Pace Of U.S. Health Spending Slows In 2016
Dramatic increases in spending that came with the influx of newly insured consumers in 2014 and 2015 appear to be moderating.
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Dramatic increases in spending that came with the influx of newly insured consumers in 2014 and 2015 appear to be moderating.
Many medical groups and state Medicaid programs are offering gift cards, cash and other rewards to low-income patients if they agree to get preventive screenings and make healthier lifestyle choices.
An explosive report prepared by a SynerMed executive alleges the California firm, which oversaw care for 1.2 million patients, fabricated documents and violated state and federal regulations for years. The state says it left low-income patients on Medicaid managed care in “imminent danger.”
In an effort to reduce drug costs and increase efficiency, Massachusetts is seeking federal approval to implement a new approach to how the state’s Medicaid program covers prescription medications.
Many have complicated questions about whether their Medicaid or Medicare coverage can shift to their new homes. And for those seeking private insurance, using the ACA’s insurance marketplaces will likely be a new experience.
Medical debt is down across the country. In states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the reduction is sharper.
The recent announcement by a top administration official that the federal government will entertain requests to implement work requirements for many adult Medicaid enrollees has raised concerns among advocates for the program.
The retroactive payments provide protection for poor patients who can be enrolled in Medicaid after becoming seriously ill. That enrollment process takes time, and the look-back provision helps guarantee coverage they would have been entitled to if they had enrolled earlier.
In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the first days of open enrollment for 2018 individual health insurance plans and whether the Democratic gains in Tuesday’s off-off-year elections will have any impact on health care policy in Washington, D.C.
A battle brews as Republican Gov. Paul LePage says he won't implement the Medicaid expansion unless the Legislature funds Maine's share. Other states, such as Idaho and Utah, are keenly watching.
In Maine and Virginia, health care issues played on voters’ minds.
Seema Verma, the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tells state officials that she envisions changes that could include work requirements for Medicaid enrollees.
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. But some insurance companies are reaping spectacular profits off the taxpayer-funded program in California, even when the state finds their patient care is subpar.
States are adding a variety of services, including expansions of mental health and substance abuse treatments and dental care, according to a 50-state survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The strategy has been used mostly in Indiana, where many county-owned hospitals purchased or leased nursing homes to take advantage of a wrinkle in Medicaid payment rules and augment federal reimbursements.
Long commutes and scarcity of providers make it hard for patients who need counseling or psychiatric care.
From infections linked to the storm to trying to treat people with chronic diseases in damaged clinics, health officials on this American territory struggle to stay ahead of the needs.
Complaints are rising against for-profit insurance companies that manage Medicaid for about 600,000 Iowans. The privatization of Medicaid is a national trend affecting more than half of the 74 million Americans who get their health care through the state-federal program.
Medicaid was created in 1965 as a program for the poor. Today, it helps 74 million people — more than 1 of every 5 people in the U.S. You or someone you know likely benefits.
Federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program expired Sept. 30. Many states still have money in their budgets, but they’ll be worried until Congress renews the program.
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