Latest Morning Briefing Stories
To Boost Patient Health, Rehab Sometimes Starts Before Cancer Treatment
“Prehabilitation” may help patients recover more quickly, early research suggests, but insurance coverage can be tricky.
Health Law Experiment Failed To Show Savings
An ambitious demonstration to transform clinics into “medical homes” treating patients in the community instead of the hospital didn’t save money. Some blame the test, not the idea.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Do Cell Phones Belong In The Operating Room?
A number of doctors and professional organizations are calling for clear rules on whether and how health care professionals can use cell phones while in the operating room.
The App Will See You Now, But May Not Get The Diagnosis Right
A third of adults say they have gone online to get help diagnosing symptoms, but a study shows the results are often inaccurate.
Montana Could Face Tough Bargaining With Federal Officials On Medicaid Expansion Plan
The state is proposing to require people to pay a premium of up to 2 percent of their income, but the Obama administration has generally insisted that people earning under the poverty level not be charged a fee.
Lacking Votes, Calif. Assembly Shelves Aid-In-Dying Bill
Supporters said they will continue to work with Assembly members to build support for the bill, which would allow doctors to write lethal prescriptions for some terminally ill patients with less than six months to live.
Birth Control Coverage Saves Women Significant Money
The health law requires insurers to cover most prescription contraceptives with no additional out-of-pocket costs, which may spur some women to use more effective methods.
‘A Terrible Way To End Someone’s Life’
Doctors often opt to forego aggressive care for terminal illnesses but fail to talk to their patients about their preferences.
States Limiting Patient Costs For High-Priced Drugs
More states are stepping in to cushion the financial pain for patients who need medicine that can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Study Finds Doctors Order Fewer Preventive Services For Medicaid Patients
Researchers report in the journal Health Affairs that doctors are less likely to include some preventive care services in appointments with women covered by Medicaid than in those with women who are privately insured.
Study Predicts Huge Toll Of Hepatitis C Drugs On California Budget
Highly effective drugs for Hepatitis C patients in California’s Medicaid program, prisons and hospitals could cost the state billions, an insurance-industry sponsored study found.
