Latest KFF Health News Stories
Tough Medicare Decisions Await Bipartisan Budget Panel
Lawmakers have until Dec. 13 to reach agreement under legislation ending the shutdown of the government and raising the debt ceiling.
Seniors Cautioned To Pay Close Attention To Details As Enrollment Begins In Medicare Plans
Costs, coverage details of different Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans can vary significantly, so beneficiaries should weigh their options and consider switching plans for a better deal.
Costliest 1 Percent Of Patients Account For 21 Percent Of U.S. Health Spending
Most of these patients have multiple chronic illnesses and all too often they wind up in emergency rooms because they have enormous difficulty navigating the increasingly fragmented, complicated and inflexible health-care system.
FAQ: Seniors On Medicare Don’t Need To Apply To The Health Law Marketplaces
The online exchanges that open Oct. 1 are not aimed at Medicare beneficiaries, but the 2010 health law does affect seniors in other ways.
Health Spending Over The Coming Decade Expected To Exceed Economic Growth
Government actuaries estimate that health care will account for 20 percent of gross domestic product by 2022.
Health On The Hill: ‘It’s A Fire Sale On The SGR’
With the Congressional Budget Office projecting a reduced cost for a long-term “doc fix,” Congress may seize the opportunity to end the annual adjustments to Medicare reimbursement rates. Mary Agnes Carey and CQ Roll Call’s Emily Ethridge discuss.
Long-Term Care Panel Releases Recommendations But Fails To Offer Plan To Help Pay For Services
The group tackles wide-ranging list of concerns, but the lack of a financing plan raises strong objections from some members.
Selling Marketplace Plans To Medicare Beneficiaries Will Be Illegal
The administration ramps up its message that seniors with Medicare coverage do not need plans from the exchanges.
No Shopping Zone: Medicare Is Not Part Of New Insurance Marketplaces
Administration officials are planning campaign to convince millions of seniors that they don’t need to sign up for the online exchanges.
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature that details readers responses to recent KHN stories.
Talking Scales and Telemedicine: ACO Tools To Keep Patients Out Of The Hospital
A Minnesota hospital’s care for congestive heart failure patients set the stage for it to become an Accountable Care Organization under the health law.
Armed With Bigger Fines, Medicare To Punish 2,225 Hospitals For Excess Readmissions
Penalties will total $227 million, but many hospitals will see their fines go down in October in the second year of the program.
Sources and Methodology: A Guide To Medicare’s Readmissions Data And KHN’s Analysis
Kaiser Health News’ data on hospital readmissions penalties comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Readmissions Penalties By State: Year Two
This chart lists state averages of readmission rates and the number of hospitals in each state that will be penalized.
HHS Inspector General Scrutinizes Medicare Observation Care Policy
The difference between inpatient and observational care status can have a big effect on Medicare beneficiaries — both in terms of the bills they face and the post-hospital options available to them.
How The Other Washington May Hold The Key To The Medicare Cost Crisis
Washington state saves money by ending insurance coverage for medical procedures that are unsafe, unproven or cost too much. Why can’t Medicare do the same?
Report recommends that Congress use Medicare’s influence to push doctors and other providers to work more closely and share in financial risk for care that is too costly.
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection.
Hospitals May Soon Be Reaching For The Stars
Medicare is considering assigning stars or other symbols to hospitals so that patients can compare quality more easily. Hospital groups are wary.
Head Of Rx Drug Makers Group Says Obama Budget Plans Cause Concern
John Castellani, the head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, notes support for health overhaul but says efforts to change Medicare Part D program and companies’ control of biologic drugs “would do serious harm to our industry.”
