Medicare

Latest KFF Health News Stories

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Democrats Do Drugs (Prices)

KFF Health News Original

House Democrats start legislative work on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s prescription drug pricing bill; health is again a featured player in the Democratic presidential candidate debate; and courts around the country hold up President Donald Trump’s health agenda. This week, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.

California To Provide Financial Boost To Help Buy Health Coverage

KFF Health News Original

Come Jan. 1, California will be the first state to offer financial aid to middle-class people who make too much money to qualify for federal Obamacare tax credits. And Californians will once again owe a penalty if they are uninsured.

‘Fear Of Falling’: How Hospitals Do Even More Harm By Keeping Patients In Bed

KFF Health News Original

In what experts call an “epidemic of immobility,” older hospital patients remain stuck in bed, their movements tracked by loud and ineffective bed alarms, losing muscle mass that’s key to their health and daily functioning.

Think ‘Medicare For All’ Is The Only Democratic Health Plan? Think Again

KFF Health News Original

The Democratic presidential candidates have hit hard on health care, but generally the debates have centered on what kind of system candidates propose. The candidates’ ideas on many other issues, such as mental health and gun safety, have attracted much less attention.

Age-Old Health Care Debate Shifts From Insuring More People To Cutting Costs

KFF Health News Original

U.S. political parties for years have argued about the role of government in providing health care and expanding coverage to more people. But as the cost of medical services continues to grow faster than most Americans’ incomes, even people with private insurance coverage are finding the cost of care becoming unaffordable, KHN’s Julie Rovner writes in a new article in BMJ.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Trump Merges Health And Immigration

KFF Health News Original

President Donald Trump has ordered that legal immigrants obtain health insurance within 30 days of arriving or prove they can pay for any possible medical need ― another policy certain to be challenged in court. Meanwhile, health issues continue to play a major role in campaign 2020. This week, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Denuncian fraude a Medicare con aparatos ortopédicos a través de la telemedicina

KFF Health News Original

Llaman por teléfono o aparecen en un chat y preguntan si el adulto mayor siente algún dolor. Luego le envían, en un caso, hasta 13 aparatos ortopédicos: rodilleras, cabestrillos, fajas. Facturan millones a Medicare.

As Medicare Enrollment Nears, Popular Price Comparison Tool Is Missing

KFF Health News Original

For more than a decade, customers used the online plan finder to compare dozens of policies. Yet after a redesign of the website, the search results no longer list which plan offers a customer the best value. Federal officials say it will be fixed before enrollment begins next week.

Trump’s New Order For Medicare Packs Potential Rise In Patients’ Costs

KFF Health News Original

The president’s directive, which he said is designed to give beneficiaries more choices in their health care, could lead to higher costs for seniors. Final rules are to be written by the Department of Health and Human Services.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Impeachment And The Health Agenda

KFF Health News Original

Washington is abuzz with impeachment talk, but what impact would such a move have on congressional action on prescription drug prices and surprise bills? Also, a study out this week shows that health insurance costs for both employers and workers continue to rise. This week, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.