Category: Medicare

Hospitals Battle For Control Over Fast-Growing Heart-Valve Procedure

Medicare limits payments for valve replacement via a catheter to hospitals with large numbers of heart procedures. But smaller facilities are crying foul.

A physician contemplates Medicare blended rates

I am a terrible coder. I think I am a pretty good doctor, but when it comes to coding, the process of figuring out which billing code to pick to assign to a bill for an office visit, I am hopeless. No matter how many times I have had the rules explained to me, or […]

Trump Administration Sinks Teeth Into Paring Down Drug Prices, On 5 Key Points

Instead of waiting for congressional action, federal regulators are looking at a series of actions to spur competition and drive down the cost of medicines.

Trump Administration Sinks Teeth Into Paring Down Drug Prices, On 5 Key Points

Instead of waiting for congressional action, federal regulators are looking at a series of actions to spur competition and drive down the cost of medicines.

Medicare To Overhaul ACOs But Critics Fear Fewer Participants

The moves could lead to a dramatic decrease in hospitals and doctors participating in the program, industry officials said.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Coming Soon: ‘Long-Term Short-Term’ Plans

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner talk about the latest Trump administration efforts to address high drug prices, what’s next for short-term health insurance plans and insider trading charges against a New York GOP congressman.

Pharmacy-Made Pain Creams Flagged On Fears Of Medicare Fraud And Risk

Inspector general identifies possible problems in nearly 23 percent of pharmacies that bill Medicare for blended creams, gels and lotions.

Pharmacy-Made Pain Creams Flagged On Fears Of Medicare Fraud And Risk

Inspector general identifies possible problems in nearly 23 percent of pharmacies that bill Medicare for blended creams, gels and lotions.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Let’s Talk Politics

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call talk about health care’s emergence as a possible voting issue in the coming midterm elections. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Emmarie Huetteman about July’s “Bill of the Month”: a transgender woman’s “bait-and-switch” $92,000 surgical bill.

Some Doctors, Patients Balk At Medicare’s ‘Flat Fee’ Payment Proposal

The Trump administration says its plan to overhaul the way Medicare pays doctors will save physicians time and paperwork. But critics worry the changes will hurt patients’ care and doctors’ income.