Medicare

Ten democratic presidential candidates appear onstage before the start of the Democratic Presidential Debate at Texas Southern University in Houston on Thursday.

Politics & Government

5 Questions Answered About The 3rd Democratic Debate

11:24am September 13, 2019

by Domenico Montanaro

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren faced off onstage for the first time, but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders wound up taking much of the heat, sparing Warren.

If a doctor is found to be ordering too many MRI or CT scans or other imaging tests for Medicare patients, a federal law is supposed to require the physician to get federal approval for all diagnostic imaging. But the Trump administration has stalled the

Health & Safety

Trump Team Hits Brakes On Law That Would Curb Unneeded Medicare CT Scans, MRIs

11:05am August 09, 2019

by Phil Galewitz

Critics worry that the administration's delays come at a steep cost: Medicare continues to pay for millions of unnecessary exams and patients are being subjected to radiation for no medical benefit.

Plump red blood cells — tumbling amid infection-fighting white blood cells and purple platelets in this colorized, microscopic view — need adequate levels of iron to be able to carry and deliver oxygen around the body. Iron-deficiency anemia is someti

Health & Safety

$2,733 To Treat Iron-Poor Blood? Iron Infusions For Anemia Under Scrutiny

3:39pm August 01, 2019

by Shefali Luthra

Iron-deficiency anemia is often remedied with drugstore iron pills. But if that doesn't work, doctors sometimes prescribe iron infusions — and the bill for that can vary by thousands of dollars. Why?

"As deductibles rise, patients have the right to know the price of health care services so they can shop around for the best deal," says Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and announced the Trump administration's plan this

Health & Safety

Trump Team's Bid To Make Hospital Costs More Transparent Is Data-Heavy

5:00am July 31, 2019

by Julie Appleby

The administration's rules would require hospitals to provide far more detail about the actual prices they charge insurers for medical care. Would patients welcome the data, or feel overwhelmed?

President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday proposing to change how kidney disease is treated in the United States. It encourages in-home dialysis and more kidney donations.

Health & Safety

Trump Administration Announces Plans To Shake Up The Kidney Care Industry

10:19pm July 10, 2019

President Trump has signed an executive order pushing for sweeping changes in the way kidney disease is treated.

Queue Listen Now

From 2012 through 2016, federal health inspectors cited 87% of U.S. hospices for deficiencies. And 20% had lapses serious enough to endanger patients, according to two new reports from the HHS Inspector General's Office.

HHS Inspector General Finds Serious Flaws In 20% Of U.S. Hospice Programs

1:48pm July 09, 2019

by Ina Jaffe

Two new reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have found widespread problems in hospice care and say the government needs to open its scorecards on hospice care to the public.

Queue Listen Now

The Social Security Administration didn't deduct premiums from some seniors' Social Security checks that were supposed to pay for Medicare Advantage and private drug coverage.

Health & Safety

Social Security Error Jeopardizes Medicare Coverage For 250,000 Seniors

3:50pm June 06, 2019

by Susan Jaffe

A billing glitch could cause lapses in private drug policies and Medicare Advantage plans that provide both medical and drug coverage. Premiums weren't deducted from some Social Security checks.

A proposed change in a formula for Medicare payments could help rural hospitals but would mean less money for hospitals in cities.

Health & Safety

Richer Medicare Payments For Rural Hospitals Could Come At Urban Centers' Expense

5:42pm May 31, 2019

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The administration's proposed adjustment to the wage index, a key factor used to set hospitals' Medicare payments, could help rural facilities while hurting those in cities.

Over the past decade, hospitals have been rapidly building outpatient clinics or purchasing existing independent ones. It was a lucrative business strategy because such clinics could charge higher rates, on the premise that they were part of a hospital. M

Hospitals Chafe Under A Medicare Rule That Reduces Payments To Far-Flung Clinics

5:00am April 23, 2019

by Carmen Heredia Rodriguez

Hospital-owned clinics that are miles away should be reimbursed at the same rates as an independent doctor, but not more, Medicare says. That new rule could save taxpayers $380 million in 2019.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2019 on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

As Sanders Calls For 'Medicare-For-All,' A Twist On That Plan Gains Traction

2:17pm April 11, 2019

by Shefali Luthra

"Medicare for America" would stop short of a full-blown expansion of Medicare. It would include copays from patients and a role for insurers. Could it survive health care's politics?