Medicare News and Research

RSS

Loss of Medicare coverage associated with kidney transplant outcomes

Kidney transplant recipients under 65 years of age qualify for Medicare coverage following transplantation, but coverage ends after three years. A new American Journal of Transplantation study found that failure of the transplanted kidney was 990 percent to 1630 percent higher for recipients who lost Medicare coverage before this three-year time point compared with recipients who lost Medicare on time.

7 Mar 2019

Study finds significant gender and racial disparities in osteoporosis treatment

New research indicates that elderly men are significantly undertreated for osteoporosis compared with elderly women, and blacks have the lowest treatment rates among racial/ethnic groups.

6 Mar 2019

Alzheimer's disease often detected late due to lack of screening finds report

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is fast becoming an important presence. A new survey released as part of the Alzheimer's Association's 2019 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report has revealed that there is often a delay in seeking help for dementia and associated cognitive decline.

6 Mar 2019

Integrated therapy is effective in treating obesity and depression

An intervention combining behavioral weight loss treatment and problem-solving therapy with as-needed antidepressant medication for participants with co-occurring obesity and depression improved weight loss and depressive symptoms compared with routine physician care, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

6 Mar 2019

Study explores episodic bundled payment model for breast cancer screening

Bundled payments have been touted as mechanisms to optimize quality and costs. A prior feasibility study evaluating bundled payments for screening mammography episodes predated widespread adoption of digital breast tomosynthesis.

5 Mar 2019

Medicare trims payments to 800 hospitals, citing patient safety incidents

Eight hundred hospitals will be paid less by Medicare this year because of high rates of infections and patient injuries, federal records show.

1 Mar 2019

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ ‘Medicare-for-all’ debate: Who’s going to pay

House Democrats, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), have formally introduced their "Medicare-for-all" legislation.

28 Feb 2019

There’s a new ‘Medicare-for-all’ bill in the house. Why does it matter?

Members of the House on Wednesday offered their version of a "Medicare-for-all" bill that is broader than what's been put forth by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whose 2016 presidential run pushed the issue into the political mainstream.

28 Feb 2019

Pharma execs dig in for a fight against outraged senators

Senators got their first opportunity Tuesday to prod drugmakers about the wallet-emptying prices they charge for prescription drugs.

27 Feb 2019

UVA expands telehealth capacity to better prevent or manage chronic conditions

The University of Virginia Health System is expanding its telehealth capacity to help patients across Virginia better prevent or manage chronic conditions that include diabetes, prediabetes and heart disease.

27 Feb 2019

$Hip fractures may serve as first sign of undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease$

Hip fractures may serve as first sign of undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease

In a study of older people with no clinical diagnosis or signs of dementia when hospitalized to repair hip fractures, Johns Hopkins researchers say they found biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in most of the patients’ spinal fluid samples.

26 Feb 2019

U.S.-based patient advocacy organizations received majority of pharma donations, finds study

A new study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers found that U.S.-based patient advocacy organizations received a disproportionate amount of contributions made by the world's 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in 2016.

23 Feb 2019

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ How safe are your supplements?

The federal government's annual projections of health spending for the next decade suggest that it will go up faster than in recent years.

21 Feb 2019

Physicians graduated outside the U.S. offer better care for Medicare patients with complex needs

A study by a Massachusetts General Hospital research team indicates that internal medicine physicians who are graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. care for Medicare patients with more complex medical needs than those cared for by graduates of American medical schools.

20 Feb 2019

For 2020 Dem hopefuls, ‘Medicare-for-all’ is a defining issue, however they define it

Democrats with 2020 presidential aspirations are courting the party's increasingly influential progressive wing and staking out ambitious policy platforms.

19 Feb 2019

The high cost of sex: Insurers often don’t pay for drugs to treat problems

For some older people, the joy of sex may be tempered by financial concerns: Can they afford the medications they need to improve their experience between the sheets?

19 Feb 2019

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ “Medicare-for-all” for dummies

Republicans are still in charge of the White House and the Senate, but the "Medicare-for-all" debate is in full swing. Democrats of every stripe are pledging support for a number of variations on the theme of expanding health coverage to all Americans.

14 Feb 2019

Utah’s novel plan for Medicaid expansion opens door to spending caps sought by GOP

Utah this week became the 35th state to approve expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but advocates for the poor worry its unusual financing could set a dangerous precedent and lead to millions of people losing coverage across the country.

14 Feb 2019

Seniors aging in place turn to devices and helpers, but unmet needs are common

About 25 million Americans who are aging in place rely on help from other people and devices such as canes, raised toilets or shower seats to perform essential daily activities, according to a new study documenting how older adults adapt to their changing physical abilities.

14 Feb 2019

Quality of patient care does not improve after physician-hospital integration

In an age of increased integration between physicians and hospitals, regulators should continue to scrutinize proposed hospital mergers and take steps to maintain competition, according to a new paper by experts at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

14 Feb 2019