Aging
One-Quarter Of ACOs Save Enough Money To Earn Bonuses
About a quarter of the 243 groups of hospitals and doctors that banded together as accountable care organizations under the Affordable Care Act saved Medicare enough money to earn bonuses, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Tuesday. Those 64 ACOs earned a combined $445 million in bonuses, the agency said. Medicare saved $372 […]
Dying In America Is Harder Than It Has To Be, IOM Says
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) Updated at 7:00 p.m. It is time for conversations about death to become a part of life. That is one of the themes of a 500-page report, titled “Dying In America,” released Wednesday by the Institute of Medicine. The report suggests that the first end-of-life conversation could […]
Too Many People Die In Hospital Instead Of Home. Here’s Why.
This story is part of a partnership that includes WNYC, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) Special thanks to WNYC’s Data Team. It was September 2012 and it was life-long smoker Paula Faber’s third cancer in a decade, but she did not hesitate. “She was going to fight it […]
How To Fix Medicare? Ask The Public
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) Washington is full of ideas to overhaul Medicare. Some would increase the program’s eligibility age, others would charge higher-income beneficiaries more for their coverage. There’s movement to link payment to the quality — rather than the quantity — of care delivered. Marge Ginsburg decided to ask ordinary […]
Calif. Governor Vetoes Bill To Protect Assets From Medi-Cal
This story is part of a partnership that includes Capital Public Radio, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Jerry Brown rejected an effort to protect the estates of Medicaid beneficiaries in California, the San Jose Mercury News reported Friday. The bill, which […]
Many Rural Hospitals Are Excluded From Government’s Push For Better Quality
This KHN story also ran in . It can be republished for free. (details) Crawford Memorial Hospital, in rural Robinson, Ill., is the only hospital for miles around. Just like elsewhere, Crawford’s doctors deliver babies, perform routine operations and see thousands of patients in the emergency room. Brittany Jones helps her daughter Austin Izzabella, 2, […]
Medicare Open Enrollment Is Fast Approaching — Here’s What We Know So Far
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) Medicare beneficiaries who want to make changes to their prescription drug plans or Medicare Advantage coverage can do so starting Oct. 15 during the Medicare’s program’s annual open enrollment period. There will be somewhat fewer plans to pick from this year, but in general people will […]
Medicare Fines 2,610 Hospitals In Third Round Of Readmission Penalties
This KHN story can be republished for free. (details) Medicare is fining a record number of hospitals – 2,610 – for having too many patients return within a month for additional treatments, federal records released Wednesday show. Even though the nation’s readmission rate is dropping, Medicare’s average fines will be higher, with 39 hospitals receiving […]
Turning 65? 9 Tips For Signing Up For Medicare
This KHN story also ran in . It can be republished for free. (details) “Welcome to America’s hottest talk line. Ladies, to talk to interesting and exciting guys free, press 1 now. Guys, hot ladies are waiting to talk to you . . . .” Wait! I thought I was calling Social Security to ask […]
Many Medicare Outpatients Pay More At Rural Hospitals, Federal Report Says
This KHN story also ran in . It can be republished for free. (details) Many Medicare beneficiaries treated at primarily rural “critical access” hospitals end up paying between two and six times more for outpatient services than do patients at other hospitals, according to a report released Wednesday by the inspector general at the Department […]