Latest KFF Health News Stories
Nursing Homes Move Into The Insurance Business
Although proponents say the policies offered by nursing homes are more attuned to patients, some report frustrations when trying to dispute care decisions.
Half The Time, Nursing Homes Scrutinized On Safety By Medicare Are Still Treacherous
Of the 528 nursing homes that graduated from special focus status before 2014 and are still operating, more than half — 52 percent — have harmed patients or operated in a way that put patients in serious jeopardy within the past three years, a KHN analysis finds.
As Seniors Get Sicker, They’re More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage plans offer good value and aim to keep patients healthy but sicker people are far more likely to quit because they can’t get the care they need.
Hospitals Ramp Up Hyperbaric Therapy For Diabetics, Despite Concerns
Medicare is trying to deter overuse of hyperbaric therapy, and some experts question its effectiveness for healing diabetic wounds, one of the treatment’s fastest-growing uses.
Take Our Quiz To Test Your Wits On Aging
As we get older, it helps to tickle the noggin with trivia. Here’s a pop quiz to see what you have learned as a regular reader of Kaiser Health News.
Out Of Work And Looking For Insurance: COBRA May Be The Best Bet For Now
With lots of questions about the 2018 insurance market still in play, someone who is between jobs might want to stick with their job-based insurance at least until the outlines of the health law’s marketplaces are clear in the fall.
Feds To Waive Penalties For Some Who Signed Up Late For Medicare
People who were using marketplace plans instead of Medicare may qualify for the reprieve. They have until Sept. 30 to apply.
Two Medicare Advantage Insurers Settle Whistleblower Lawsuit For $32 Million
Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging they overbilled Medicare.
Drug Rebates Reward Industry Players — And Often Hurt Patients
A new JAMA study examines how drug rebates can direct money to middlemen and force Medicare patients to cough up more money.
Target Of Medicare Insider Trading Case Boasted He Was Unstoppable ‘Beast’
Prosecutors say hedge-fund traders made millions trading on information leaked from Medicare.
Como el hambre o la sed, la soledad de los adultos mayores puede aliviarse
La creencia popular es que la soledad es una constante en el otoño de la vida. Pero un cuerpo considerable de investigaciones confirma que no es así.
Like Hunger Or Thirst, Loneliness In Seniors Can Be Eased
About a third of older adults feel lonely, but learning better ways to engage with others and improve relationships can help them avoid such feelings.
UnitedHealth Doctored Medicare Records, Overbilled U.S. By $1 Billion, Feds Claim
The company, which is the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage operator, denies wrongdoing and argues that the Justice Department “fundamentally misunderstands” how Medicare Advantage works.
Quiz: Help Us Take The Pulse Of Our Readers
Even the most exalted among us realize health care policy is complicated. Here’s a pop quiz to see what you have learned as a regular reader of Kaiser Health News.
Medicare no investigó 96 casos de peligrosas infecciones en hospitales
Un informe oficial cuestiona el sistema para reportar y monitorear infecciones adquiridas en centros de salud. Los hospitales reciben bonos, o multas, según el número de casos.
Medicare Failed To Investigate Suspicious Infection Cases From 96 Hospitals
The HHS inspector general’s office found that Medicare should have done an in-depth review of suspicious or aberrant infection reports from scores of hospitals.
¿Medicare se niega a pagar su medicamento? Cómo pelear esta decisión
¿Qué hacer si el plan del Medicare no autoriza el suministro de un medicamento? Pasos a seguir para conseguirla.
Drug Coverage Denied By Medicare? How Seniors Can Fight Back
Senior citizens have to be patient and keep close records to appeal when Medicare plans refuse to cover their medicines.
La otra crisis de Puerto Rico: el éxodo de médicos jóvenes
Estudiar medicina es una opción popular entre los jóvenes puertorriqueños. Pero muchos graduados están yéndose, eligiendo mejores oportunidades de trabajo, a pesar de las crecientes y urgentes necesidades de salud de Puerto Rico.
Exodus By Puerto Rican Medical Students Deepens Island’s Doctor Drain
Interest in medical schools is high in Puerto Rico, but many students look to the U.S. mainland for residencies because of higher pay and the commonwealth’s declining economy. The migration of young talent is both a symptom and an exacerbation of the island’s medical woes.
