Category: Health Industry

‘Like A Ghost Town’: Erratic Nursing Home Staffing Revealed Through New Records

Daily nursing home payroll records just released by the federal government show the number of nurses and aides dips far below average on some days and consistently plummets on weekends.

Insurers Fall Short In Catching And Reporting Medicaid Fraud, Inspectors Find

Medicaid has struggled for years with poor oversight and billions lost to improper payments. A new report finds that despite their fraud-fighting rhetoric, Medicaid managed-care companies are not as rigorous as they should be in ensuring the integrity of the Medicaid payment system.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Whither Work Requirements?

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News discuss the latest enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky and President Donald Trump’s proposed government reorganization plan. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.

Tennessee-Based Pain Management Group To Close Clinics Amid Financial Turmoil

The CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialists was indicted in April. Now the group is closing clinics across several states.

A Baby Was Treated With A Nap And A Bottle Of Formula. The Bill Was $18,000.

An ER patient can be charged thousands of dollars in “trauma fees” — even if they weren’t treated for trauma.

Top Policy Expert’s Ties To Giant Drugmaker Often Go Unstated

Dr. Mark McClellan joined Johnson & Johnson’s board of directors after leaving the FDA, but the connection often isn’t mentioned in research papers or public events.

Father’s And Son’s Injuries Lead To The Mother Of All Therapy Bills

A father and son suffered serious hand injuries nine days apart. They both needed surgery and lots of follow-up occupational therapy to rehab their hands. But insurance paid for just a fraction of those OT bills, and the family owed more than $8,500.

Gawande’s Goal Is Providing The ‘Right’ Health Care In New Venture By 3 Firms

The surgeon and writer has been named to head a project by Amazon, Bershire-Hathway and JP Morgan to reduce health costs. He said he wants to help doctors “do the right thing” in delivering care.

Doling Out Pain Pills Post-Surgery: An Ingrown Toenail Not The Same As A Bypass

As the opioid epidemic rages, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and researcher is leading an effort to curb overprescribing by offering procedure-specific guidelines to ensure that post-surgical patients leave the hospital with enough, but not too much, pain medication.