Tag: Medicare

Democrats with 2021 presidential aspirations are courting the party's increasingly influential progressive wing and staking out ambitious policy platforms. Front and center are three words: Medicare. For. All. That simple phrase is loaded with political baggage, and frequently accompanied by vague promises and sophisticated jargon. Different candidates use it to focus on different voter blocs, […]

As rural hospital closures roil the nation, some states are banking on the Trump administration proposal to change the way in which hospital payments are calculated to rescue them. The objective of the proposal, unveiled by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma in April, would be to boost Medicare's reimbursements to rural […]

Millennials, beware: Your grandparents are going to start calling you for help downloading the new Medicare smartphone app. The iPhone and Android app, which launched Feb. 6, is called “What's Covered,” and in keeping with its name, it mostly answers one simple, yes-or-no question: Is this medical procedure included in traditional Medicare? Milt Roney, a […]

While the high cost of prescription medications appears to be a universally agreed-upon trouble spot in the American health system, a home Ways and Means subcommittee hearing Thursday showed that Democrats and Republicans are still miles apart on what to complete about this. The hearing, focused on using Medicare to inspire affordability, competition and use […]

Members of the home on Wednesday offered their form of a “Medicare-for-all” bill that's broader than what's been help with by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whose 2021 presidential run pushed the problem into the political mainstream. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) unveiled the “Medicare for All Act of 2021,” which redefines […]

Eight hundred hospitals is going to be paid less by Medicare this season due to high rates of infections and patient injuries, federal records show. The number may be the highest because the federal government five years ago launched the Hospital Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program, developed by the Affordable Care Act. Underneath the program, […]

With much fanfare, federal officials required hospitals nationwide this season to post their “list” prices online. But it is not yet clear the number of are doing it, even as the federal government has taken the rare step of asking consumers to monitor hospital compliance. Most hospitals seem to be adhering to the rule, according […]

One health plan from the well-known insurer promises lower premiums but warns that consumers might need to file their own claims and negotiate over charges from hospitals and doctors. Another eliminates annual deductibles but requires policyholders to pay extra if they need certain surgeries and operations. Both are among the latest efforts in a seemingly […]

When Beverly Dunn called her new primary care doctor's office last November to schedule an annual checkup, she assumed her Medicare coverage would get most of the tab. The appointment seemed like a routine physical, and she was pleased that the doctor spent considerable time with her. Until she got the balance: $400. Dunn, 69, […]

Cuando Beverly Dunn llamó a la oficina de su nuevo médico de atención primaria en noviembre pasado para programar un chequeo anual, asumió que su cobertura de Medicare cubriría la mayor parte de la factura. La cita pareció un examen físico de rutina, y le gustó que el médico pasara mucho tiempo con ella. Hasta […]