Medicare Archives - Page 16 of 80

Au Revoir, Public Health Emergency

Episode 283

Feb. 2, 2023

The Biden administration this week announced it would let the covid-19 public health emergency lapse on May 11, even as the Republican-led House was voting to immediately eliminate the special authorities of the so-called PHE. Meanwhile, anti-abortion forces are pressuring legislators to both tighten abortion restrictions and pay for every birth in the nation. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Hannah Wesolowski of the National Alliance on Mental Illness about the rollout of the national 988 suicide prevention hotline.

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Government Lets Health Plans That Ripped Off Medicare Keep the Money

In a surprise decision, U.S. officials yield to insurance industry demands — at least for now.

By Fred Schulte

Jan. 30, 2023

Did Your Health Plan Rip Off Medicare?

KHN has released never-before-seen details of federal audits as the government weighs action against dozens of Medicare Advantage plans.

By Fred Schulte

Jan. 27, 2023

Abortion Debate Ramps Up in States as Congress Deadlocks

Abortion is a top issue for state lawmakers meeting for their first full sessions since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

By Julie Rovner

Jan. 23, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

As US Bumps Against Debt Ceiling, Medicare Becomes a Bargaining Chip

Episode 280

Jan. 19, 2023

The debt ceiling crisis facing Washington puts Medicare and other popular entitlement programs squarely on the negotiating table this year as newly empowered Republicans demand spending cuts. Meanwhile, as more Americans than ever have health insurance, the nation’s health care workforce is straining under the load. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

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Letters to the Editor

Readers and Tweeters Diagnose Greed and Chronic Pain Within US Health Care System

KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Jan. 19, 2023

A photo shows a doctor using a stethoscope on an older woman.

Medicare Pay Cuts Will Hurt Seniors’ Care, Doctors Argue

New reductions in Medicare payments in 2023 will drive more doctors away from accepting Medicare patients, physicians say. They are again pushing back on efforts largely designed to control government spending.

By Michael McAuliff

Dec. 20, 2022

How Medicare Advantage Plans Dodged Auditors and Overcharged Taxpayers by Millions

Facing rare scrutiny from federal auditors, some Medicare Advantage health plans failed to produce any records to justify their payments, government records show. The audits revealed millions of dollars in overcharges to Medicare over three years.

By Fred Schulte and Holly K. Hacker

Dec. 13, 2022

A photo illustration shows images of a business executive in a suit, a stack of money, a vial of blood from a lab test and a column from a spreadsheet with text showing various medical industries.

Patients for Profit: How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

KHN Investigation: The System Feds Rely On to Stop Repeat Health Fraud Is Broken

A months-long KHN examination of the system meant to bar fraudsters from Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health programs found gaping holes and expansive gray areas through which banned individuals slip to repeatedly bilk taxpayer-funded programs.

By Sarah Jane Tribble and Lauren Weber

Dec. 12, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Congress Races the Clock

Sen. Raphael Warnock’s re-election in Georgia will give Democrats a clear-cut Senate majority for the first time in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, the current Congress has only days left to tackle major unfinished business on the health agenda, including fending off scheduled pay cuts for doctors and other health providers in the Medicare program. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Dec. 8, 2022

A photo shows Jerry Bilinski posing for a portrait by a window, casting the right side of his face in shadow.

Bill Of The Month

An Unexplained Injury Discovered After Eye Surgery. What Should Happen Next?

Some doctors and medical practices voluntarily give rebates on a bill if an injury occurs during a procedure, while others will not, an expert says. Here’s how patients can respond.

By Fred Clasen-Kelly

Nov. 29, 2022

A photo illustration shows four images separated by bars. The first image is of money and a Medicare card, the second is an older man sitting in a chair, the third is a closeup of money, the fourth is of a spreadsheet of overpayments totalling over $8 million.

Audits — Hidden Until Now — Reveal Millions in Medicare Advantage Overcharges

Taxpayers had to foot the bills for care that should have cost far less, according to records released after KHN filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. The government may seek to recover up to $650 million as a result.

By Fred Schulte and Holly K. Hacker

Nov. 21, 2022

An older woman holds an insulin pen across a counter from a doctor.

Medicare Plan Finder Likely Won’t Note New $35 Cap on Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs

In August, Congress approved a $35 cap on what seniors will pay for insulin, but that change came too late to add to the online tool that helps Medicare beneficiaries compare dozens of drug and medical plans. Federal officials say beneficiaries who use insulin will have the opportunity to switch plans after open enrollment ends Dec. 7.

By Susan Jaffe

Nov. 15, 2022

An illustration shows a hospital bed encircled by two arrows, suggesting repetition.

Medicare Fines for High Hospital Readmissions Drop, but Nearly 2,300 Facilities Are Still Penalized

Federal officials said they are penalizing 2,273 hospitals, the fewest since the fiscal year that ended in September 2014. Driving the decline was a change in the formula to compensate for the chaos caused by the covid-19 pandemic.

By Jordan Rau

Nov. 1, 2022

Female holding credit card making online payment, closeup view.

This Open Enrollment Season, Look Out for Health Insurance That Seems Too Good to Be True

Complaints about misleading health insurance marketing are soaring. State insurance commissioners are taking notice. They’ve created a shared internal database to monitor questionable business practices, and, in the future, they hope to provide a public-facing resource for consumers. In the meantime, consumers should shop wisely as open enrollment season begins.

By Bram Sable-Smith

Nov. 1, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Talk Medicare and Public Health Infrastructure

KHN 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.

Oct. 29, 2022

A photo shows an exterior of Carolinas Medical Center. A large sign in front of the building bears the name of the hospital and Atrium Health, its owner.

Hospitals Said They Lost Money on Medicare Patients. Some Made Millions, a State Report Finds.

A North Carolina state treasurer’s report found hospitals give conflicting information about whether they profit from Medicare patients. Experts said the findings are significant because they suggest the federal government has failed to closely watch the billions of dollars in tax breaks that nonprofit hospitals have received.

By Fred Clasen-Kelly

Oct. 25, 2022

dentist working on a patients mouth with dentistry tools laid out in the foreground

After Congress Fails to Add Dental Coverage, Medicare Weighs Limited Benefit Expansion

Medicare can pay for some dental care if it is medically necessary to safely treat another covered medical condition, and federal officials have asked for suggestions on whether that list of conditions should be expanded.

By Susan Jaffe

Oct. 17, 2022

Lawsuit by KHN Prompts Government to Release Medicare Advantage Audits

The lawsuit was filed three years ago to learn about vast overcharges by the popular health plans that are detailed in audits the government refused to release to the public.

By Fred Schulte

Oct. 14, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally Fixing the ‘Family Glitch’

The Biden administration has decided to try to fix the so-called “family glitch” in the Affordable Care Act without an act of Congress. The provision has prevented workers’ families from getting subsidized coverage if an employer offer is unaffordable. Meanwhile, Medicare’s open enrollment period begins Oct. 15, and private Medicare Advantage plans are poised to cover more than half of Medicare’s 65 million enrollees. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read.

Oct. 13, 2022

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