Latest KFF Health News Stories
Q&A: Where Do I Find A Community Health Center?
Michelle Andrews, KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” columnist answers a question from an uninsured reader with a big health-care bill. She’s looking for advice on future care.
Insurance CEO Says Prevention, Collaboration Are Key To Controlling Costs–The KHN Interview
Bruce Bodaken of Blue Shield of California says encouraging patients to live healthier lives will help head off chronic disease and pay off in lower costs.
Health On The Hill Transcript: Medicaid Untouched, Medicare Spared – For Now – In Debt Deal
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks about the lack of Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the initial round of cuts tied to the debt ceiling increase, and about what sort of cuts the programs could be open to later in the year.
Getting Up Close And Personal With Emergency Care, Canadian Style
Health care columnist’s bike accident lands her in an emergency room where she finds interesting differences from U.S. treatment.
Panel Formed To Give Consumers Reliable Treatment Information
The group, mandated in the federal health law, is expected to provide research that can empower patients to make informed choices and steer clear of unnecessary options.
Health Care Recommendations From Previous Bipartisan Deficit-Reduction Groups: Document
The debt-ceiling agreement calls for a bipartisan “super committee.” This is not the first effort to find a bipartisan agreement on reducing the federal deficit; here is a guide to the health-care recommendations from four groups.
Different Takes: What’s Next For Medicare Cost Controls? Vladeck And Wilensky Offer Their Views
During the course of negotiations to raise the debt ceiling, proposals to reduce Medicare costs had an on-again, off-again presence at the table. We asked Bruce Vladeck and Gail Wilensky which of these ideas could have a positive or negative impact on the program. A ‘Pernicioius’ Idea: Proposals To Forbid First-Dollar Coverage For Medicare Beneficiaries […]
As the country has struggled to raise the debt ceiling, there have been periodic expectations that the current fiscal distress would produce the “right environment” to finally reform entitlements — particularly Medicare. This has seemed quite astounding to me, 15 months before a presidential election year, given the presence of a divided Congress and our highly charged political environment.
Proposals To Forbid First-Dollar Coverage For Medicare Beneficiaries
The usual laundry lists of proposals for Medicare savings are already being circulated throughout official Washington. Most of these ideas have been around for years, and have never gotten past the talking stages because of political opposition or because they are simply bad ideas. But one especially pernicious proposal appears to have increasing traction among both politicians and policy analysts.
As the country has struggled to raise the debt ceiling, there have been periodic expectations that the current fiscal distress would produce the “right environment” to finally reform entitlements — particularly Medicare. This has seemed quite astounding to me, 15 months before a presidential election year, given the presence of a divided Congress and our highly charged political environment.
Health On The Hill: Medicaid Untouched, Medicare Spared – For Now – In Debt
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the lack of Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the initial round of cuts tied to the debt ceiling increase, and about what sort of cuts the programs could be open to later in the year.
Why IPAB Is Essential — A Timely Review (Guest Opinion)
Earlier in July, Jonathan Cohn followed the House Budget Committee’s hearings on the heatlh law’s Independent Payment Advisory Board. The experience inspired him to offer this reminder of what it is;, how it will work; and why it is essential to controlling Medicare costs.
The Questionable Lure Of Free Long-Term Care Placement Services (Guest Opinion)
Internet long-term care placement services are the cyberspace era’s quick fix solution for many Americans seeking non-nursing home institutional care for their aging parents or relatives. But their expertise in navigating this bewildering world of assisted living is, at best, a hit-or-miss proposition.
Nation’s Health Care Bill To Nearly Double By 2020
New estimates from Medicare’s actuaries find the nation’s health spending will grow by 5.8 percent a year through 2020, compared to 5.7 percent without the overhaul.
Poll Finds Americans Gloomy On Some Promises In Health Law
Only 20 percent of people believe consumer protections will get better under the law.
Health On The Hill: Medicare, Medicaid Taken Off Table In Budget Talks
Neither the Boehner nor the Reid plans include cuts to Medicare or Medicaid. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about why that happened and what could bring these entitlements back into the deficit-reduction conversation.
Washington’s Rebate Tax Would Be Paid By Seniors (Guest Column)
Some Democrats are backing a “tax” on prescription drugs that would increase Medicare drug plan premiums by as much as 40 percent. Those lawmaker wouldn’t describe their plan that way, of course, but that would be the effect of their plat to require drug companies to pay Medicaid-style rebates to Medicare.
New Emergency Care Programs Focus On Quality-Of-Life Issues
With training, hospital emergency department staff members can enhance their skills in pain and symptom management and improve their communication skills.
Head Of Major HMO Sees Openings For Accountable Care Organizations-The KHN Interview
Kaiser Permanente’s George Halvorson says that despite the complexity of ACO regs, some versions have the potential to save money and improve care.
Hospitals Look For Disney Magic To Make Customers Happy
Medicare payments soon will partly reflect patient satisfaction, so hospitals are seeking advice from the entertainment kingdom.
