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The United Network for Organ Sharing system for allocating kidneys is considering ranking the ages of donors and potential recipients. Kidneys with the lowest expected survival would be distributed more widely across the country, a move that would help older patients whose life expectancy is limited.
While most of the nation’s kidney transplant centers don’t have an upper age limit for recipients, more than three-quarters don’t accept the organs from people older than 70. Some doctors and patients are pushing to change that.
Richard Foster talks about the travails of trying to provide objective information to Congress and the White House.
The advocates for elderly and disabled people living in nursing homes or assisted living centers responded to 204,000 complaints nationwide in 2011.
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about how expectant parents can choose the best insurance for their child.
Consumers in Colorado focus groups said they know very little about insurance and will need a lot of customer support to purchase coverage online.
Sickle cell disease changes the shape of red blood cells from discs to sickles. Patients arrive at the emergency room with sudden onset of severe, excruciating pain, saying their blood feels “stuck.”
Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican elected in 2011, has been a vocal opponent of the 2010 health law. KHN correspondent Phil Galewitz sat down with him at his office in Jackson, Miss.
Insurers bet some consumers will choose cheaper plans that restrict their choice of doctors, despite worries about skimpy care and huge bills for out-of-network providers.
In Mississippi, Republican leaders split on state insurance marketplace dubbed “One, Mississippi.”
A recent study found that the health care industry isn’t benefiting from computer networks that have transformed other fields. But the federal coordinator for health IT says there has been a lot of progress that will result in better care and cost savings in the future.
Video: In his second inaugural speech Monday, President Barack Obama discussed the need to reduce health costs — but also defended the importance of Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicaid and private insurers seek to reduce deliveries before 39 weeks to reduce complications and costs.
A survey finds that more than three-quarters of hospices have restrictive enrollment policies designed to keep away patients with high-cost medical needs.
Few states are poised to spend their own money to reverse as much as a decade of budget cutbacks in mental health care.
