Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health On The Hill: “Super Committee”: Recipe For Gridlock Or Potential For Consensus?
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Politico Pro’s David Nather talk to Jackie Judd about the now complete “super committee” and what it may mean for Medicare and Medicaid.
Rep. Schakowsky: Without New Tax Revenue, “Super Committee” Unlikely To Be Successful
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., a member of President Obama’s 2010 debt commission led by Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, believes lawmakers on the “super committee” should aim for a balanced approach that would include new tax revenue as well as budget cuts.
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says the “super committee” has a chance at tamping down the nation’s debt and slowing Medicare spending growth because the American public understands the stakes – the American Dream.
Frist: ‘Super Committee’ Has ‘Shot This Time’ At Reining In Debt, Medicare Spending
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist about the “super committee’s” chance at tamping down the nation’s debt. Frist says the panel has a chance to lower the debt and Medicare spending growth because the American public understands the stakes this time – the American Dream.
Obama: ‘Lack Of Political Will’ On Tackling Deficits
In his remarks to the country about the S & P downgrade, President Barack Obama said the country needed tax reform and “modest adjustments to health care programs like Medicare.”
Pawlenty Points To Minn. Health Law As Model For U.S.
The former governor says he “passed health care reform the right way. No mandates. No takeovers.” But critics argue that it is unclear if the law will lower costs and it does little to expand insurance coverage.
Health On The Hill Transcript: Medicaid Untouched, Medicare Spared – For Now – In Debt Deal
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks about the lack of Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the initial round of cuts tied to the debt ceiling increase, and about what sort of cuts the programs could be open to later in the year.
Health Care Recommendations From Previous Bipartisan Deficit-Reduction Groups: Document
The debt-ceiling agreement calls for a bipartisan “super committee.” This is not the first effort to find a bipartisan agreement on reducing the federal deficit; here is a guide to the health-care recommendations from four groups.
Different Takes: What’s Next For Medicare Cost Controls? Vladeck And Wilensky Offer Their Views
During the course of negotiations to raise the debt ceiling, proposals to reduce Medicare costs had an on-again, off-again presence at the table. We asked Bruce Vladeck and Gail Wilensky which of these ideas could have a positive or negative impact on the program. A ‘Pernicioius’ Idea: Proposals To Forbid First-Dollar Coverage For Medicare Beneficiaries […]
As the country has struggled to raise the debt ceiling, there have been periodic expectations that the current fiscal distress would produce the “right environment” to finally reform entitlements — particularly Medicare. This has seemed quite astounding to me, 15 months before a presidential election year, given the presence of a divided Congress and our highly charged political environment.
Proposals To Forbid First-Dollar Coverage For Medicare Beneficiaries
The usual laundry lists of proposals for Medicare savings are already being circulated throughout official Washington. Most of these ideas have been around for years, and have never gotten past the talking stages because of political opposition or because they are simply bad ideas. But one especially pernicious proposal appears to have increasing traction among both politicians and policy analysts.
As the country has struggled to raise the debt ceiling, there have been periodic expectations that the current fiscal distress would produce the “right environment” to finally reform entitlements — particularly Medicare. This has seemed quite astounding to me, 15 months before a presidential election year, given the presence of a divided Congress and our highly charged political environment.
Health On The Hill: Medicaid Untouched, Medicare Spared – For Now – In Debt
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the lack of Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the initial round of cuts tied to the debt ceiling increase, and about what sort of cuts the programs could be open to later in the year.
Medicare Prepares Rule To Penalize Hospitals With High Readmission Rates
The federal health care program also wants to pay less to hospitals with higher-than-average costs for patient care.
Health Industry Could Feel Pinch, Then Pain From Default
Within a few weeks of a shutdown of Medicare and Medicaid money, health care providers could be in financial trouble. No one knows how to plan for it.
Why IPAB Is Essential — A Timely Review (Guest Opinion)
Earlier in July, Jonathan Cohn followed the House Budget Committee’s hearings on the heatlh law’s Independent Payment Advisory Board. The experience inspired him to offer this reminder of what it is;, how it will work; and why it is essential to controlling Medicare costs.
Nation’s Health Care Bill To Nearly Double By 2020
New estimates from Medicare’s actuaries find the nation’s health spending will grow by 5.8 percent a year through 2020, compared to 5.7 percent without the overhaul.
Health On The Hill: Medicare, Medicaid Taken Off Table In Budget Talks
Neither the Boehner nor the Reid plans include cuts to Medicare or Medicaid. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about why that happened and what could bring these entitlements back into the deficit-reduction conversation.
Washington’s Rebate Tax Would Be Paid By Seniors (Guest Column)
Some Democrats are backing a “tax” on prescription drugs that would increase Medicare drug plan premiums by as much as 40 percent. Those lawmaker wouldn’t describe their plan that way, of course, but that would be the effect of their plat to require drug companies to pay Medicaid-style rebates to Medicare.
At Age 46, Is Medicare Ripe For A Change?
Seven experts explore what it would take to muster the political will to revamp the popular health care program.
