Aging
Higher Hospital Readmissions Aren’t Linked To Fewer Deaths, Study Finds
Some hospitals with high readmission rates say they’re saving lives by bringing patients back at the first hint of trouble. The evidence for this is that a handful of hospitals with high readmission rates also have extremely low death rates among Medicare patients. But a study published Tuesday finds that there’s no major link between […]
In New York, Palliative Care Adds A Layer Of Support For The Seriously Ill
This story comes from our partner Stateline, the daily news service of the Pew Center on the States. NEW YORK – The palliative care team at Mount Sinai Hospital gathers on a Thursday morning to exchange the latest information on the patients in their ward. It is a raw, unforgiving day outside, but the weather, […]
Access To Primary Care Is A Challenge For Some Texas Medicare Patients
This video report comes from our partner The annual congressional battles over the “doc fix” and the threats of lower reimbursements in the future have left some Texas doctors insecure and unwilling to take on more Medicare patients. A transcript of the Newshour video report follows. RAY SUAREZ: Now: doctors opting out of Medicare. Much of […]
Medicare Revises Readmissions Penalties
In its effort to crack down on repeat hospitalizations, Medicare has its own readmission: for the second time in six months, it has erred in calculating penalties for more than 1,000 of the nation’s hospitals. As a result, Medicare has slightly lessened its readmissions penalties for 1,246 hospitals as part of its new program pressuring […]
Questions About Colon Screening Coverage Still Vex Consumers
No one looks forward to screening tests for colon and rectal cancers. But under the Affordable Care Act, patients are at least supposed to save on out of-pocket costs for them. Coverage is not always clear, however, and despite the federal government’s clarifications, some consumers remain vexed and confused. Under the law, most health plans […]
Seniors Get Hung Up In Health Care Scams
This KHN story was produced in collaboration with One recent morning, 86-year-old Evelyne Lois Such was sitting at her kitchen table in Denver when the phone rang. She didn’t recognize the phone number or the deep voice on the other end of the line. “He asked if I was a senior, and I said yes, […]
Letters To The Editor: Better Wages For Home Health Aides; Nurse-Staffing Laws; Physician-Owned Hospitals; Actuaries And ‘Rate Shock’
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. Last month, KHN posted a story, Obama Administration Mulls Rule To Give Home Health Aides Better Wages (Tran, 4/29), that drew a number of reader comments. […]
Advocates Head To Court To Overturn Medicare Rules For Observation Care
This KHN story was produced in collaboration with After Lois Frarie, a 93-year-old retired teacher from Monterey, Calif., spent four days at a local hospital while being treated for a broken elbow and pelvis, she went to a nearby nursing home to build up her strength. But her family was stunned to find out that […]
Medicare Seeks To Limit Number Of Seniors Placed In Hospital Observation Care
This KHN story was produced in collaboration with Medicare officials have proposed changes in hospital admission rules that they say will curb the rising number of beneficiaries who are placed in observation care but are not admitted, making them ineligible for nursing home coverage. “This trend concerns us because of the potential financial impact on […]
Oklahoma Law Reflects Divide Over End-Of-Life Issues
This story comes from our partner Stateline, the daily news service of the Pew Charitable Trusts. TULSA, Okla. – University of Tulsa law professor Marguerite Chapman has been studying end-of-life issues in Oklahoma for three decades and has come to a conclusion: “It’s getting almost to the point that you need a government permit in […]