A man in Chicago with a troubling symptom underwent a common procedure. Then he wanted to know why the hospital charged nearly three times its own cost estimate.
Category: Health Insurance
Healthcare expenditures rise on increased coverage and utilization
Healthcare spending is higher than before the pandemic and is being driven by increases in insurance coverage and utilization, according to new analysis released Wednesday by the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services a…
Trends 2025: Medicare Advantage prospects strong despite challenges
The past couple of years have seen the sharp ascendancy of Medicare Advantage to now include more than half of all beneficiaries with Medicare coverage.
The alternative to the traditional fee-for-service Medicare has proven popular with consumers due t…
How the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan provides a practical solution to medication nonadherence
Starting January 1, 2025, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP) will give providers a powerful way to address one of the biggest barriers to effective care: cost-related medication nonadherence. With 54 million Medicare beneficiaries eligible, …
Democratic Senators Ask Watchdog Agency To Investigate Georgia’s Medicaid Work Rule
A group of Democratic senators asked the Government Accountability Office to examine a Georgia program that requires some Medicaid enrollees to work, study, or volunteer 80 hours a month for coverage. They cited KFF Health News’ reporting, which has documented the program’s high costs and low enrollment.
Luigi Mangione indicted on first degree murder charge
A grand jury in New York has indicted Luigi Mangione on charges of first degree murder, in furtherance of terrorism, in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said Mangione faces a maxi…
Hospital Margins Rebounded in 2023, But Rural Hospitals and Those With High Medicaid Shares Were Struggling More Than Others
This data note examines trends in hospital margins from 2018 through 2023 and how operating margins varied across different types of hospitals in 2023. It shows the industry overall experienced a rebound in 2023 after margins fell sharply the previous …
Rage Has Long Shadowed American Health Care. It’s Rarely Produced Big Change.
The outpouring of anger at health insurers following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson continues a cycle of rage that dates back decades.
Nebraska sues Change Healthcare over ransomware attack
The Nebraska Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries Change Healthcare and Optum, claiming the companies violated state laws on consumer protection after a massive ransomware attack in February exposed perso…
Trends 2025: Telehealth’s future faces a Friday deadline
The future of telehealth and acute hospital care at home hangs on a spending bill that must be approved by the end of this week.
Three big provisions in the spending bill need to pass for providers to continue to use flexibilities first made available …
