Health Jul 13 Most nursing homes are not adequately staffed, new federal data says The data, analyzed by Kaiser Health News, come from daily payroll records Medicare only recently began gathering and publishing from more than 14,000 nursing homes, as required by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Health Jun 26 How GOP cuts to nursing home care would hurt the middle class Conservatives hope to roll back what they see as an expanding and costly health care entitlement in the Affordable Care Act. But little has been said about what would happen to older Americans in nursing homes if these cuts took…
Health Oct 17 Frustration runs deep for customers forced to change health plans Doctor and hospital switching has become a recurring scramble as consumers on the individual market find it difficult or impossible to stay on their same plans amid rising premiums and a revolving door of carriers willing to sell policies.
Health Sep 29 Most Americans want restraints on drug prices An overwhelming majority of Americans favor government action to restrain prescription drug prices, according to a poll released Thursday.
Health Aug 04 Government to raise hospital readmission penalties The new penalties, which take effect in October, are based on the rehospitalization rate for patients with six common conditions. Since the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program began in October 2012, national readmission rates have dropped as many hospitals pay more…
Health Jul 16 Home Health Agencies Get Medicare’s Star Treatment The federal government released on Thursday a new five-star rating system for home health agencies, hoping to bring clarity to a fast-growing but fragmented corner of the medical industry where it’s often difficult to distinguish good from bad.
Health Jun 25 Having survived court ruling, what’s next challenge for health insurance markets? Despite having survived a challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court, the federal government’s health insurance markets face weighty struggles as they try to keep prices under control, entice more consumers and encourage quality medical care.
Health May 01 Medicare reveals how much it spends on prescription drugs for Americans The data show that 14 drugs cost the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries more than $1 billion each, accounting for nearly a quarter of Medicare prescription drug spending in 2013. Most of those drugs are used to treat chronic conditions…
Health Mar 10 Hundreds of hospitals struggle to improve patient satisfaction SALISBURY, N.C. — Lillie Robinson came to Rowan Medical Center for surgery on her left foot. She expected to be in and out in a day, returning weeks later for her surgeon to operate on the other foot.
Health Feb 20 Lethal superbug breakout at UCLA highlights hospital safety shortcomings The federal government has been trying for years to get doctors and hospitals to shrink their use of antibiotics, since their proliferation has helped create these new resistant bacteria strains. The CDC has encouraged hospitals to create antibiotic stewardship programs,…