Category: Medicare

Centene Agrees to Pay Massachusetts $14 Million Over Medicaid Prescription Claims

Massachusetts is the latest state to settle with St. Louis-based Centene Corp. over allegations that it overcharged Medicaid prescription drug programs.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden Declares the Pandemic ‘Over’

President Joe Biden, in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” declared the covid-19 pandemic “over,” stoking confusion for members of his administration trying to persuade Congress to provide more funding to fight the virus and the public to get the latest boosters. Meanwhile, concerns about a return of medical inflation is helping boost insurance premiums even as private companies race to get their piece of the health pie. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Lauren Weber of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories they think you should read, too.

Shift in Child Hospice Care Is a Lifeline for Parents Seeking a Measure of Comfort and Hope

Terminally ill children, unlike adults, can get hospice services while continuing to receive life-extending or curative care. More than a decade after the inception of the federal policy, it is widely credited with improving the quality of life for ailing children and their families, even as some parents find themselves in a painful stasis.

What Are the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act?

This slideshow explains the prescription drug provisions proposed in the Inflation Reduction Act as passed by the Senate

‘An Arm and a Leg’: The New Cap on Medicare Drug Costs

In this episode, Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KHN, guides listeners through decades of dealings between Congress and Big Pharma.

While Inflation Takes a Toll on Seniors, Billions of Dollars in Benefits Go Unused

With prices of necessities rising dramatically, many older Americans are having trouble making ends meet. They often don’t know that help is available from a variety of programs, and some sources of financial assistance are underused.

‘It’s Becoming Too Expensive to Live’: Anxious Older Adults Try to Cope With Limited Budgets

Three women explain how life’s surprises can catapult their efforts to carefully manage limited budgets and lead to financial distress.

The Inflation Reduction Act is a Foot in the Door for Containing Health Care Costs

In this column for the JAMA Forum, KFF’s Larry Levitt explores the Medicare drug-price negotiation provisions and other significant drug-price changes in the Inflation Reduction Act and their potential to lead to further efforts to address health care …

The Inflation Reduction Act is a Foot in the Door for Containing Health Care Costs

In this column for the JAMA Forum, KFF’s Larry Levitt explores the Medicare drug-price negotiation provisions and other significant drug-price changes in the Inflation Reduction Act and their potential to lead to further efforts to address health care …

Spending on Medicare Advantage Quality Bonus Program Payment Reached $10 Billion in 2022

Federal spending on Medicare Advantage bonus payments will reach at least $10 billion in 2022, as the majority of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans that are receiving bonus payments. The average bonus payment per enrollee is highest for Medicar…