Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Data Show Wide Differences In ACOs’ Patient Care
The first public evaluation of how 141 networks of doctors and hospitals performed looks at five quality measures for patients with diabetes and heart disease.
Hill Plan Would Reward Medicare Doctors For Quality
But finding a way to finance the SGR replacement may be even more difficult.
Patient Coordination Would Get Boost If Medicare Changes How It Pays Docs
If Congress finally overhauls the way Medicare pays doctors, experts say patients would see new emphasis on coordinated care and preventive services.
As HHS Moves To End Overload Of Medicare Claims Appeals, Beneficiaries Will Get Top Priority
New requests from hospitals, doctors and other providers have been suspended for two years as officials try to get through a backlog of 357,000 cases.
Miami Children’s Hospital Part Of A Trend: Revealing Some Price Information
Hospital executives will list adjusted charges to more accurately reflect what Miami Children’s collects from insurers, so consumers can estimate their out-of-pocket costs.
Congress Is Poised To Change Medicare Payment Policy. What Does That Mean For Patients And Doctors?
Capitol Hill committees appear close to replacing the controversial physician payment system that rewards doctors for volume with one that offers incentives for quality and coordination of care.
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature.
Maryland’s Bold Hospital Spending Plan Gets Federal Blessing
Maryland hospitals have agreed to new spending limits and big changes in the way they are paid, creating what could be a national model.
Obamacare Giving Big Boost To Georgia’s Health IT Industry
In a state where politicians have said ‘no’ to the Affordable Care Act, the area around Atlanta has a growing number of health IT businesses. Some are benefiting from the law.
Study: Supplemental Plans Raise Medicare Costs 22 Percent
A new study takes the closest look yet at the relationship between Medigap coverage and Medicare spending.
Medicare Identifies 97 Best And 95 Worst Hospitals For Hip And Knee Replacements
The new analysis is part of the government’s effort to improve the quality of care.
How Palliative Care Helps: One Iowa Family’s Journey
‘This is their life. They’re the boss,’ says Dr. Tim Ihrig of the palliative care department at UnityPoint hospital in Fort Dodge, Iowa. ‘It’s an honor to be on this journey.’
Congress Moves Closer To Changing How Medicare Pays Doctors
Key House and Senate committees approved legislation Thursday to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate, the formula officials use to pay doctors who treat Medicare patients. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Politico Pro’s Jennifer Haberkorn discuss.
New York Data Show Hospital Charges All Over The Map
Consumers should not assume that facilities provide better care because they charge more, experts say.
Judge’s Medicare Advantage Order Could Have National Impact
UnitedHealthcare will appeal a federal judge’s order temporarily blocking the insurer from dropping Connecticut providers, while doctors’ groups in Ohio and New York look at bringing similar lawsuits.
UnitedHealthcare Dropping Hundreds Of Doctors From Medicare Advantage Plans
The insurer has been notifying members about the network changes as the Dec. 7 deadline for choosing coverage for next year quickly approaches.
Medicare Seeks To Curb Spending On Post-Hospital Care
One out of every six dollars Medicare spent in the traditional fee-for-service program went to nursing and therapy for patients in rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, long-term care hospitals and in their own homes.
Table: Medicare Spending By State And Category
One out of every five dollars Medicare spends goes to nursing homes, home health services or other post-acute facilities and services. The spending varies greatly between states: Louisiana spends 31 percent on post-acute services while Hawaii spends 12 percent.
In Miami, Medicare Comes With White-Glove Treatment
More than half of all eligible seniors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties enroll in private managed care, rather than traditional Medicare, in a highly-lucrative and super-competitive marketplace for Medicare Advantage plans.
Methodology: How Value Based Purchasing Payments Are Calculated
The Kaiser Health News story and data on Medicare’s quality payment programs are based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) containing the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing and Readmissions Reduction Program adjustment factors for individual hospitals.
