On Disabilities

Remembering George H.W. Bush, A Champion For People With Disabilities

6:33am December 03, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

One of the most enduring pieces of legislation signed by former President George H.W. Bush, who died on Friday at the age of 94, is the American Disabilities Act, which he signed into law in 1990.

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Medicare's new program will alter a year's worth of payments to 14,959 skilled nursing facilities across the U.S., based on how often in the past fiscal year their residents ended up back in hospitals within 30 days of leaving.

Medicare To Cut Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients End Up Back In The Hospital

12:42pm December 01, 2018

by Jordan Rau

Medicare's incentive program to discourage nursing homes from discharging patients too quickly will also give bonuses to facilities that have fewer rehospitalizations.

The number of children in the United States without health insurance jumped to 3.9 million in 2017 from about 3.6 million the year before, according to census data.

Health & Safety

Number Of U.S. Kids Who Don't Have Health Insurance Is On The Rise

12:01am November 29, 2018

by Phil Galewitz

Economic growth usually means more kids get health insurance, but that's not been the case during the Trump years, a study shows. For the first time in a decade, the uninsured rate for children is up.

Affordable Care Act navigator Nini Hadwen (right) helped Jorge Hernandez (left) and Marta Aguirre find a plan on the health insurance exchange in Miami in 2013. Today, with fewer navigators, much of that counseling is done by phone instead of in person.

Obamacare Sign-Ups Lag As Trump Slashes Funds For Enrollment Help

7:23pm November 28, 2018

by Phil Galewitz

The Trump administration is spending $10 million this year on health care navigators — down from $63 million in 2016. Nationwide, workers are scrambling to apprise people of insurance options.

Helping a spouse or parent who has dementia steer clear of hazards can include ridding the home of all guns.

Firearms And Dementia: How Do You Convince A Loved One To Give Up Their Guns?

7:23am November 13, 2018

by Melissa Block

It's estimated that nearly half of all Americans over 65 own a gun or live with someone who does. And 7 million in the U.S. have dementia, a number that's expected to double within two decades.

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These Flatworms Can Regrow A Body From A Fragment. How Do They Do It And Could We?

11:32am November 06, 2018

by Gabriela Quirós

Biologists are keen to understand how a type of flatworm known as a planarian uses powerful stem cells to regenerate an entire body from a headless sliver of itself.

Open enrollment for 2019 health plans begins Nov. 1 on HealthCare.gov and on most state insurance exchanges.

Looking For ACA Health Insurance For 2019? Here's What To Expect

5:23pm October 31, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Throughout the U.S., subsidies are available to reduce the price of 2019 policies sold on state and federal insurance exchanges. But promotion of the insurance is varying widely from state to state.

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Shelton Allwood joined other demonstrators in Miami last year calling for continued protection for people who have pre-existing medical conditions.

2 Moves By Trump This Past Week Could Reshape U.S. Health Insurance In Big Ways

6:29pm October 27, 2018

by Julie Appleby

Frustrated that Congress hasn't repealed the Affordable Care Act, the administration continues to make moves that chip away at the ACA's nationwide protections and give states more control.

When one of Jose Nuñez's retinas was damaged by diabetes in 2016, the Los Angeles truck driver expected his Medicaid managed care policy to coordinate treatment. But Centene, the private insurer that manages his policy, gave him the runaround, he says, a

Private Medicaid Plans Receive Billions In Tax Dollars, With Little Oversight

5:25pm October 18, 2018

by Chad Terhune

More than two-thirds of Medicaid recipients are enrolled in privately run Medicaid managed care programs. Yet the evidence is thin these contractors improve patient care or save the government money.

Randy and Karen O'Burke together at their son's home in Hendersonville, Tenn., last week. "Apparently, I'm pretty much of a miracle," Randy says.

How To Prevent Brain-Sapping Delirium In The ICU

9:21am October 11, 2018

by Richard Harris

People who suffer from prolonged delirium in the hospital are likely to develop long-term mental problems like dementia. Doctors have come up with techniques they say can reduce delirium in the ICU.

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