Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Advantage Plans Earn So-So Quality Grades
An analysis by the consulting firm Avalere Health finds less than a fourth of the roughly 11 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans as of this spring belonged to plans that had earned four- or five-star quality ratings from Medicare officials.
The Hidden Costs of Publicly Financed Private Health Insurance
There is a hidden cost how we fund health insurance in the U.S.: insurers have more information about health care than the taxpayers that help fund it. The system’s opacity gives insurers the upper hand in debates over government payment rates.
Health On The Hill – April 19, 2010
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing this week to discuss how to protect consumers from unreasonable health insurance premium increases.
The President’s Orders On Same-Sex Partners’ Hospital Visitation Rights
The White House released a copy of the memo sent by President Barack Obama to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on hospital visitors’ rights, including those for same-sex partners of patients.
Medicare Advantage Competitive Pricing: The Political Failure of a Good Idea
Congressional meddling has become almost synonymous with Advantage administrative pricing and the trend continued after the passage of the health care reconciliation bill.
Health Reform’s Medicaid Expansion, Payment Increase Causes Mixed Feelings For MDs
While doctors are worrying a lot about whether Congress will block the 21 percent scheduled cut in Medicare payments, a fix to another public health program is raising another question.
True or False: Seven Concerns About The New Health Law
The bill signed by President Obama is long and technical, so it’s no wonder that consumers are confused. KHN staff writers check out several key concerns.
Long-Term Care Program Debuts In New Health Law
The act will promote saving for long-term assistance and will especially benefit senior citizens. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
Medicare Plans That Broke Rules Include Familiar Names
A multinational company and two members of the Fortune 500 were named among six insurers found in violation of Medicare marketing rules when federal inspectors checked their books and sat in on presentations as “secret shoppers.”
Closing Medicare Drug Gap Helps Democrats Sell Reform
The health overhaul package passed by Congress will gradually eliminate the so-called Medicare Part D “doughnut hole,” making prescription drugs more affordable for many seniors.
Which Medicare Plans Broke Rules?
Six Medicare Advantage plans that have been in trouble in the past are still breaking marketing rules in ways that place beneficiaries at risk. Some of their earlier violations included tricking beneficiaries into signing up for the wrong plan and sometimes even enrolling them without their knowledge.
Last Minute Deal On Medicare Highlights Dilemma On Curbing Costs
Lawmakers agreed in health bill to increase Medicare payments by $800 million to hospitals and doctors in a handful of states.
Medicare Steps Up Efforts To Monitor Seniors’ Prescriptions
Medicare is expanding a program to make sure that some older adults use the right drugs and take them correctly to prevent harmful side effects or interactions. A similar program helped Irene Mooney, who was taking 13 medications and developed some serious side effects.
Doctors, Hospitals, Insurers, Pharma Come Out Ahead With Health Bill
Hospitals and drug makers are among the biggest winners in the legislative bonanza.
Drug Prices Rise For Seniors Who Reach Medicare Part D Coverage Gap
Seniors who reach the “doughnut hole” for prescription medications find that price increases are far outpacing inflation, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study.
As Medicare Pay Shrinks, Some California Docs Hike Patient Fees
One California cardiology group has confronted steep Medicare cuts with a tactic that may irk patients who already face soaring health costs in that state: Beginning April 1, Pacific Heart Institute, in Santa Monica, will charge some patients annual fees ranging from $500 to $7,500, in addition to the regular fees paid by patients and insurers.
Five Questions About President Obama’s Proposed Changes To The Medicare Payroll Tax
To help pay for his health care overhaul package, President Obama is proposing that wealthy Americans pay Medicare taxes on the money they make on their investments. The proposal would affect millions of people.
Medicare Pay Fix For Doctors Hitches Ride On Jobs Bill
Physicians are the immediate beneficiaries of a provision in the jobs bill that would postpone a 21 percent cut in the amount Medicare pays them.
Yes, Let’s Talk About Those Republican Ideas
For most of last year, Republicans spent their time attacking Democratic plans for reform, rather than describing their own. But now they’ve put a plan on the table. Showcasing that plan–and comparing it to what the Democrats have proposed–might help clarify a few things.
Government Health Spending To Top Private Sector By 2012
A new study by federal officials finds that state, local and federal health spending has steadily increased. And, the nation’s health spending as a share of the economy jumped in 2009 by 1.1 points to 17.3 percent.
