Category: Health Care Costs

Medicare Advantage Increasingly Popular With Seniors — But Not Hospitals and Doctors

Some hospitals and physician groups are rejecting Medicare Advantage plans over payment rates and coverage restrictions, causing turmoil for patients.

Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Makes Other Public Assistance Harder to Get

The bottleneck caused by states’ reevaluation of Medicaid enrollees has swept up low-income families that rely on other safety-net services.

She Once Advised the President on Aging Issues. Now, She’s Battling Serious Disability and Depression.

Coping with disability — and the cost of coping with disability — is an enormously important issue for older adults. Nora Super, an expert on aging, shares her personal story.

Health Care Is Front and Center as DeSantis and Newsom Go Mano a Mano

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will square off in a first-of-its-kind debate on Nov. 30. KFF Health News compared the political rivals’ health care positions, showing how their policies have helped — or hindered — the health of their states’ residents.

How the Thyroid Gland Mystifies Doctors and Patients

This illustrated report has been adapted from a KFF Health News article, “Among Hurdles for Autoimmune Disease Patients: Diagnosis, Costs, Inattentive Care” by Andy Miller, with artwork by Oona Tempest.

Many Autoimmune Disease Patients Struggle With Diagnosis, Costs, Inattentive Care

Despite the prevalence of autoimmune conditions, like the thyroid disease Hashimoto’s, sometimes finding help can prove frustrating as well as expensive. There are often no definitive diagnostic tests, so patients may rack up big bills as they search for confirmation of their condition and for treatment options.

1 in 3 People Dropped by Utah Medicaid Left Uninsured, a ‘Concerning’ Sign for Nation

About a third of the 130,000 people Utah has dropped from Medicaid this year say they now lack health insurance. It’s a glimpse into the fate of people caught up in Medicaid’s “unwinding.”

A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance

Deciding when, or whether, to buy long-term care insurance can be complex. Here’s what to know.

From Hospital to Hospitality: Spin Doctors Brand Getting Sick as an Adventure. It’s Not.

At $1,000 a night for a private room, medical centers are offering fancy food and casting health care as a “journey.” Instead of creature comforts, how about helping us feel better?

Why Long-Term Care Insurance Falls Short for So Many 

The private insurance market has proved wildly inadequate in providing financial security for millions of older Americans, in part by underestimating how many policyholders would use their coverage.