Health Insurance and Medicare News & Features
-
Medicare for All: FAQ
There's been a lot of debate and discussion about a health insurance plan known as Medicare for All. But what does that really mean?
-
Many on Medicare Face Crippling Medical Bills
Even with Medicare coverage, older Americans with serious health conditions are often burdened by medical bills, a new study finds.
-
Many Cancer Docs Don't Discuss Costs of Pricey Gene Tests
Genomic tests on cancer cells can help determine which types of treatment might work, and which ones might not. However, such testing can be expensive, and not all tests and related treatments are covered by health insurance, the researchers noted.
-
Fewer Americans Have Health Insurance: Report
Meanwhile, about 27.5 million people (8.5% of the population) lacked health insurance for all of 2018, up from 7.9% in 2017, which was the first increase since the Affordable Care Act took full effect in 2014.
-
Administration Ends Migrant Medical Care Protection
An exemption that allows immigrants to remain in the United States and avoid deportation while they or family members receive life-saving care has been scrapped by the Trump administration.
-
U.S. News Releases 2019-2020 Top Hospitals List
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, claimed the No. 1 spot in the annual honor roll of best hospitals published today by U.S. News & World Report.
-
Trump to Sign Order to Improve Kidney Disease Care
There's a severe organ shortage, which could impede the push for more transplants. In order to tackle that problem, the administration wants to ease financial challenges for living donors.
-
Need Emergency Air Lift to Hospital? It Could Cost You $40,000
The median charge of an air ambulance trip was $39,000 in 2016, about 60% more than the $24,000 charged just four years earlier, researchers found.
-
Trump Seeks Health Care Cost Details For Consumers
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order he said would make it easier for consumers to get prices for hospital services.
-
1 in 6 Hospital, ER Stays Result in Surprise Bills
A Senate panel is scheduled to vote next week on legislation to close the loophole that allows such charges.
-
Most Americans Hit Hard by Medical Bills
Compared with those 65 and older, adults aged 18 to 64 were more likely to say they had difficulty paying medical bills, worried about paying bills and delayed or went without care.
-
Dozens Charged in Medicare Brace Scam
The scheme sold unneeded back, shoulder, wrist and knee braces to hundreds of thousands of seniors, using overseas calls centers to get Medicare numbers from beneficiaries, the Associated Press reported.
-
Raise Minimum Wage, Lower State's Suicide Rate
If the 2% reduction in the suicide rate had been steady in all the years of the study, about 8,000 fewer suicides would have occurred, the researchers estimated.
-
Americans Borrowed $88 Billion for Health Care
In 2017, the United States spent more than $10,700 per person on health care, according to federal data, CNN reported.
-
Trump Postpones Move to Dismantle Obamacare
Repealing the Affordable Care Act could leave 20 million people uninsured, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank.
-
Uninsured Get Pushed from Hospitals Faster
Uninsured patients were also more than twice as likely to be transferred to another hospital and 66% more likely to be discharged outright, compared with people with private insurance, the findings showed.
-
Trump, Democrats Return Health Law To Center Stage
The Justice Department asks a federal appeals court to strike down the Affordable Care Act, then, hours later, House Democrats unveil proposals to bolster the law.
-
Third of Uninsured Skimp on Meds to Save Money
Nearly 1 in 5 of those prescribed drugs asked their doctors for less expensive options. The rate was highest -- 40 percent -- among people without insurance, CNN reported.
-
Hidden FDA Reports Show Harm From Medical Devices
The Food and Drug Administration has let medical device companies file reports of injuries and malfunctions outside a widely scrutinized public database, leaving doctors and medical sleuths in the dark.
-
Study Sees Slight Drop in Doctor Burnout
Physicians remain at increased risk for burnout relative to workers in other fields, but for the first time, researchers saw improvement burnout symptoms in physicians nationally.
-
U.S. Rep. John Dingell, Health Policy Titan, Dies
The Michigan Democrat chaired the House Energy and Commerce Committee and his impact on health care was immense.
-
Having a Primary Doc Boosts All Your Healthcare
Adults with a primary care doctor were more likely to receive colonoscopy or mammography. They also received more diagnostic and preventive tests, such as flu vaccination and blood pressure checks.
-
Study: Disclosing Drug Prices Might Not Cut Costs
The suggested policy is unlikely to do harm, said one study author, but it is also unlikely to help much to control pharmaceutical prices.
-
Trump Vows Action on Surprise Medical Bills
Patients and doctors got a chance to share their nightmarish experiences with medical bills with President Donald Trump and other top White House officials.
-
Study: Even Older Drugs Getting Steep Price Hikes
The cost of a two-pack EpiPen injector has increased from around $100 in 2007 to between $300 and $600 today. The list price for Lantus brand insulin increased by 49 percent in 2014, even though the product has been on the market for more than a decade.
Pagination