The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
Showing 241 - 260 of 400
The report suggests that cutting payments in areas that pay more per beneficiary, such as Manhattan and Florida, could hit hospitals and doctors who are not providing expensive care.
With an expanding number of groups offering a stamp of approval, consumers find a confusing array of quality awards to consider when choosing a hospital.
More than 1,200 hospitals are receiving good news
The research bolsters Medicare's efforts to prompt hospitals to reduce the number of patients who return quickly even though some experts assert that might be a sign of good care.
Some advocates are concerned that the Medicare Advantage plans have incentives to skim off the lowest-maintenance customers and leave the expensive patients to the traditional program.
A new analysis concludes that things like the prevalence of smoking, obesity and diabetes best explain why Medicare spending in some regions of the country is higher, instead of how medicine is practiced, as other researchers believe.
Hospitals complain they are bearing the brunt of sustaining payment levels for doctors but the changes in Medicare were a long time coming.
Under a program set up by the health law, payments to 1,557 hospitals will be increased, while 1,427 will drop.
Payments to hospitals are adjusted to reflect how they follow standards of care and patients' ratings of their experiences.
Free scales, diet tips and home visits from nurses all aim to curtail readmissions.
The 2010 federal health law calls for penalties for hospitals with high rates of readmissions as the government seeks to trim spending in the the health program for the elderly and disabled.
Among the highly anticipated announcements are regulations on the new state insurance exchanges, taxes for medical devices, funding for hospitals treating the uninsured and insurance coverage for contraception.
Stay informed by signing up for the Morning Briefing and other emails:
© 2026 KFF