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Medicare patients must be told when they're in "observation" status but not admitted in a hospital, under legislation expected to be signed into law by the president.
The federal-state health care program covers nearly half of all births, one-third of children across the country and two-thirds of people in nursing homes.
A California woman sued to allow her doctor to prescribe life-ending medication without fear of prosecution; a decision is expected Monday.
Medicare provides coverage to one in six Americans, and federal officials hope to trim the increasing cost and improve how the program operates.
Trust fund solvent until 2030, but some seniors may see a big spike in Part B premiums.
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.
The proposed rules, released in advance of the White House Conference on Aging, cover wide-ranging topics, from meals to roommate selection to staff training.
Across the country, hospitals are offering seniors social activities and other benefits to help them stay healthy and out of the hospital, while also encouraging them to come back to visit.
Supervisors are slated to vote Tuesday on a contract that would provide nearly $15M in additional state funds to hire 70 more staffers.
Advocates say the law has permitted homes to give anti-psychotic drugs, use restraints and withdraw treatment without allowing patients to object. But the industry warns the ruling will make it more challenging to provide routine care to such patients.
The problem, which is often preventable, is estimated to cost more than $143 billion annually and disproportionately affects people older than 65. It is often misdiagnosed as dementia.
In California nursing homes, just over 15 percent of dementia patients are on antipsychotic drugs. That’s far more than advocates say is necessary. But that number is down from almost 22 percent just three years ago.
Even in what look like middle class enclaves in Florida, a growing number of seniors are having trouble keeping food on the table. The rate of food insecurity across the country more than doubled among seniors between the years 2001 to 2013.
A young mother with a grave lung disease worries that a California bill that would make assisted suicide legal could pressure terminally ill people to end their lives.
Texas boasts the highest percentage of low-ranked nursing homes in the country, followed by Louisiana, Oklahoma, Georgia and West Virginia.
Even as end-of-life planning gains favor with more Americans, African-Americans, research shows, remain very skeptical of options like hospice and advance directives. The result can mean more aggressive, painful care at the end of life that prolongs suffering.
About 12 percent of people 85 and older who died had no assets left and 20 percent had only their homes, according to the research. But even people who die much younger can face similar financial problems.
Under Medicare’s hospice benefit, patients agree to forgo curative treatment, but they can continue to receive coverage for health problems not related to their terminal illness. Federal officials suspect some of those expenses should be covered by hospice.
Pleasing patients has become more important to hospitals as Medicare takes consumers views into account when setting payments. Most hospitals are getting better, but others have not improved since the government started publishing ratings six years ago.
New federal rules requiring current information apply to insurers selling plans on healthcare.gov and the private policies that are an alternative to Medicare.
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