Latest Kaiser Health News Stories
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Happy Friday! In news that is technically really good and exciting but is also kind of icky: yarn made from human skin could eventually be used to stitch up surgical wounds as a way to cut down on detrimental reactions from patients. As CNN reports, “The researchers say their ‘human textile,’ which they developed from […]
Trump On ‘Medicare for All’ And The Costs Of Extending Health Care To Undocumented Immigrants
In his Feb. 4 State of the Union address, President Donald Trump said the cost of extending health care to people regardless of their citizenship status would “bankrupt” the U.S.
What To Do If Your Home Health Care Agency Ditches You
If you’re told Medicare’s home health benefits have changed, don’t believe it: Coverage rules haven’t been altered and people are still entitled to the same types of services. All that has changed is how Medicare pays agencies.
Watch: Let’s Talk About Trump’s Health Care Policies
KHN’s Shefali Luthra examines the president’s talking points on a range of topics — from insurance coverage, access to care and affordability issues to preexisting condition protections and prescription drug costs.
Why Home Health Care Is Suddenly Harder To Come By For Medicare Patients
Medicare has changed how it pays for services. In response, agencies across the country are firing therapists, limiting physical, occupational and speech therapy, and terminating services for some longtime, severely ill patients.
Preeminent Hospitals Penalized Over Rates Of Patients’ Injuries
Medicare cut payments for 786 hospitals because of high infection and complication rates. They included a third of the hospitals proclaimed as the nation’s best in one prominent ranking.
A Guide To Following The Health Debate In The 2020 Elections
As the Democratic primary campaign nears pivotal voting, important aspects of health care policy are being overlooked.
Elecciones 2020: guía para seguir el debate de salud
Precios, tipo de cobertura, formas de acceder a la atención, son algunos de los temas que ya están dominando el debate en este año electoral.
An Attack Ad That Claims Michigan Sen. Gary Peters Supports ‘Medicare For All’ Doesn’t Hold Up
This one is a big stretch.
Readers And Tweeters Fired Up Over Employer’s No-Nicotine Policy
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Patients Want A ‘Good Death’ At Home, But Hospice Care Can Badly Strain Families
Fewer Americans are dying in a hospital, under the close supervision of doctors and nurses. That trend has been boosted by an expanded Medicare benefit that helps people live out their final days at home in hospice care. But as home hospice grows, so has the burden on families left to provide much of the care.
Warren y Klobuchar dicen que pueden bajar precios de medicamentos sin ayuda del Congreso
Ambas senadoras han patrocinado sus propios proyectos de ley para controlar el aumento vertiginoso de los precios de las drogas recetadas. El Congreso no ha hecho mucho por solucionar este problema.
Warren and Klobuchar Say They Can Lower Drug Prices Without Congress’ Help
Democratic presidential candidates also returned to now-familiar themes in debating the differences between “Medicare for All” and more incremental reforms.
Loopholes Limit New California Law To Guard Against Lofty Air Ambulance Bills
A new state law limits what consumers owe if they’re transported by an air ambulance that’s not part of their insurance network to the amount that they’d be charged if they used an in-network provider. But the law won’t protect millions of consumers whose health plans aren’t regulated by the state.
One-On-One With Trump’s Medicare And Medicaid Chief: Seema Verma
Seema Verma, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, sat down for a rare interview with KHN senior correspondent Sarah Varney. They discuss her views on President Donald Trump’s plan for sustaining public health insurance programs, how the administration would respond if Obamacare is struck down by the courts in the future and her thoughts on how the latest “Medicare for All” proposals would affect innovation and access to care.
Government-Funded Day Care Helps Keep Seniors Out Of Nursing Homes And Hospitals
The aptly named Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly provides services funded by Medicaid and Medicare that range from medical and mental health care to hot lunches, recreation, transportation and haircuts. California’s newest PACE center opened recently in San Diego County.
Demócratas debaten si es “realista” un Medicare para Todos
Los siete candidatos que participaron del último debate de 2019 hablaron sobre la practicidad de una reforma radical de la atención médica, específicamente, de Medicare para Todos.
Democrats Debate Whether ‘Medicare For All’ Is ‘Realistic’
Candidates again sparred over “Medicare for All” and other approaches to health reform — but this time they waited more than two hours before wading into health policy issues.
What Would Happen If The ACA Went Away?
The Affordable Care Act has been on the books for nearly a decade. Parts of it have become ingrained in our health system ― and in our everyday life. But this could change, depending on a long-awaited 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision regarding the law’s constitutionality.
Californians Without Health Insurance Will Pay A Penalty — Or Not
Californians must have health insurance starting next year or face a hefty tax penalty. But, as with the now-defunct federal tax penalty for being uninsured, some people will be exempt.
