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The remedy for surprise medical bills may lie in stitching up federal law

When Drew Calver had a heart attack last year, his health plan paid nearly $56,000 for the 44-year-old's four-day emergency hospital stay at St. David's Medical Center in Austin, Texas, a hospital that was not in his insurance network. But the hospital charged Calver another $109,000. That sum — a so-called balance bill — was the difference between what the hospital and his insurer thought his care was worth.

10 Sep 2018

ACR cautions policymakers that reducing E/M services can compromise patient access to care

In comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, the American College of Rheumatology cautioned policymakers against implementing a proposal to reduce physician reimbursement for evaluation and management services, arguing that doing so could severely compromise patient access to care and further exacerbate the growing rheumatology workforce shortage.

10 Sep 2018

Innovative robotic system helps in removing large colorectal lesions without surgery

Each year, an estimated 140,000 individuals in the U.S. are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a malignancy that often develops from a benign polyp into cancer over time.

7 Sep 2018

Heart attack and stroke prevention efforts need a boost says CDC

According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the efforts to prevent heart attacks and strokes in the United States have reached a plateau and are not making any further progress.

7 Sep 2018

Study shows steep inequality in usage of low vision devices

Blacks and Hispanics who have trouble seeing are missing out on the low vision technology that can help them read, drive and keep up social connections.

7 Sep 2018

New research compares social media ratings offered to hospitals by patients

Consumers can go to Google, Yelp and Facebook for crowdsourced insight about the experiences they'll have at a hospital, but they shouldn't expect foolproof guidance on the quality of care they will receive, according to new Indiana University research.

6 Sep 2018

Avoidable sepsis infections send thousands of seniors to gruesome deaths

Shana Dorsey first caught sight of the purplish wound on her father's lower back as he lay in a suburban Chicago hospital bed a few weeks before his death.

6 Sep 2018

Watch: What is sepsis?

What exactly is sepsis, and why is it so dangerous? Sepsis happens as the body tries to fight off an infection. The body releases chemicals into the bloodstream to battle the invading germs — which can lead to a severe drop in blood pressure. That can damage vital organs and, in severe cases, cause them to shut down.

6 Sep 2018

Democratic, GOP attorneys general square off in Texas showdown over health law

Wednesday is looking like yet another pivotal day in the life-or-death saga that has marked the history of the Affordable Care Act.

4 Sep 2018

Patients who develop AFib following TAVR have greater risk for complications

Patients developing AFib after TAVR are at higher risk of death, stroke and heart attack compared to patients who already had AFib prior to the procedure, according to a study today in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. The paper is the first nationwide examination of patients who developed AFib for the first time following TAVR.

3 Sep 2018

Presence of new or worsened bedsores associated with lower quality outcomes for rehab patients

A new study from the University at Buffalo has shown that the presence of new or worsened bedsores is an effective indicator of the quality of care for rehab patients.

31 Aug 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Ask us anything!

This week, KHN's "What the Health?" panelists answered questions submitted by listeners.

31 Aug 2018

For nursing home patients, breast cancer surgery may do more harm than good

Surgery is a mainstay of breast cancer treatment, offering most women a good chance of cure.

29 Aug 2018

Wis. board will again cover state workers seeking transgender treatment

In a surprising reversal, a Wisconsin board has voted to again offer insurance coverage to transgender state employees seeking hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery.

29 Aug 2018

Earwax, of all things, poses unrecognized risk in long-term care

Of all the indignities that come with aging, excessive earwax may be the most insidious.

29 Aug 2018

Study shows that clinical diagnosis is not best predictor of avoidable hospitalization

The care of long-term nursing home patients can be fragmented by hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations, which are especially burdensome for frail older adults.

29 Aug 2018

Humana to establish new center for digital health and analytics

Humana Inc., one of the nation's leading health and well-being companies, announced today a series of moves designed to advance its capabilities in the areas of technology, digital health and analytics in support of its integrated care delivery model and its ongoing work to develop differentiated health care experiences.

28 Aug 2018

Helping young patients gain more access to stroke preventive medications

People who survive a stroke in their 40s, 50s or early 60s may still have decades to live – but only if they take blood thinners, blood pressure drugs and other medications that can reduce their risk of a second stroke.

28 Aug 2018

The doctors want in: Democratic docs talk health care on the campaign trail

Dr. Rob Davidson, an emergency physician from western Michigan, had never considered running for Congress. Then came February 2017. The 46-year-old Democrat found himself at a local town-hall meeting going toe-to-toe with Rep. Bill Huizenga, his Republican congressman of the previous six years.

27 Aug 2018

Medicaid health coverage expansion due to ACA decreases uninsured cardiac-related hospitalizations

States that expanded eligibility for their Medicaid program in 2014 when the Affordable Care Act was implemented, saw fewer uninsured patients among major cardiac-related hospitalizations in the first year compared with states that did not expand the program, according to a study released today in JAMA Network Open.

25 Aug 2018