Aging
If The Health Care Overhaul Goes Down, Could Medicare Follow?
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. A growing number of health experts are warning of potential collateral damage if the Supreme Court strikes down the entire 2010 Affordable Care Act: potential chaos in the Medicare program. “The Affordable Care Act has become part and parcel of the Medicare system, encouraging providers to deliver better, more […]
Health On The Hill: Competing Prescriptions For Medicare’s Financial Health
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Marilyn Werber Serafini join Jackie Judd to preview this week’s House hearings on Medicare and to dig into the details of the Medicare trustees’ report. >> Listen to audio of the interview. Read Related: >> An Even Bleaker Prognosis For Medicare? >> Trustees Issue Warnings On Medicare, But Make No […]
Second Guessing Medicare’s Star Rating System
This story was produced in collaboration with As the federal government pumps billions of bonus dollars into private Medicare health plans to encourage better care, the quality rating system used to award the bonuses is coming under increasing fire. Critics, including the Government Accountability Office and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), question whether the $8 billion-plus program […]
States Encounter Obstacles Moving Elderly And Disabled Into Community
A multi-billion dollar federal initiative to move low-income elderly and disabled people from long-term care facilities into the community has fallen far short of its goals, as many states have struggled to cobble together housing and other services. Launched in 2007 during the Bush administration, the states initially projected placing 35,380 Medicaid recipients in the […]
Some Patients Can Choose To Be Hospitalized At Home
This story was produced in collaboration with ALBUQUERQUE — The man’s face was pasty, his eyes closed as he lay back in bed waiting for a wave of nausea to pass. Dr. Elizabeth Ward bent over him after checking his temperature, blood pressure, and oxygen levels and finding that all were normal. Physician Elizabeth Ward, […]
Q&A: How Are Retired Military Personnel Affected By The Health Law?
KHN’s “Insuring Your Health” columnist Michelle Andrews answers that question from a reader, noting that the Affordable Care Act does affect some retired members of the military over age 65. Related Topics Aging Insurance The Health Law
Letters To The Editor: Readers’ Thoughts On Tennessee Medicaid’s Long-Term Care Benefits; Hospital Readmissions; And The Nursing Professor Shortage
Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We will edit for space, and we require full names. Among the stories that have drawn comments and responses are Jordan Rau’s piece about hospital readmission rates, as well as Guy Gugliotta’s article about Tennessee cuts to […]
FAQ: How Paul Ryan Proposes To Change Medicare
Updated Aug. 13, 2012 Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s choice for vice president, has provoked consternation from Democrats and anxiety among some congressional Republicans with his proposals to reshape Medicare. Mitt Romney introduces Paul Ryan as his choice for running mate in Norfolk, Va., Saturday (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images). The […]
U.S. Should Make ‘Life-Long Homes’ A Priority, Says Henry Cisneros
What will it take for Americans to age successfully in place? This question has immediate importance for policymakers and families as an estimated 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 years old every day. It’s the subject of a new book, “Independent for Life: Homes and Neighborhoods for an Aging America,” authored by more than a dozen […]
Many People Would Like To Know Their Risk Of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease can’t be prevented or cured, and it ranks second only to cancer among diseases that people fear. Still, a study last year found that about two-thirds of respondents would want to know if they were destined to get the disease. Although there are no definitive tests that predict whether most people will get the […]