Latest KFF Health News Stories
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection.
Medicare Discloses Hospitals’ Bonuses, Penalties Based On Quality
Under a program set up by the health law, payments to 1,557 hospitals will be increased, while 1,427 will drop.
Interactive Chart: Bonuses And Penalties For U.S. Hospitals
This chart shows the effect, by hospital, of Medicare bonuses and penalties based on how well they performed on quality measures.
By State: Hospital Quality Bonuses and Penalties
This chart shows the average effect by state of the value-based purchasing program on hospitals’ Medicare reimbursements per hospital stay for the federal spending year that runs from last October through September 2013.
‘If I’d Had To Wait Until 67 For Medicare, I’d Be Dead’
Those approaching retirement, employers pan proposals to raise the Medicare eligibility age.
A basic guide and resources if you want to get Medicare to reverse a coverage decision.
Seniors Need To Be Tenacious In Appeals To Medicare
Consumer advocates say that efforts to get Medicare to reverse a decision denying coverage of care are frequently rejected at first, but the chances of success are much better for beneficiaries who keep appealing until they reach the level handled by an administrative law judge.
Medicare Silver Bullets: What’s The Best Way To Control Costs?
KHN asked a range of health policy experts the following question: If you could make only one change to Medicare to control costs, what would it be and why?
Huge Experiment Aims To Save On Care For Poorest, Sickest Patients
An effort in California to move Medicaid patients into managed care has national significance as federal officials roll out a similar but larger program for as many as 2 million people who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare.
Medicare Changes Loom As ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Negotiations Pick Up
Health on the Hill: KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about Republican and Democratic proposals and possible cuts in federal health care spending.
How The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Affects Health Care: Six Questions
As Congress and the president aim for a deal by year’s end, there may be serious consequences for health programs.
Insurance Commissioners Reject Calls To Limit Seniors’ Medigap Policies
The group argues that increasing cost-sharing would stop people from seeking necessary care.
Hospitals Offer Wide Array Of Services To Keep Patients From Needing To Return
Free scales, diet tips and home visits from nurses all aim to curtail readmissions.
How To Handle Extra Costs Not Covered By Medicare
Michelle Andrews answers a question about an unexpected bill a reader received after paying out-of-pocket for medical services not covered by Medicare.
Feds Say Nursing Homes Overbilled Medicare By $1.5 Billion
Nursing home group lashes out at government report, saying “bureaucrats” don’t know what’s good for patients.
Fiscal Cliff: What Is At Stake For Medicare And Medicaid?
Jackie Judd talks to KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey about the budget negotiation scenarios for Medicare, where the “doc fix” fits into the budget picture, and whether Medicaid cuts are possible.
Avoiding The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Likely Means Changes In Medicare
Congress would probably look for cuts in the health care program for seniors and the disabled as it seeks to find ways to curb federal spending.
Democrats’ Medicare Offensive Falls Flat Against GOP
But the status quo on Capitol Hill doesn’t mean that the parties are unwilling to work on health care issues.
President’s Win Is Reprieve For ‘Obamacare’
The president’s victory cements the Affordable Care Act, expanding coverage to millions but leaving weighty questions about how to pay for it.
Federal Deficit Talks Could Impact Obama’s Moves On Health Law
Mounting pressures to reduce spending could lead the administration to change several key provisions of the health overhaul.
