Trump’s win could accelerate the privatization of Medicare
The former president's pending return to the White House could alter the very nature of Medicare, the nearly 60-year-old federal health care program.
Medicare Advantage
Older Americans say they feel trapped in Medicare Advantage plans
As enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans grows, so do concerns about how well the insurance works, including from those who say they have become trapped in the private plans as their health declines.
Medicare open enrollment ends today. Ignoring the deadline could cost you
As the period for changing health plans ends, many seniors are tuning out. They could wind up with a surprise next year: higher costs and reduced access to health care providers.
Uncle Sam wants you to help stop insurers' bogus Medicare Advantage sales tactics
The Biden administration is cracking down on deceptive or misleading Medicare Advantage and drug plan sales tactics. And it's counting on beneficiaries to help catch offenders.
Medicare Advantage keeps growing. Tiny, rural hospitals say that's a huge problem
More than half of seniors choose private Medicare Advantage plans instead of traditional Medicare. As rural enrollment increases, many small-town hospitals say that threatens their viability.
Medicare shoppers often face a barrage of unsolicited calls and aggressive ads
Medicare's annual open enrollment period began Oct. 15, allowing seniors to choose new plans. New rules this year are supposed to crack down on misleading marketing but buyers should still beware.
How Medicare Advantage plans dodged auditors and overcharged taxpayers by millions
A KHN investigation found when some Medicare Advantage plans got a rare federal audit, they couldn't produce billing records for care they said they'd provided. Some blamed fire, flood — or doctors.
Hidden audits reveal millions in overcharges by Medicare Advantage plans
Taxpayers footed the bill for care that should have cost far less, according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act. The U.S. government may charge insurers $650 million as a result.
Medicare Advantage's cost to taxpayers has soared in recent years, research finds
An alternative to original Medicare, the private plans are run mostly by major insurers. A recent analysis estimates Medicare overpaid these insurers by $106 billion from 2010 through 2019.
The DOJ Says A Data Mining Company Fabricated Medical Diagnoses To Make Money
In a civil suit filed this week, the Justice Department accuses a New York medical analytics company of helping a Medicare Advantage plan cheat taxpayers out of millions of dollars.