Category: Kaiser Health News

Medicare For All? CMS Chief Warns Program Has Enough Problems Already

Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, tells private insurance officials that a push by some Democrats to expand Medicare would only increase troubles the program already faces.

Influential Leapfrog Group Jumps In To Rate 5,600 Surgery Centers

In the wake of a KHN/USA Today Network investigation, Leapfrog will check the safety and quality of outpatient centers.

Drugmakers Funnel Millions To Lawmakers; A Few Dozen Get $100,000-Plus

Drugmakers’ contributions to lawmakers have peaked as surging drug prices emerge as a hot-button political issue. In the past decade, Congress has received nearly $79 million from 68 pharma PACs, run by employees of companies that make drugs treating everything from cancer to erectile dysfunction.

Medicare Advantage Riding High As New Insurers Flock To Sell To Seniors

The private health plans that are an alternative to government-run Medicare continue to grow despite the Affordable Care Act’s cuts of billions of dollars in funding.

Who Knew? Life Begins (Again) At 65

Turning 65 is far more life-changing than turning 21 ever was.

As U.S. Suicides Rates Rise, Hispanics Show Relative Immunity

Support from family and community appear to shield Latinos from rising suicide rates, researchers say.

Hidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds

Dieters and gym rats, beware. Some dietary supplements promising weight loss or more muscle may contain active ingredients not listed on the label that fly under the radar of the Food and Drug Administration. The California Department of Public Health analyzed public data maintained by the FDA to suss out trends among tainted products, raising red flags.

Dementia And Guns: When Should Doctors Broach The Topic?

As the number of Americans with dementia rises, health professionals grapple with how to talk to patients about gun safety at home.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Falling Premiums And Rising Political Tensions

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Julie Appleby of Kaiser Health News discuss the Trump administration’s announcement that average premium prices are falling on the Obamacare marketplaces, the effort by Senate Democrats to reverse rules on short-term health insurance and the focus on protections for people with preexisting conditions in the run-up to midterm elections.

Fact-Check: Who’s Right On Protections For Preexisting Conditions? It’s Complicated

Consumers favor ACA’s safeguards on the promise that patients who have health problems can get insurance. In the heat of the midterm campaigns, politicians in both parties agree, but their arguments don’t always add up.