Medicare

Health & Safety

After Medicare Drops Screening Charges, Men Head To Colonoscopy Suites

12:09pm January 06, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

More older men are getting screened for colorectal cancer since the federal health law eliminated the out-of-pocket charges for screening tests, but there's a catch if polyps are found.

Bupropion, sold under the name Wellbutrin, is an antidepressant often prescribed to help a person quit smoking.

Medicaid Programs Fall Short When It Comes To Helping Smokers Quit

4:08pm January 05, 2016

by Nancy Shute

People who have Medicaid insurance are much more likely to be smokers, and the program pays for medication to help them quit. But just 10 percent of Medicaid recipients get that help, a study finds.

Medicare Penalizes 758 Hospitals For Safety Incidents

4:51pm December 10, 2015

by Jordan Rau

More than half of the hospitals punished this year were also dinged in 2014. The government has used financial carrots and now sticks to improve the quality of care.

A recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that Medicare recipients taking Revlimid for cancer could end up paying, on average, $11,538 out of pocket for the drug in 2016, even if the medicine is covered by their Medicare Part D plan.

Specialty Drugs Can Prove Expensive Even With Medicare Coverage

10:21am December 03, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

Medicare insurance plans for drugs vary widely in the medicines they cover. For 2016, some patients who pick the wrong plan could pay nearly $12,000 out of pocket annually for a single drug.

Health & Safety

End Of Medicare Bonuses Will Cut Pay To Primary Care Doctors

7:03am November 28, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

A 10 percent bump in pay under the Affordable Care Act will expire at year-end. The bonus was supposed to help balance the reimbursement discrepancies between primary care providers and specialists.

Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore's health commissioner, is eager to see hospitals in the city pitch in on public health.

Health & Safety

In Maryland, A Change In How Hospitals Are Paid Boosts Public Health

6:22pm October 23, 2015

Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen has big dreams for her city, but finding the money to achieve them is a challenge. Putting Maryland hospitals on fixed budgets may be the key.

Queue Listen Now

It's the time of year when seniors make choices about Medicare coverage that can affect how much they'll pay for medicines.

Health & Safety

The Right Medicare Drug Plan Can Help Control Price Shocks

11:35am October 21, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Drug plans offered by private insurers under Medicare change from year to year. It pays to check around for the best deal during open enrollment season.

Nurses Patricia Wegener (left) and Susan Davis at Mercy Hospital can monitor the condition of a patient who is miles away via the hospital's technology. But some health insurers and analysts remain skeptical that telemedicine saves money.

Telemedicine Expands, Though Financial Prospects Still Uncertain

1:55pm October 02, 2015

by Alex Smith

With apps and video chats now a part of many people's days, some firms and hospitals see big potential for health care delivered remotely. But a lot of insurers still aren't willing to pay for it.

Queue Listen Now

Medicare Fails To Save Money So Far On Cooperative Care Experiment

4:03pm September 15, 2015

Health care practitioners who band together can earn Medicare bonuses by saving money. Most of the groups decline potentially richer deals that include penalties for excessive spending.

Some Medicare Advantage special needs plans may cover respite care, but are not required to do so.

Health & Safety

Medicare Provides Few Respite Coverage Options For Caregivers

12:35pm September 10, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Medicare generally covers respite care only when a beneficiary is in hospice, although some special needs Medicare Advantage plans may be of help.