Medicare Archives - Page 14 of 81

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

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Underinsured Is the New Uninsured

Episode 314

Sept. 14, 2023

The percentage of working-age adults with health insurance went up and the uninsured rate dropped last year, the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week. There isn’t much suspense about which way the uninsured rate is now trending, as states continue efforts to strip ineligible beneficiaries from their Medicaid rolls. But is the focus on the uninsured obscuring the struggles of the underinsured? Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these issues and more.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News

Welcome Back, Congress. Now Get to Work.

Episode 313

Sept. 7, 2023

Congress returns from its summer recess with a long list of tasks and only a few work days to get them done. On top of the annual spending bills needed to keep the government operating, on the list are bills to renew the global HIV/AIDS program, PEPFAR, and the community health centers program. Meanwhile, over the recess, the Biden administration released the names of the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program.

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A photo of the exterior of the White House.

Biden Administration Proposes New Standards to Boost Nursing Home Staffing

The proposal would require major hiring at the most sparsely staffed homes. But the proposal is already badly received by the nursing home industry, which claims it can’t boost wages enough to attract workers.

By Jordan Rau

Sept. 1, 2023

Tribal Health Workers Aren’t Paid Like Their Peers. See Why Nevada Changed That.

Community health workers, who often help patients get to their appointments and pick up prescriptions for them, have increasingly been recognized as an integral part of treating chronic illnesses. But state-run Medicaid programs don’t always reimburse them equally, usually excluding those who work on tribal lands.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Aug. 21, 2023

A New Medicare Proposal Would Cover Training for Family Caregivers

The federal government is proposing having Medicare pay professionals to train family caregivers how to perform tasks like bathing and dressing their loved ones, and properly use medical equipment.

By Judith Graham

Aug. 18, 2023

A photo of a community members sitting around a table at a meeting.

Community With High Medical Debt Questions Its Hospitals’ Charity Spending

Pueblo, Colorado, residents have higher-than-average medical debt, while the city’s two tax-exempt hospitals provide relatively low levels of charity care.

By Markian Hawryluk

Aug. 17, 2023

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Sum Up the Costs to Patients of New Weight Loss Drugs and Hospital Mergers

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Aug. 12, 2023

Seeking Medicare Coverage for Weight Loss Drugs, Pharma Giant Courts Black Influencers

Novo Nordisk, the dominant company in the multibillion-dollar market for weight loss drugs, focuses on Black lawmakers and opinion leaders to spread the message that obesity is a chronic disease that needs treatment.

By Rachana Pradhan

Aug. 8, 2023

Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized by Medicare?

Each year, Medicare punishes hospitals that have high rates of readmissions and high rates of infections and patient injuries. Check out which hospitals have been penalized.

By Jordan Rau

Aug. 3, 2023

A photo of vials and packaging for Leqembi.

The Real Costs of the New Alzheimer’s Drug, Most of Which Will Fall to Taxpayers

The annual cost of lecanemab treatment quadruples if the expense of brain scans to monitor for bleeds and other associated care is factored in. The full financial toll likely puts it beyond reach for low-income seniors at risk of Alzheimer’s, experts say.

By Arthur Allen

Aug. 2, 2023

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