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Fixing Obamacare’s ‘family glitch’ hinges on outcome of November elections

Last Christmas Eve, Justine Bradford-Trent slipped on ice, slamming to the ground. Her elbow swelled. Was it broken? She couldn't tell.

23 Oct 2018

Marketplace subsidies may be option in 2020 for plans without blanket benefits

States would be able to use federal funding to provide subsidies to people buying short-term health insurance policies, which typically don't provide comprehensive coverage, under guidance released Monday by the Trump administration.

23 Oct 2018

Politicians hop aboard ‘Medicare-for-all’ train, destination unknown

After decades in the political wilderness, "Medicare-for-all" and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements and are cheered at campaign rallies — even in deep-red states.

22 Oct 2018

As billions in tax dollars flow to private Medicaid plans, Who’s minding the store?

Like most people on Medicaid, the Los Angeles trucker was assigned to a private insurance company that coordinated his medical visits and treatment in exchange for receiving a set fee per month — an arrangement known as managed care.

19 Oct 2018

Many primary care doctors are still prescribing sedative drugs for older adults

Despite years of warnings that older adults shouldn't take sedative drugs that put them at risk of injury and death, a new study reveals how many primary care doctors are still prescribing them, how often, and exactly where.

19 Oct 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Republicans’ preexisting political problem

Ensuring that people with preexisting health conditions can get and keep health insurance has become one of the leading issues around the country ahead of this fall's midterm elections.

18 Oct 2018

Social media reduces risk of depression among seniors with pain

With a few finger strokes or swipes on a computer or cell phone, seniors with pain reduce the risk of depression when visiting social media sites.

17 Oct 2018

One-time universal screening recommended to tackle increase in hepatitis C

Physicians are encountering a growing number of younger patients who are testing positive for hepatitis C virus fueled largely by the opioid crisis impacting communities around the country.

17 Oct 2018

For-profit nursing home residents more likely to experience health issues caused by substandard care

Residents receiving care in for-profit nursing homes are almost twice as likely to experience health issues caused by substandard care compared with clients living in not-for-profit facilities or in homes in the community, according to a new report in the journal Gerontology.

17 Oct 2018

Medicare for all? CMS chief warns program has enough problems already

The Trump administration's top Medicare official Tuesday slammed the federal health program as riddled with problems that hinder care to beneficiaries, increase costs for taxpayers and escalate fraud and abuse.

16 Oct 2018

Influential Leapfrog Group jumps in to rate 5,600 surgery centers

The influential Leapfrog Group, which grades nearly 2,000 U.S. hospitals, is launching a national survey to evaluate the safety and quality of up to 5,600 surgery centers that perform millions of outpatient procedures every year.

16 Oct 2018

Costs of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program may be higher than expected reimbursement

For some healthcare providers - especially those serving racial/ethnic minority and low-income patients - the costs of delivering a new Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program may be much higher than the expected reimbursement, reports a study in the November issue of Medical Care.

16 Oct 2018

Who knew? Life begins (again) at 65

I was convinced I would become an adult when I turned 21. But now, I'm certain that turning 65 was the watershed moment that finally grew me up.

15 Oct 2018

Medicare Advantage riding high as new insurers flock to sell to seniors

Health care experts widely expected the Affordable Care Act to hobble Medicare Advantage, the government-funded private health plans that millions of seniors have chosen as an alternative to original Medicare.

15 Oct 2018

Dementia and guns: When should doctors broach the topic?

Some patients refuse to answer. Many doctors don’t ask. As the number of Americans with dementia rises, health professionals are grappling with when and how to pose the question: “Do you have guns at home?”

12 Oct 2018

Study: Affordable housing with supportive social services for senior citizens can reduce hospital use

Investing in affordable housing that offers supportive social services to senior citizens on Medicare has the potential to reduce hospital admissions and the amount of time needing inpatient hospital care by better managing chronic health conditions, according to a Rutgers study.

12 Oct 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Falling premiums and rising political tensions

The Trump administration announced that, for the first time, the average premium for a key plan sold on the federal health law's insurance marketplaces will fall slightly next year. Federal officials said that changes they have made helped facilitate the reduction, but others argue that it was because more plans are moving back into those federal exchanges and making money.

11 Oct 2018