Having A Baby? Big Differences Noted In Hospital Quality Across Mass.
WBUR compiles a database for pregnant women to compare hospitals in Massachusetts.
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Consumers’ Satisfaction With Coverage Linked To Out-Of-Pocket Expenses
People with traditional health insurance plans are happier with their coverage than those with high-deductible plans, but the groups also say the quality of their coverage is similar.
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Good News, Bad News In Medicare Trustees Report
Trust fund solvent until 2030, but some seniors may see a big spike in Part B premiums.
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Advocate For Alzheimer’s Research Says Aging Baby Boomers Face Big Threat From Disease
Dr. Maria Carrillo tells KHN that in addition to finding ways to screen for the disease and treat it, public health officials need to think about increasing the number of skilled nursing homes and home health aides.
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How Vandalism And Fear Ended Abortion In Northwest Montana
When Zachary Klundt broke into All Families Healthcare he destroyed the only clinic providing abortions in the Flathead Valley of Montana. More than a year later, the clinic remains closed.
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HHS Pushes States To Negotiate Lower Obamacare Rates
Healthcare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan is urging state insurance commissioners to look carefully at proposed rate hikes for insurance premiums in 2016.
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Sometimes A Little More Minecraft May Be Quite All Right
The wildly popular video game Minecraft teaches kids basic spatial reasoning concepts and helps them think critically. So, if you’re using it for educational purposes, does it count as screen time, and should parents limit it?
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Despite Obamacare Promise, Transgender People Have Trouble Getting Some Care
Advocates say that enrollees get turned down for coverage of some services that are tied to gender.
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Feds Say 7.5M Paid An Average Penalty Of $200 For Not Having Health Insurance
New data also break down billions in subsidy payments.
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More Health Plan Choices At Work. What’s The Catch?
Despite the benefits to a company’s bottom line, and more choices for employees, John Henry Foster is one of relatively few businesses using a private health insurance exchange.
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Despite Gains In Advance Directives, Study Finds More Intensive End-Of-Life Cancer Care
A recent study in JAMA Oncology examined trends in advance care planning and found that though the use of durable powers of attorney increased, the number of people who received “all care possible” at the end of life went up.
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Surprise! That Urgent Care Center May Send You A Big Bill (Just Like The ER)
Many urgent care centers say they take your insurance. But that’s not the same thing as participating in the plan. It could mean you will get a big bill down the road.
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How Much Does It Cost To Have A Baby? Hospital Study Finds Huge Price Range
According to a recent Health Affairs study, the price tag for low-risk births varies widely among hospitals and high-cost maternity care doesn’t necessarily lead to better outcomes.
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2015 Home Health Agencies Ratings: 5-Star Facilities
Kaiser Health News lists the 239 home health agencies that received Medicare’s highest rating of five stars.
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2015 Home Health Agencies Ratings: 1-Star And 1.5-Star Facilities
KHN also lists the six home health agencies that received Medicare’s lowest rating of one star and the 195 agencies rated one and a half stars. These ratings, released July 2015, are based on performance from fall 2013 through last year.
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Home Health Agencies Get Medicare’s Star Treatment
For the first time, the government is assigning one to five stars to the agencies that care for seniors in their homes. Nearly half of 9,000 agencies rated captured average scores.
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Former Medicare Chief Named Top Health Insurance Lobbyist
Marilyn Tavenner, a former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will lead America’s Health Insurance Plans, becoming the most prominent insurance industry lobbyist in the nation.
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California, Oregon To Allow Hormonal Contraceptives Without A Doctor’s Prescription
The two states are the first in the country to allow pharmacists to directly prescribe “the pill” and similar contraceptives.
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N.Y. Law Offers Model For Helping Consumers Avoid Surprise Out-Of-Network Charges
Under the comprehensive law, patients are generally protected from owing more than their in-network copayment, coinsurance or deductible on bills they receive for out-of-network emergency services or on surprise bills.
