Aging
Do Seniors Have Too Many Medicare Plans To Choose From?
Most seniors face a dizzying array of options each year when it comes time to choose a Medicare health or prescription drug plan. Beneficiaries can select from an average of 18 health plans and 31 prescription drug plans. In South Florida, they have 88 plan choices altogether. While choice may sound like a good thing, […]
Medicare Reverses Denial Of Costly Treatment For Hepatitis C Patient
Walter Bianco, an Arizona man denied access to new drugs to cure his hepatitis C infection, will get the costly medications after all. Walter Bianco (Photo by Alexandra Olgin for KHN) After Kaiser Health News and NPR described his plight in a story that aired Monday, federal Medicare officials said they would look into the […]
Medicare May Be Overpaying Hospitals For Short-Stay Patients
The federal government may be overpaying hospitals an estimated $5 billion as a result of the 18-month moratorium on enforcing a controversial rule that tells hospitals when patients should be admitted, an independent Medicare auditing company told a congressional panel Tuesday. Last September, Medicare officials announced that patients whose doctors expect them to stay in […]
California Doctors Among Those Charging Medicare The Most For Office Visits
When people think of seeing a doctor, generally the first thing that comes to mind is an office visit. But not all visits are the same. Frequently, patients have minor problems, which can be dispensed with quickly. Other problems are much more complex and require more of a doctor’s time and expertise. Not surprisingly, doctors […]
Should Medicare Pay The Same No Matter Where The Patient Gets Care?
That question was the focus of a House subcommittee hearing Wednesday, and it’s an important issue in the context of the debate over ending the Medicare SGR. Mary Agnes Carey and CQ HealthBeat’s John Reichard discuss. >>Click here to listen to audio of the conversation MARY AGNES CAREY: Welcome to Health on the Hill. I’m […]
Some Colorado Doctors May Be Overcharging Medicare For Routine Visits
DENVER — Hundreds of Colorado doctors are charging Medicare far more than is typical for routine patient visits, according to a new database . The numbers could reveal fraud. But experts caution that the raw data alone could also make physicians who are doing nothing wrong look bad. Findings are based on an analysis of a database […]
Minnesota, Not Florida, Not Hawaii, Is Healthiest State For Seniors
“Minnesota Nice” might be the key to good health for seniors. Photo by Sharyn Morrow via Flickr America’s Health Rankings Senior Report rated Minnesota the healthiest state in the nation for adults aged 65 and over — beating out Hawaii. And that retiree and snowbird haven, Florida? It came in 28th. What could put Minnesota, which […]
‘National Dialogue’ Urged On Cost Of New Hepatitis C Drug
The outcry continues over the $1,000-a-pill hepatitis C drug made by California-based Gilead Sciences. While the drug is a significant advance over older treatments for the viral liver disease, the price set by the company “represents an abuse of market power,” said John Rother, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care, which […]
How To Shop For Long-Term Care Insurance
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. One of the toughest money decisions Americans face as they age is whether to buy long-term care insurance. Many people don’t realize that Medicare usually doesn’t cover long-term care, yet lengthy assisted-living or nursing home stays can decimate even the best-laid retirement plan. Long-term care insurance […]
Adult Foster Care Aid May Be At Risk, Advocates Say
This story was produced in partnership with the The Affordable Care Act is expected to save Michigan hundreds of millions of dollars annually in mental health costs, but there’s a growing dispute over whether the money should be immediately reinvested in mental health programs, or banked. As part of major changes associated with the health […]