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Democrats face intra-party divide on changes to Medicare, other safety net programs

A split is evident on proposals to raise Medicare's eligibility age and increase premium costs for wealthier beneficiaries as part of a 'grand bargain' on the deficit, according to media reports.

21 Nov 2012

Viewpoints: Papa John's complaint; Renewed criticism of Justice Roberts; Calif. voters rout food police

If ObamaCare negatively impacts your business, you better not complain about it. That's what Papa John's CEO John Schnatter found out when he announced the health-care law would increase the price of a pizza by up to 14 cents. ... But Papa John's isn't the only restaurant chain to complain that the Affordable Care Act is bad for business.

21 Nov 2012

HeartWare receives FDA approval for new left ventricular assist device

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the HeartWare Ventricular Assist System, a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), to support heart function and blood flow in patients with end-stage heart failure who are awaiting a heart transplant.

21 Nov 2012

New article analyzes trends and risks involved in merging established physician practices

As an increasing number of physician groups opt to be acquired by hospitals and healthcare systems, the acquiring entities may be able to improve quality and efficiency through better clinical integration. A new article from Lockton analyzes the trend, what's driving it, and the risks involved in merging established practices with larger healthcare providers.

21 Nov 2012

Roundup: Larger-than-expected Medicaid enrollment in Conn.; Texas bill renews rural abortion debate; Calif. details exchange self-sufficiency

Ron Harney is still looking for work after being laid off from his marketing firm job three years ago. He's used up nearly all of his savings and says he's grateful for the state's Medicaid program, which covers the medical care he needs to manage his HIV.

20 Nov 2012

Neurologist care lowers risk for PD-related hospitalizations

Regular care by a neurologist lowers the risk for hospitalization for Parkinson's disease-related complications, US research shows.

20 Nov 2012

Young-onset Parkinson's most common in White men

Young-onset Parkinson's disease is most common among White individuals and men in America, research shows.

20 Nov 2012

What the health law's future holds

Even with the election in the rear view mirror, efforts to implement the healthcare law will continue to face challenges. Meanwhile, experts discuss what steps must be taken to control health care costs and to educate the public about the health overhaul.

20 Nov 2012

Medicare Part B premiums up $5 per month next year

The increase will eat about a quarter of a typical retiree's cost-of-living raise in Social Security payments.

20 Nov 2012

Uninsured patients could be twice as likely to die after brain cancer surgery

Uninsured patients who undergo surgery to remove a brain tumor could be twice as likely to die in the hospital as those who have the same operation but are privately insured, new Johns Hopkins research suggests. In teaching hospitals, where most neurosurgical procedures take place, those with government-subsidized insurance in the form of Medicaid were found in the same study to have rates of survival closer to those who are privately insured.

20 Nov 2012

Aging care: Hospices seek better image; New nursing home database released

People often have one regret about hospice care: that they didn't get it sooner. The hospice system has been caring for terminally ill patients and their families for decades; 42 percent of the 2.4 million Americans who died last year were under hospice care at the end. Now, hospices across the country are trying to rebrand and reposition themselves to reach patients earlier and erase the idea that turning to hospice is akin to "giving up."

20 Nov 2012

Even as leaders appear 'upbeat' after 'fiscal cliff' meeting, taxes, benefit programs remain flashpoints

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, appeared optimistic about a deal to avert automatic spending cuts and tax increases, but major issues must be tackled.

20 Nov 2012

Roundup: Wyo. conservatives ponder election; Ill. Insurer to buy Montana Blues; Calif. nurses plan new strike

But since the election, a blanket of baffled worry has descended on conservatives here like early snow across the plains, deepening a sense that traditional, rural and overwhelmingly white states in the center of the country are losing touch with an increasingly diverse and urban American electorate.

19 Nov 2012

Viewpoints: 'Bad idea' about repealing Medicare cost board; Conservatives say health law repeal fight is not over

House Republicans like to talk about the need to find common ground with President Obama to make progress on important national issues, especially after the election. Yet within days, they were setting an agenda to eliminate an important element of his signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act.

19 Nov 2012

GOP, Dems signal willingness to work for accord on taxes, entitlements

President Barack Obama and congressional leaders agreed Friday to move quickly on negotiations to avert a year-end fiscal crisis that has put markets on edge. ... Leaders from both parties and aides to Mr. Obama said they agreed to make concessions to achieve a deal. For Democrats, that included a willingness to curb entitlement programs, such as Medicare. For Republicans that meant a willingness to raise tax revenue. The question for each side, however, is how.

18 Nov 2012

Approaching the cliff: What's at stake for Medicare and Medicaid?

Medicare and other entitlement programs are in the mix as deficit deal-making takes center stage.

17 Nov 2012

Research roundup: Talking to patients about end-of-life care

Each week, KHN reporter Alvin Tran compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

17 Nov 2012

White House meeting kicks off 'fiscal cliff' negotiations

News outlets set the scene for President Barack Obama's meeting today with lawmakers. Both sides say they want a deal, but privately, some Democrats acknowledge they would rather go over the cliff than accept a deal that raised too few taxes while cutting Medicare and Medicaid. Some Republicans feel that way about tax increases.

17 Nov 2012

Viewpoints: 'Zombie' plans for Medicare; James Baker's grand bargain advice; Conservative govs' choices

America's political landscape is infested with many zombie ideas - beliefs about policy that have been repeatedly refuted with evidence and analysis but refuse to die. ... the most dangerous zombie is probably the claim that rising life expectancy justifies a rise in both the Social Security retirement age and the age of eligibility for Medicare. ... What would happen if we raised the Medicare eligibility age? The federal government would save only a small amount of money, because younger seniors are relatively healthy and hence low-cost.

16 Nov 2012

Obama pledges 'substantive changes' to Medicare as part of budget deal

President Barack Obama told the nation's top CEOs Wednesday that he was committed to "substantive changes" to Medicare and other entitlement programs, but Senate Democrats are warning him not to cave on entitlements as negotiations with congressional leaders move forward. Also in the mix, health care providers lobby to counter possible Medicare cuts.

16 Nov 2012

Medicare News and Research

Democrats face intra-party divide on changes to Medicare, other safety net programs

Viewpoints: Papa John's complaint; Renewed criticism of Justice Roberts; Calif. voters rout food police

HeartWare receives FDA approval for new left ventricular assist device

New article analyzes trends and risks involved in merging established physician practices

Roundup: Larger-than-expected Medicaid enrollment in Conn.; Texas bill renews rural abortion debate; Calif. details exchange self-sufficiency

Neurologist care lowers risk for PD-related hospitalizations

Young-onset Parkinson's most common in White men

What the health law's future holds

Medicare Part B premiums up $5 per month next year

Uninsured patients could be twice as likely to die after brain cancer surgery

Aging care: Hospices seek better image; New nursing home database released

Even as leaders appear 'upbeat' after 'fiscal cliff' meeting, taxes, benefit programs remain flashpoints

Roundup: Wyo. conservatives ponder election; Ill. Insurer to buy Montana Blues; Calif. nurses plan new strike

Viewpoints: 'Bad idea' about repealing Medicare cost board; Conservatives say health law repeal fight is not over

GOP, Dems signal willingness to work for accord on taxes, entitlements

Approaching the cliff: What's at stake for Medicare and Medicaid?

Research roundup: Talking to patients about end-of-life care

White House meeting kicks off 'fiscal cliff' negotiations

Viewpoints: 'Zombie' plans for Medicare; James Baker's grand bargain advice; Conservative govs' choices

Obama pledges 'substantive changes' to Medicare as part of budget deal

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