Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Drug Discounts At Risk If Court Strikes Health Law
The pharmaceutical industry agreed in the health debate to reduce brand-name drug costs by 50 percent for Medicare beneficiaries who reach the coverage gap known as the doughnut hole.
Kaiser Permanente’s Ross: There’s No Effective Substitute For The Mandate
Murray Ross, a vice president in the part of the company that sells health plans, says the law’s individual mandate is needed to attract healthier participants, which balances risks and costs.
Medicaid Association Director: Uncertainty, Legislative Politics Have Slowed State Implementation
Andy Allison, Arkansas Medicaid director and president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, is adamant that cash-strapped states won’t be able to do much to expand coverage to the uninsured if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.
Mich. Medicaid Director: “A Struggle” To Meet Deadlines If Law Upheld
Michigan Medicaid Director Steve Fitton believes it will be a “struggle” for his state to be ready to implement the health law on schedule if the Supreme Court upholds the measure. But he’s confident that Michigan can handle the expected new enrollees in Medicaid.
Ex-Medicare Administrator: Premium Support “Is Going To Have To Happen”
Former CMS administrator Thomas Scully urges both parties to take a second look at the premium support model for overhauling Medicare.
Video: Ex-Medicare Administrator Says Premium Support “Is Going To Have To Happen”
In an interview with KHN’s Marilyn Werber Serafini, former CMS administrator Thomas Scully urges both parties to take a second look at the premium support model for overhauling Medicare.
Second Guessing Medicare’s Star Rating System
Supporters say the bonus system is improving care for millions of seniors, but critics say it can be a clumsy measure of value and rewards mediocrity.
Former CMS Chiefs: Medicare SGR Problem Can Be Fixed
The Senate Finance Committee convened a group of former Medicare administrators Thursday — Gail Wilensky, Bruce Vladeck, Thomas Scully and Mark McClellan — to discuss how they viewed the current crisis on physician fees and the Sustainable Growth Rate formula, the “doc fix” problem.
Medicare Spotlights Hospitals With Especially Costly Patients
The new data, which include beneficiaries’ bills in the hospital and for 30 days afterward, are a first step toward using bonuses and penalties to encourage more efficient care.
Analysis: ACOs Could Have The Medicare Muscle To Transform Health System
Accountable care organizations will confront questions, including whether this new model for delivering medical treatment has the muscle to overcome the system’s entrenched incentives.
$18 For A Baby Aspirin? Hospitals Hike Costs For Everyday Drugs For Some Patients
People who are not admitted to the hospital
Health On The Hill: Competing Prescriptions For Medicare’s Financial Health
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Marilyn Werber Serafini join Jackie Judd to preview this week’s House hearings on Medicare and to dig into the details of the Medicare trustees’ report.
If The Health Care Overhaul Goes Down, Could Medicare Follow?
A growing number of health experts are warning of potential collateral damage if the Supreme Court strikes down the entire 2010 Affordable Care Act: potential chaos in the Medicare program.
Health On The Hill: Medicare’s Payment Change For Physicians
KHN’s Jordan Rau and Mary Agnes Carey discuss Medicare’s transition to compensating doctors based on the quality of the medical care they provide.
Medicare To Tie Doctors’ Pay To Quality, Cost Of Care
A little-noticed provision of the health law calls for increasing reimbursements to doctors who provide quality care at lower cost and reducing payments to physicians who run up costs without better results.
Video: Obama Blasts GOP Medicare, Medicaid Plans
President Barack Obama today attacked the Republican 2013 budget as a “Trojan horse” and “thinly veiled social Darwinism” — and defended the constitutionality of the health law. Watch excerpts from the speech.
Revamping Medicare: A Guide To The Proposals, Politics And Timeline
Competing ideas and election-year politics will thwart major legislation in 2012, but look for budgetary action at year’s end.
Medicare Now Covers Annual Screening For Depression
The coverage change could help focus doctors and patients on mental health issues, which often go undiagnosed in the elderly, especially those who are dealing with multiple chronic physical problems.
Effort To Pay Hospitals Based On Quality Didn’t Cut Death Rates, Study Finds
The New England Journal of Medicine reports that a test project
Scorecard: What The Health Law Has Delivered, Or Not
Kaiser Health News compares data on the progress of the health law’s implementation to the original projections of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the Obama administration.
