The new healthcare reform law will extend health insurance to 34 million uninsured Americans, but what does it do to try to control costs?
Covered services include mammograms and colorectal cancer screening, bone mass measurement and nutritional counseling.
Law also helps seniors cope with Medicare drug benefit “doughnut hole” and will reduce seniors medical costs in coming years, President says.
Virtually all the projected improvement in Medicare’s long-run outlook stems from a big bet on hospitals and doctors becoming more efficient and productive.
Overall support remained stable since the June survey, with about half the public expressing a favorable view of the overhaul, the poll found.
When am I going to be able to start collecting benefits under the law’s new long-term-care program? When will the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap close?
In Sunday’s Seattle Times health reporter Carol Ostrom explains how changes in Medicare mandated by the new health reform law will affect seniors.
KaiserHealthNews’ Stephanie Stapleton wraps up the health policy news of the week out of Washington, D.C.
Every year, the Medicare and Medicaid lose an estimated $65 billion to criminals who defraud the health care system, says fraud expert Lou Saccoccio.
A $5 billion program will help companies to offer coverage to early retirees, for whom it can be difficult to get insurance until they’re eligible for Medicare.
Advocates say change may encourage people terminal illnesses to take advantage of hospice care earlier.
Less than a fourth of the roughly 11 million people in Medicare Advantage plans belong to plans with four- or five-star quality ratings.
According to Berwick, in a transformational health care system there are no needless deaths, no needless pain, no delays, no helplessness, and no waste.
Quality improvement expert reported to be Obama’ pick for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services post.
Seniors who hit the coverage gap in their Medicare drug plans and must use their own money to buy drugs are facing price jumps far outpacing inflation.
Premiums in the top-10 drug plans rose from $31.14 a month in 2009 to $34.30 this year.
Plan includes insurance mandate and a promise to “end discrimination” from pre-existing conditions.
Some hospice executives say the poor economy may also be driving doctors to hold on to patients longer.
Fernando Arriola, a contractor in New Orleans, can’t get coverage so he’s now working to set up a clinic for the uninsured.
Nation’s health spending as a share of the economy jumped in 2009 by 1.1 points to 17.3 percent, largest leap yet.
What choices did Democrats make that hurt the chances health reform will pass?
Organizing care is especially important for the frail elderly, who may have multiple chronic diseases.
Can Congress bring itself to surrender power over a program as politically sensitive as Medicare?
A Medicare buy-in is part of a tentative agreement between a group of 10 moderate and liberal Democrats
Medicare’s easy-to-use “plan finder” allows seniors to plug in their medications and find the lowest cost plan.
Commission would draft proposals to control the long-term costs of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
Even if the experiments cut costs, odds are lessons won’t be applied.
“Seniors are incredibly important politically.”
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security account for 40% of all federal spending, other than interest on the debt.
Bill that would eliminate a 12-year-old formula that reduces Medicare payments to doctors when their costs exceed targets stalls.
Invisible Families: The homeless you don't see
They squeeze in with relatives, couch surf with friends or camp out in cars. More families are quietly becoming homeless, driven to the edge by a lack of jobs and affordable housing. The Seattle Times and its local news partners tackle the topic together. Project home
E-Health Records: Seattle is ahead of the curve
Health News from the Seattle Times
