Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
Why Public Support For Health Care Faltered
The Democrats’ health overhaul legislation is in trouble for many reasons, including key policy decisions that led many Americans to wonder whether they would wind up worse off.
It’s Time To Coordinate Care For The Disabled And Frail Elderly
Since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid nearly 45 years ago, the government has separated acute medical care from personal assistance and long-term care, placing many of the most vulnerable people in the nation at risk. An obscure provision of the Senate health bill attempts to crack that barrier.
Congress and Medicare: Letting Go Is Hard to Do
Democrats’ health plan would give agencies more power to test and expand promising approaches to holding down costs, but the question remains: Can lawmakers resist interfering in efforts that could hurt incomes of home-state providers?
Democrats’ Ideas To Expand Medicare Raise Hackles Of Doctors, Hospitals, Insurers
Hospitals, doctors and insurers are opposed to allowing people under 65 to join Medicare
Analysis Of Medicare Costs Knocks McAllen, Texas, Off Its Expensive Perch
An independent advisory board has a new way to evaluate geographical differences in Medicare spending. Now, McAllen, Texas is no longer considered as one of the top two expensive areas in the country.
Seniors Often Reluctant To Switch Medicare Drug Plans
Comparing plans can save hundreds of dollars for some consumers but many people are overwhelmed at the prospect of making such a change. Seniors have until the end of the year to revise their coverage.
Getting The Bugs Out Of Health Reform
When it comes to making medical care not only cheaper but also better, reducing hospital infections is among the easiest changes to make–something reform really should be able to do, even in this political universe of such limited possibility.
