Flexibility In Offered Benefits
October 7, 2019
Morning Briefing
The federal government has encouraged Medicare Advantage plans to offer perks that address the social and environmental factors associated with improved health.
Bundled Payments Fall Short Of Expectations In Cutting Spending, Improving Quality
January 7, 2020
Morning Briefing
The federal government, hospitals and physicians have been gravitating toward bundled payments, but new studies challenge the belief that they help achieve cost savings. Meanwhile, CMS is proposing changes to Medicare Advantage payments for 2021, including an increase in the percentage of patient “encounter data” used to calculate payments.
Inspector General’s Report Raises Red Flags Over Billions In Medicare Advantage Payments To Private Insurers
December 13, 2019
Morning Briefing
An Inspector General report suggests that private insurers are combing through patients’ files and adding on conditions like diabetes to make the patient looks sicker than they were to get more money from the government. A spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans said the report is based on a type of data with well-documented challenges, and noted that the watchdog didn’t review medical records for the analysis.
Dialysis Industry Spends Millions, Emerges as Power Player in California Politics
By Samantha Young
December 10, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Over the past four years, the dialysis industry has spent $233 million on both political offense and defense in California. Most of it went toward protecting its revenues against ballot initiatives, but the industry also strategically worked the corridors of the state Capitol.
New Medicare Advantage Plans Offer Many New Supplemental Options That Regular Medicare Doesn’t
September 26, 2019
Morning Briefing
About a third of people opt for Medicare Advantage plans, and during the upcoming enrollment period they will now see options for things that will help them prevent illness, like carpet shampooing. But Medicare Advantage can still restrict access to doctors and hospitals. In news on Medicaid, the CMS acting director Calder Lynch identifies ways to control spending.
Feds Settle Huge Whistleblower Suit Over Medicare Advantage Fraud
By Fred Schulte
October 1, 2018
KFF Health News Original
A DaVita subsidiary will pay $270 million over allegations that it cheated the federal government for years.
How Obamacare, Medicare And ‘Medicare For All’ Muddy The Campaign Trail
By Shefali Luthra
May 13, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A talking point used by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refers to all three of these distinct concepts in a way that could magnify public misperceptions.
Wealthy Hospital Taps Craft Breweries For Aid To Buy Masks, Gloves
By Phil Galewitz
June 16, 2020
KFF Health News Original
Although the federal government has poured billions of dollars into hospitals to defray their losses from the coronavirus outbreak, new streams of fundraising have emerged — including health worker-themed beer that adds “a drop in the bucket.”
Seniors Steamed Over Cuts To SilverSneakers Fitness Program
By Judith Graham
December 6, 2018
KFF Health News Original
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.
Research Roundup: Marketplace Enrollment, Medicare Advantage And Surprise Bills
September 27, 2019
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
New Dental Treatment Helps Fill Cavities and Insurance Gaps for Seniors
By Michelle Crouch
September 15, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A new treatment for tooth decay is cheaper, quicker and less painful than getting a filling. Originally touted as a solution for kids, silver diamine fluoride is poised to become a game changer for treating cavities in older adults or those with disabilities that make oral care difficult.
Understanding Loneliness In Older Adults — And Tailoring A Solution
By Judith Graham
March 14, 2019
KFF Health News Original
New research shows that older adults want close relationships with the people they care about and meaningful social roles.
