Impact Of Medicare Advantage Cuts On Seniors Sharply Disputed
Experts say that costs may rise for some enrollees, but rates have been largely stable for most.
Medicare Data Show Wide Differences In ACOs’ Patient Care
The first public evaluation of how 141 networks of doctors and hospitals performed looks at five quality measures for patients with diabetes and heart disease.
Bipartisan Group Of Senators Concerned About Medicare Advantage Cuts
Some Democrats have now joined their Republican counterparts in asking the Obama administration to moderate scheduled Medicare Advantage payment cuts for 2015. In a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, a bipartisan coalition of 40 senators urged the administration “to maintain payment levels that will allow [Medicare Advantage] beneficiaries to […]
States Accelerate Shift Of Nursing Home Residents Into Medicaid Managed Care
Insurers say that safety is their No.1 concern, but consumer advocates and nursing home owners are wary.
Hill Plan Would Reward Medicare Doctors For Quality
But finding a way to finance the SGR replacement may be even more difficult.
Wyden Plan May Be Vision For Future Medicare Reforms
Key members of both parties and both chambers of Congress stand before the podium to introduce their bipartisan Medicare proposal. Insurers and health care providers welcome it. Seniors’ groups are on board, too. If Congress is ever going to overhaul Medicare, it will almost certainly have to happen this way. Sen. Ron Wyden, the Oregon Democrat widely […]
As HHS Moves To End Overload Of Medicare Claims Appeals, Beneficiaries Will Get Top Priority
New requests from hospitals, doctors and other providers have been suspended for two years as officials try to get through a backlog of 357,000 cases.
Congress Is Poised To Change Medicare Payment Policy. What Does That Mean For Patients And Doctors?
Capitol Hill committees appear close to replacing the controversial physician payment system that rewards doctors for volume with one that offers incentives for quality and coordination of care.
Maryland’s Bold Hospital Spending Plan Gets Federal Blessing
Maryland hospitals have agreed to new spending limits and big changes in the way they are paid, creating what could be a national model.
Study: Supplemental Plans Raise Medicare Costs 22 Percent
A new study takes the closest look yet at the relationship between Medigap coverage and Medicare spending.
Detailed Report Delivers Good News On Health Costs, But Will It Last?
Definitive 2012 numbers show continued, historically low increases in medical prices and the use of medical services. Health spending rose 3.7 percent, up slightly from 2011 but far below the 8 percent increases of the early 2000s, according to figures released Monday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Health spending has grown faster than incomes and […]
How Much Does A New Hip Cost? Even The Surgeon Doesn’t Know
What will a gallon of milk set you back? How about a new car? You probably have a rough idea. But what about a medical device — the kind that gets implanted during a knee or hip replacement? Chances are you have no clue. And you are not alone: The surgeons who implant those devices probably […]
364 Hospitals Have High Rates Of Overall Readmissions, New Medicare Data Show
Medicare’s new comprehensive measure of hospital readmissions shows that at least 20 percent of the hospitals in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island have higher rates of patients returning than the national average. Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah and Washington led the states with the highest proportion […]
How Palliative Care Helps: One Iowa Family’s Journey
‘This is their life. They’re the boss,’ says Dr. Tim Ihrig of the palliative care department at UnityPoint hospital in Fort Dodge, Iowa. ‘It’s an honor to be on this journey.’
A Reader Asks: Can I Opt Out Of My Retiree Plan To Get Subsidized Insurance?
The health law treats retirees differently than workers getting insurance through their jobs.
When Palliative Care Is The Best Care
A growing subspecialty that manages pain and stress for the seriously ill saves money, increases patient satisfaction and lengthens lives.
UnitedHealthcare Dropping Hundreds Of Doctors From Medicare Advantage Plans
The insurer has been notifying members about the network changes as the Dec. 7 deadline for choosing coverage for next year quickly approaches.
Medicare Seeks To Curb Spending On Post-Hospital Care
One out of every six dollars Medicare spent in the traditional fee-for-service program went to nursing and therapy for patients in rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, long-term care hospitals and in their own homes.
Table: Medicare Spending By State And Category
One out of every five dollars Medicare spends goes to nursing homes, home health services or other post-acute facilities and services. The spending varies greatly between states: Louisiana spends 31 percent on post-acute services while Hawaii spends 12 percent.
Key Senate, House Committee Chairmen Offer Plan To Fix Medicare Doctor Payments
The proposal would keep physician pay at current levels but offer them incentives for quality improvements.
