Hospitals

Colin Campbell, shown last month in his home near Los Angeles, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease — ALS — eight years ago. He gets Medicare because of his disability, but was incorrectly told by several agencies that he couldn't use it for home c

Home Care Agencies Often Wrongly Deny Medicare Help To The Chronically Ill

11:45am January 17, 2018

by Susan Jaffe

Home health firms sometimes turn away Medicare beneficiaries who have chronic health problems by incorrectly claiming Medicare won't pay for their services, say advocates for patients.

Michelle Leavy surrounded by her three sons. She became addicted to opioids when she was discharged from the hospital with doctors' advice to use them for her pain after a cesarean section. She is now in recovery.

Hospitals Brace Patients For Pain To Reduce Risk Of Opioid Addiction

4:11pm January 09, 2018

by Blake Farmer

As hospitals assess their role in the opioid crisis, some are trying to change patient expectations by warning them to expect some pain. Doctors in those hospitals are prescribing fewer opioids.

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Up to one half of rural residents are covered by Medicaid, says Michelle Mills, CEO of Colorado Rural Health Center. And they're typically older, poorer and sicker than city dwellers.

Hospitals In States That Expanded Medicaid Less Likely To Close

5:39pm January 08, 2018

by John Daley

Hundreds of thousands of people gained health insurance in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. In those states, hospitals were less likely to close.

Each year, hundreds of hospitals lose 1 percent of their Medicare payments through the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Reduction Program. The penalties — now in their fourth year — were created by the Affordable Care Act to drive hospitals to improve the

Hospitals Nationally Hit Hard By Medicare's Safety Penalties

8:18am January 05, 2018

by Jordan Rau

Seven states saw a third or more of their hospitals punished under the federal health law's campaign against hospital-acquired conditions. Critics accuse some unscathed hospitals of gaming the system.

Make sure the proposed test or treatment is necessary. Ask what might happen if you don't get the service right away.

7 Ways You Can Protect Yourself From Outrageous Medical Bills

2:59pm November 29, 2017

by Marshall Allen

Prepare to joust over bills with hospitals, medical providers and insurers. You can win by being smart and assertive and acting before a test or treatment is administered.

After two weeks of recovery from an addiction to opioids prescribed by her surgeon, Katie Herzog takes a walk with her dog, Pippen.

Should Hospitals Be Punished For Post-Surgical Patients' Opioid Addiction?

11:11am November 26, 2017

by Martha Bebinger

Many surgeons prescribe strong pain medicine without knowing how much their patients actually need. A group of doctors says hospitals should be accountable for patients' long-term opioid use.

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MedStar Health clinic in Washington, D.C. An affiliated MedStar hospital is just one of many facilities throughout the U.S. that have been hit with shortages of certain medications because of recent hurricane damage to manufacturers in Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Damage To Manufacturers In Puerto Rico Affects Mainland Hospitals, Too

2:00pm November 15, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The island is a major center for drug and medical device manufacturing. After Hurricane Maria, those products, including small IV bags, are running short throughout the U.S.

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Rosemary Warnock, a registered nurse at Maine Health, exits the Merrill Auditorium voting station in Portland, Maine, early Tuesday. She said she was motivated to vote for Medicaid expansion.

After Maine Voters Approve Medicaid Expansion, Governor Raises Objections

9:31pm November 08, 2017

by Patty Wight

Republican Gov. Paul LePage vetoed Medicaid expansion several times before, so advocates took the measure to the ballot box. Now the governor is placing financial conditions on moving ahead.

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An overdose rescue kit handed out at an overdose prevention class this summer in New York City includes an injectable form of the drug naloxone.

Health & Safety

Counting The Heavy Cost Of Care In The Age Of Opioids

11:00am October 28, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

The city of Baltimore says it needs more money to distribute a lifesaving opioid overdose medication. And a recent study finds the cost of treating overdoses in U.S. hospital ICUs has risen sharply.

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Hundreds of homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017, in Santa Rosa, California.

As She Evacuated Patients From The Hospital, Her Home Burned

8:36am October 15, 2017

by April Dembosky

On extremely short notice, two hospitals had to evacuate all their patients as wildfires spread rapidly through Santa Rosa, Calif., last Sunday and Monday. One nurse on duty tells her story.