Cost and Quality

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Going Down Fighting: Dying Activist Champions ‘Medicare For All’

KFF Health News Original

Presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren tried to tell the story of Ady Barkan in the latest Democratic debate. He’s one of the most prominent advocates for “Medicare for All” and is spending his remaining time alive doing everything he can to make the case that all Americans need affordable health coverage.

Class-Action Lawsuit Seeks To Let Medicare Patients Appeal Gap in Nursing Home Coverage

KFF Health News Original

Medicare beneficiaries under observation care in the hospital can face higher costs for treatment and are not covered for nursing home care when discharged. A federal trial in Hartford, Conn., will determine whether the government’s ban on appeals involving observation care coverage is fair.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Gun Violence And The Politics Of Public Health

KFF Health News Original

The recent tragic mass shootings have refocused efforts to treat gun violence as a public health issue rather than strictly a law enforcement problem. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the health implications of the budget deal passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, as well as reaction from Canada to a proposal to allow broader imports of its prescription drugs. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.

Watch: What Happened To That $500K Dialysis Bill

KFF Health News Original

After journalists investigate, Fresenius, one of the largest dialysis providers in the U.S., has agreed to waive a half-million-dollar bill. Sovereign Valentine, from Plains, Mont., said it’s a “huge relief.”

The Differences Between ‘Medicare For All’ And A Public Option

KFF Health News Original

KHN’s Julie Rovner appears on CSPAN’s Washington Journal Tuesday and compares two key health programs being touted by Democratic presidential candidates: “Medicare for All” and an optional government health plan, often called a public option.

Estrellas del deporte popularizan terapias con células madre que no están probadas

KFF Health News Original

Médicos están preocupados por el mensaje equivocado que se está enviando sobre estos tratamientos que, dicen, no están probados y realmente no aceleran los procesos de recuperación.

Kathy Brandt, A Hospice Expert Who Invited The World Into Her Own Last Days With Cancer, Dies

KFF Health News Original

Kathy Brandt and her wife, Kim Acquaviva, national experts in hospice and palliative care, shared intimate details of Brandt’s experience with terminal cancer before her death Sunday.

If You Smoke Pot, Your Anesthesiologist Needs To Know

KFF Health News Original

Colorado is on the front lines in dealing with how marijuana use affects surgery. Lessons learned on operating tables and in recovery rooms have prompted calls for more research on marijuana nationwide.

Infusion Treatments — Needed or Not — Can Deplete Patients’ Wallets

KFF Health News Original

When it comes to physician-administered infusion drugs, doctors sometimes have a financial reason for their choice and patients often aren’t aware of cheaper options.

La charla que tienen que tener los adultos mayores con sus médicos antes de una cirugía

KFF Health News Original

Muchas veces los médicos no hablan con sus pacientes y familiares sobre los riesgos potenciales y las complicaciones que se pueden presentar durante o después de una intervención.

The Talk Seniors Need To Have With Doctors Before Surgery

KFF Health News Original

Surgeons are rethinking the old notions of “informed consent.” With older patients especially, a push is on to talk candidly about what a surgery will do, its risks and how it will affect their quality of life.

Genetic-Testing Scam Targets Seniors And Rips Off Medicare

KFF Health News Original

Capitalizing on the growing popularity of genetic testing — and fears of terminal illness — scammers are persuading seniors to hand over cheek swabs with their DNA, not knowing it may lead to identity theft and Medicare fraud.

Ahora te verá la Dra. Alexa: ¿Está Amazon preparado para venir al rescate?

KFF Health News Original

Amazon se ha asociado con numerosas compañías de atención médica, incluyendo varias en California, para permitir que los clientes y empleados usen Alexa para ayudarlos con la atención médica.

Tu guía para entender las cuentas médicas

KFF Health News Original

Kaiser Health News te brinda este conjunto de herramientas fáciles de usar, para ayudar a los pacientes a comprender el entretejido de la facturación médica, qué hacer si se recibe una cuenta médica sorpresa y cosas que debes tener en cuenta antes de recibir atención médica.