Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Spends Less Than Private Insurers On Knee Replacements
Study finds that’s mostly because the government pays far lower rates for hospital care
House Republicans Pound Sebelius On Health Law
Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee. She defended the health care law and the president’s fiscal 2013 budget request. The hearing had all the hallmarks of a partisan political event.
Health On The Hill: Congressional Leaders Reach Deal On 10-Month ‘Doc Fix’
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the agreement Senate and House negotiators reached today on the “doc fix,” which avoids a cut in Medicare physician payment rates for the rest of the year.
Candidates Court Seniors On Medicare
The top contenders are casting themselves as protectors of the program, even as they embrace ways to cut spending growth that have proven radioactive in past elections.
Experts Question Medicare’s Effort To Rate Hospitals’ Patient Safety Records
The new data identify many major teaching institutions as having high rates of serious complications. But officials say the measures are faulty.
Consumers Hit By Higher Out-of-Network Medical Costs
Insurers switch to new way to calculate reimbursement that shifts more of the expenses onto patients.
War Savings May Be Key To Long-Term ‘Doc Fix’ Deal
Health On The Hill: KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey tells Jackie Judd that both Democrats and Republicans have floated using savings from the drawdown of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to hammer out a bargain on the Medicare “doc fix.” But Wednesday’s meeting of House and Senate conferees focused on policy; more discussions about funding will come Thursday.
Obama Makes Only Modest Mention Of Health Care In State Of Union
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about President Obama’s State of the Union speech. Obama talked little about health care, reflecting maybe the hard sell they’re having getting the public to buy into the health law’s benefits. Republicans talked about reforming Medicare in their response.
Debate: Dispute Over Gingrich’s Role In Medicare Part D
Video: Health care came up in a variety of ways in Monday’s debate in Tampa, sponsored by NBC, National Journal and the Tampa Bay Times. Mitt Romney accused Newt Gingrich of influence-peddling on Medicare and also defended the Massachusetts health care reform. Rick Santorum tried to distinguish himself from both men, claiming their support of the individual mandate in the past undermines their conservative credentials. And he defended his behavior during the 1995 controversy about Terri Schiavo, who was in the center of a right-to-die dispute.
New Group To Set Priorities for Medical Effectiveness Research
Congress is betting more than $3 billion over the next decade that “comparative effectiveness” research can transform medical care by helping determine the best approach to a particular illness.
United Against Health Law, Medicare Reforms Divide GOP Presidential Candidates
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Marilyn Werber Serafini talk with Jackie Judd about Tuesday’s New Hampshire GOP primary. The GOP field is united in their opposition against Obama’s Health Law, but differences remain in how they would reform Medicare.
Lawsuit Accuses Company Of Fraudulently Cycling Patients Through Nursing Homes, Hospice Care
Whistleblowers allege that AseraCare improperly channeled people to gain maximum Medicare reimbursements. In a separate suit, federal attorneys say the company pressured employees to enroll patients in hospice who weren’t dying.
Senior Correspondent Jordan Rau Discusses What 2012 Will Hold For Health Care
KHN reporters preview some of the big issues coming this year: KHN Senior Correspondent Jordan Rau says he’ll be keeping an eye on how Medicare proposes to change how it pays hospitals after changes in the health law.
Medicare: Who Said That? The Answer Sheet
Here are the details regarding not only who said what about Medicare, but when and where.
Senate, House Remain At Odds Over ‘Doc Fix’ Dilemma
A Senate-passed bill to stop a Medicare physician pay cut, among other provisions like a payroll tax cut extension, was denied a vote by House Republicans Tuesday afternoon. Until lawmakers pass legislation to avert it, doctors are facing a 27 percent pay cut at the beginning of next year.
KHN Used CMS Readmission Rates And Patients’ Income For Analysis
The examination found that hospitals with the largest share of poor patients were 2.7 times as likely to have high readmission rates.
Medicare Penalties For Readmissions Could Be A Tough Hit On Hospitals Serving The Poor
Federal officials are seeking to make sure patients get the care they need after discharge. But the new policy is likely to disproportionately affect hospitals that treat the most low-income patients, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis.
The Revolving Door Of Readmissions
Ralph Rust’s decade-long struggle to stay out of hospitals involves some of the factors that cause patients to be readmitted frequently. For years he was hospitalized as often as three times a month.
Gingrich Defends Record, Praises Ryan-Wyden Medicare Plan
Both Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney welcomed the Ryan-Wyden plan, announced yesterday. Gingrich went on defense after Rep. Michele Bachmann questioned him on his record on abortion legislation while he was in the House of Representatives.
Analysis: Wyden-Ryan Plan Could Neutralize Medicare In 2012 Election
Supporting this new proposal may help congressional Republicans to distance themselves from an earlier, controversial plan.
