The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
The whole point of the nation’s conversation about health reform has been to find ways to spend differently so that the result is a higher quality, more humane health care system.
Most people with disabilities who are younger than 65 aren’t eligible for Medicare until more than two years after they qualify for Social Security disability income. But more than 65 patient advocacy groups are asking lawmakers to change the rule.
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners can prescribe medicine, and many operate almost completely independently of physician supervision. And unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners is on the rise.
Today, in almost every other sector besides health, electronic information exchange is the way we do business. Health care providers may agree with the benefits of electronic health records. But they’ve also believed that adopting them was too difficult and expensive.
Martin’s Point in Maine is among those pioneering a concept aimed at making care more efficient.
As Congress’ August recess continues, lawmakers are finding the electorate to be quieter on the topic of health care than they were during last summer’s heated town hall meetings. Even so, the new health law continues to be a topic of discussion during the primary election season and the run-up to this fall’s mid-terms.
With baby boomers about to turn 65, homebuilders see a big market for a building concept called universal design. It means houses are designed so owners can stay as they grow old — even if they develop physical limitations. The trick is making them beautiful enough that no one suspects they’re meant for seniors.
In a response to the August 23 opinion column by Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Michael Ramlet, Timothy Jost, a National Association of Insurance Commissioners consumer representative, says the NAIC has been meticulously transparent and participatory in its processes to implement the medical loss ratio requirement.
There’s a catastrophic shortage of primary care doctors who provide basic health care. And the need is expected to grow as more people receive coverage under the new health law.
District of Columbia city officials highlight early accomplishments in health insurance coverage expansions as reform implementation efforts pick up steam nationwide.
Baby boomers are increasingly using sensors and cameras to monitor their parents’ well-being.
Companies are using monitoring technology to transform elder care, but will seniors give up privacy?
In the past, many patients who opted for experimental treatments for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses found that their insurance companies stop covering all routine care for their illness. The health overhaul mandates that insurers continue to pay for doctor visits, hospital stays, test and other routine treatments.
In neighborhoods across the country, groups of people are banding together to help the elderly stay in their homes. These non-profit “villages” help provide seniors with security, practical help and companionship.
The health law’s shortcomings in controlling health care costs and damage to the federal budget outlook are understood. But the economic consequences of greater uncertainty and reduced innovation are only now becoming clear.
Several recent studies show the risk of cancer associated with CT scans appears to be greater than previously believed.
Doctors who refer Medicare and Medicaid patients to in-house imaging machines must disclose in writing that they own the equipment.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners met in Seattle and pushed through a much debated recommendation on how federal officials should judge insurance company expenses.
Colleges and universities are warning federal officials that they may not be able to offer student health plans in the future unless the government clarifies certain provisions of the new health overhaul law.
Many homeless people are uninsured and ineligible for Medicaid. But that will change beginning in 2014, when Medicaid greatly expands under the new health law.
