Medicare

Latest KFF Health News Stories

751 Hospitals Hit With Safety Penalties For 2018: Data Table

KFF Health News Original

The federal government has cut payments to hospitals with high rates of patient injuries this year. Those hospitals will lose 1 percent of Medicare payments over the federal fiscal year, which runs from October through September. Maryland hospitals are exempted from penalties because that state has a separate payment arrangement with Medicare. Below are the […]

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Is Health Care Spending Still The Hungry, Hungry Hippo?

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of the Wall Street Journal, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Margot Sanger Katz of The New York Times discuss new health spending numbers from the federal government, as well as how the year-end legislating in Congress is being complicated by health issues.

Congress Isn’t Really Done With Health Care — Just Look At What’s In The Tax Bills

KFF Health News Original

Even though congressional Republicans set aside their Obamacare repeal-and-replace efforts this year, here are five major health policy changes that could become law as part of the pending House and Senate proposals.

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Taxes, Medicare And The Year-End Mess

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the possible impact of the tax bill on the Medicare program, confirmation hearings for a new secretary of Health and Human Services and the future of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Tax Bill Or Health Bill?

KFF Health News Original

Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the inclusion of health policies into the current tax cut debate, including a possible repeal of the fines for people who fail to maintain health insurance.

Liquid Gold: Pain Doctors Soak Up Profits By Screening Urine For Drugs

KFF Health News Original

With the nation’s opioid crisis, urine testing has become a booming business and is especially lucrative for doctors who operate their own labs, a Kaiser Health News investigation finds. And dozens of practitioners have earned “the lion’s share” of their Medicare income exclusively from urine drug screens.

‘No One Is Coming’: Hospice Patients Abandoned At Death’s Door

KFF Health News Original

U.S. hospice agencies promise to be available around-the-clock to help patients dying in their homes. But a Kaiser Health News investigation shows that in an alarming number of cases, that promise is broken.

Adultos mayores tendrán ajustes del Seguro Social, pero pagarán más por el Medicare

KFF Health News Original

Millones de adultos mayores pronto serán notificados (si no lo han sido ya) que las primas del Medicare para servicios médicos están aumentando y podrían consumir el ajuste de costo de vida que recibirán el próximo año del Seguro Social.