Markups On Care Can Fatten Hospital Budgets — Even If Few Patients Foot The Full Bill
A study finds that higher charges are associated with greater payments by private insurers, which can drive up costs for employers and consumers who pay their way.
Medicare
821-840 of 1,612 results
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Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Alleging Massive Medicare Fraud By UnitedHealth
The Department of Justice is joining a whistleblower lawsuit in a fraud case against UnitedHealth in which damages could top $1 billion.
By Fred Schulte -
By Law, Hospitals Now Must Tell Medicare Patients When Care Is ‘Observation’ Only
Not being officially admitted — a status known as observation care — can have financial consequences for beneficiaries, and patients had often complained they were not informed.
By Susan Jaffe -
Repeal & Replace Watch
Trump, Dems Look For Common Ground On Drug Prices
Two Democratic congressmen met with President Trump to seek his support for a bill to expand the government’s ability to negotiate drug prices, but it’s not clear it would have much impact or will gain support.
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Dentistry Advocates Aim To Fill Medicare Gaps
Brushing aside a political climate that favors federal cuts in health care spending, advocates for oral health are pushing to expand Medicare to provide America’s elderly with dental benefits.
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Docs Bill Medicare For End-Of-Life Advice As ‘Death Panel’ Fears Reemerge
The federal program paid $16 million in the first six months of 2016 to counsel 223,000 patients about treatment preferences in their last days.
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Judge Upends Effort To Limit Charity Funding For Kidney Patients’ Insurance
A federal judge in Texas last month issued a preliminary injunction barring the government from enforcing a rule allowing insurers to refuse to insure dialysis patients who get premium assistance from charity groups.
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Despite Prevention Guidelines, Few Smokers Seek CT Scans To Check For Lung Cancer
Lung cancer screening rates have not changed much even though the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that smokers get checked, according to a new study.
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Repeal & Replace Watch
Threat Of Losing Obamacare Turns Some Apolitical Californians Into Protesters
New advocacy groups like Indivisible California weigh strategies for long-haul political activism, including protests.
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Judge Accepts Medicare’s Plan To Remedy Misunderstanding On Therapy Coverage
Many seniors are denied coverage because therapists mistakenly believe that they must be making improvements to qualify for coverage.
By Susan Jaffe -
Medicare’s Coverage Of Therapy Services Again Is In Center Of Court Dispute
According to a settlement four years ago, Medicare was supposed to make clear to therapists that their services are covered even if beneficiaries are not improving. But that is not yet widely accepted.
By Susan Jaffe -
21 Medicare Health Plans Warned To Fix Provider Directory Errors
Federal officials release names of insurers who ranked poorly in a recent review of their online directories’ accuracy.
By Phil Galewitz and Susan Jaffe -
Got A Raise? Congrats, But It Could Wreak Havoc On Your Subsidy Calculation
Health insurance subsidies are pegged to income estimates, but if those are too low, the customer may have to make a repayment to the government.
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Repeal & Replace Watch
HHS Secretary: Give Medicare Authority To Negotiate Drug Prices
More work is needed to improve health care in U.S., but there are no “silver bullets” to get the job done, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell tells the National Press Club in a farewell speech defending Obamacare.
By Rachel Bluth -
Medicare Failed To Recover Up To $125 Million In Overpayments, Records Show
Medicare overpaid five insurance plans by $128 million yet only recovered $3 million, audits show.
By Fred Schulte -
New Nursing Home Rules Offer Residents More Control Of Their Care
People in these facilities are now guaranteed more flexibility on food and roommate choices, as well as improved procedures for grievances and discharges.
By Susan Jaffe -
Bundled Payments Work, Study Finds, But HHS Nominee No Fan
A study found that Medicare’s bundled payments model for joint replacement could save the government billions of dollars without harming patient care.
By Rachel Bluth -
If Republicans Repeal Health Law, How Will They Pay For Replacement?
As part of their efforts to get rid of the health law, Republicans have pledged to overturn all its taxes. But that might hamper their efforts to find a replacement.
By Julie Rovner -
Medicare Pays For A Kidney Transplant, But Not The Drugs To Keep It Viable
The federal government pays for kidney transplants. But the program only pays for essential anti-rejection drugs for three years. Many people can't afford them and can end up losing the kidney.
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New Medicare Rules Should Help ‘High Need’ Patients Get Better Treatment
Medicare is launching new regulations in January that will provide higher reimbursements for doctors involved in care coordination for seriously ill people.