FAQ: Hospital Observation Care Can Be Costly For Medicare Patients
A guide to help Medicare patients receiving observation care.
The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
461 - 480 of 959 Results
A guide to help Medicare patients receiving observation care.
Commissioner says $37 billion deal would stifle market competition, raise health insurance rates and reduce access to care.
Political fights over health care continue to flare. In Utah, angry voters say lawmakers are disregarding their wishes by trying to limit the scope of a ballot referendum that expanded Medicaid.
Some hospitals and other medical providers are experimenting with ride-hailing services to help patients without access to cars get to their appointments.
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis sheds new light on a widely-held belief about the costs of end-of-life care.
The latest example is Sutter Health and Anthem Blue Cross, whose failure to seal a deal is causing Anthem members to worry they may not have access to one of the dominant hospital chains in Northern California. Across the U.S., the stakes in such contract fights have risen, as health systems and insurers battle to increase their market share.
The case is not expected to have an immediate effect on coverage for people who buy plans on the federal health law marketplaces because the case is likely to go to the Supreme Court — the third time that the justices will decide the fate of the landmark health law.
President Donald Trump and FDA officials have pointed to a surge in generic drug approvals, but a data analysis indicates almost half haven’t reached the market.
Researchers estimated that a year’s worth of care for kids with diabetes cost more than $17,000.
A growing number of community hospitals are forming alliances with some of the nation's biggest and most prestigious institutions. But for prospective patients, it can be hard to assess what these relationships actually mean.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Policyholders reason that their health is good — for now — and they don’t see the need for costly comprehensive coverage. Detractors say the plans undermine the Affordable Care Act, and agents advise reading the fine print. “You basically have to be in perfect health,” says one.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
More Medicare Part D drug plans are requiring coinsurance rather than copayments for more types of medications, making beneficiaries’ costs less predictable.
Among candidates running for Congress in upcoming elections are a smattering of left-leaning physicians who present a stark contrast to the predominantly Republican physicians currently in office.
Penalties will total $566 million for all hospitals. But many that serve a large share of low-income patients will lose less money than they did in previous years.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
The dialysis industry raised nearly $111 million in a successful bid to defeat the measure, which also was opposed by hospitals and doctors. The union that sponsored the measure collected about one-sixth that amount.
The majority of people choosing the private plans for Medicare coverage were switching out of the traditional program, research in the journal Health Affairs finds.
The share of Medicare Advantage members enrolled in plans with high star ratings has almost doubled since 2013, earning bonuses for private insurers who offer them.
© 2026 KFF