Medicare Archives - Page 12 of 79

Trump Puts Obamacare Repeal Back on Agenda

Episode 324

Nov. 30, 2023

Although Republicans have never united behind a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, 2024 GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump said this week he wants to put the issue back on the national agenda. That delights Democrats, who have won at least two elections partly by defending the now-popular health law. Meanwhile, the Texas Supreme Court takes up a case brought by women who say their pregnancy complications further endangered their health due to the vagueness of Texas’ near-total ban on abortions. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Victoria Knight of Axios News join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Rachana Pradhan, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.

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Uncle Sam Wants You … to Help Stop Insurers’ Bogus Medicare Advantage Sales Tactics

The Biden administration wants to crack down on deceptive or misleading Medicare Advantage and drug plan sales tactics. It’s counting on beneficiaries to help catch offenders.

By Susan Jaffe

Nov. 30, 2023

A photo of a doctor examining an elderly patient's knee.

Medicare Advantage Increasingly Popular With Seniors — But Not Hospitals and Doctors

Some hospitals and physician groups are rejecting Medicare Advantage plans over payment rates and coverage restrictions, causing turmoil for patients.

By Julie Appleby

Nov. 29, 2023

The Health 202

Hospitals and Doctors Are Fed up With Medicare Advantage

By Julie Appleby

Nov. 29, 2023

The Health 202

Why Do We Pay For so Much Worthless Health Care?

By Markian Hawryluk

Nov. 17, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Congress Kicks the (Budget) Can Down the Road. Again.

Episode 323

Nov. 16, 2023

Congress narrowly avoided a federal government shutdown for the second time in six weeks, as Democrats came to the rescue of divided House Republicans over annual spending bills that were supposed to be finished by Oct. 1. But the brinksmanship is likely to repeat itself early in 2024, when the next temporary spending patches expire. Meanwhile, a pair of investigations unveiled this week demonstrate how difficult it still is for seniors to get needed long-term and rehabilitation care. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

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Two patients wait in a waiting room at a doctor's office. On the far left, a physician is walking by.

Primary Care Disrupted

Compensation Is Key to Fixing Primary Care Shortage

Many proposals have been floated about how to address the nation’s primary care problem. They range from training slots to medical school debt forgiveness but often sidestep comprehensive payment reform.

By Michelle Andrews

Nov. 16, 2023

A photo of a pharmacist pouring blue Truvada pills into a bottle.

US to Cover HIV Prevention Drugs for Older Americans to Stem Spread of the Virus

The government has proposed that Medicare fully cover preexposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV, a change that could help America catch up with nations in Europe and Africa that are on track to end new infections decades before the U.S. under its current approach.

By Michael Scaturro

Nov. 8, 2023

An unrecognizable mental health professional takes notes while sitting across from a patient.

Navigating Aging

Medicare Expands the Roster of Available Mental Health Professionals

Medicare is expanding access to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists come Jan. 1. But the belief that seniors who suffer from mental health problems should just grin and bear it remains a troubling barrier to care.

By Judith Graham

Nov. 3, 2023

Medical documents on a clipboard are resting on a table or desk with a stethoscope and pen in sunlight.

Tiny, Rural Hospitals Feel the Pinch as Medicare Advantage Plans Grow

More than half of seniors are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans instead of traditional Medicare. Rural enrollment has increased fourfold and many small-town hospitals say that threatens their viability.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

Oct. 23, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Open Enrollment Mixing Bowl

Episode 319

Oct. 19, 2023

Open enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries with private health plans began Oct. 15, to be followed Nov. 1 by open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans. The selection for both is large — often too large to be navigated easily alone. And people who choose incorrectly can end up with unaffordable medical bills. Meanwhile, those on both sides of the abortion issue are looking to Ohio’s November ballot measure on abortion to see whether anti-abortion forces can break their losing streak in statewide ballot questions since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

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A photo of a nurse preparing a syringe in the foreground, while another nurse talks to her patient in the background.

Health Care ‘Game-Changer’? Feds Boost Care for Homeless Americans

This month, the federal government started paying for treatments delivered outside hospitals and clinics, expanding funding for “street medicine” teams that treat homeless patients. California led the way on the change, which could help sick and vulnerable patients get healthy, sober, and, in some cases, into housing.

By Angela Hart

Oct. 19, 2023

A photo of a chalkboard with "open enrollment" written on it surrounded by a stethoscope.

Medicare Enrollees Can Switch Coverage Now. Here’s What’s New and What to Consider.

Fall is the time when enrollees in the federal program for older people and people with certain disabilities can make changes to their health and drug plans. The decision can be complicated, but here are some key points to keep in mind.

By Julie Appleby

Oct. 16, 2023

An illustration showing bacteria infecting the bloodstream.

Feds Hope to Cut Sepsis Deaths by Hitching Medicare Payments to Treatment Stats

A new rule sets specific treatment metrics for suspected sepsis cases in an effort to reduce deaths, but some experts say the measures could add to antibiotic overuse and need to be more flexible.

By Julie Appleby

Oct. 11, 2023

A health worker is typing at a computer.

Feds Rein In Use of Predictive Software That Limits Care for Medicare Advantage Patients

Software sifts through millions of medical records to match patients with similar diagnoses and characteristics and then predicts what kind of care an individual will need and for how long. New federal rules will ensure human experts are part of the process.

By Susan Jaffe

Oct. 5, 2023

A photo of three older Asian women outside practicing tai chi.

New Medicare Advantage Plans Tailor Offerings to Asian Americans, Latinos, and LGBTQ+

As more seniors opt for Medicare Advantage, a few small insurers have begun offering plans that provide culturally targeted benefits for cohorts including Asian Americans, Latinos, and LGBTQ+ people. The approach, policy researchers say, has potential and perils.

By Stephanie Stephens

Sept. 28, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

More Medicaid Messiness

Episode 316

Sept. 27, 2023

At least 30 states are reinstating coverage for children wrongly removed from the rolls under Medicaid redetermination, the federal government reported. It’s just the latest hiccup in the massive effort to review the eligibility of Medicaid beneficiaries now that the program’s pandemic-era expansion has expired. And federal oversight of the so-called unwinding would be further complicated by an impending government shutdown. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Samantha Liss, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a hospital bill that followed a deceased patient’s family for more than a year.

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What Happens to Health Programs if the Federal Government Shuts Down?

Medicare and Medicaid shouldn’t be affected, but confusion can be expected.

By Julie Rovner

Sept. 27, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Countdown to Shutdown

Episode 315

Sept. 21, 2023

Congress appears to be careening toward a government shutdown, as a small band of House conservatives vow to block any funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 unless they win deeper cuts to health and other domestic programs. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to roil the GOP presidential primary field, this time with comments about abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Tami Luhby of CNN join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

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A photograph shows a white pill bottle of Harvoni, a drug to treat hepititis C.

Hep C’s Number Comes Up: Can Biden’s 5-Year Plan Eliminate the Longtime Scourge?

Before covid-19, hepatitis C held the distinction of claiming more American lives each year than any other infectious disease — that’s despite the marketing of several relatively affordable, highly effective treatments.

By Michelle Andrews

Sept. 20, 2023

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