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December 21, 2012 KHNThe nation's biggest insurer is starting to dole out bonuses and penalties to nearly 3,000 hospitals as it ties almost $1 billion in payments to the quality of care provided to patients.

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December 19, 2012 A study finds that taking aspirin regularly might increase the risk of macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in old age. But the evidence so far doesn't prove it's so.

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December 18, 2012 KHNIn a switch, Medicare began covering smoking cessation counseling for smokers without symptoms of disease back in 2010. Beneficiaries are eligible for up to two four-session smoking cessation counseling attempts a year.

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December 6, 2012 New research suggests older adults may have less activity in the area of the brain that processes risk and subtle danger. Another possible reason older adults don't pick up on warning signs is an increasing bias against negativity.

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November 29, 2012 By delaying the age at which people can join Medicare, the federal government could save millions of dollars. But if 65- and 66-year-olds have to find health insurance on the open market, states, employers and individuals of all ages will end up paying a lot more.

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November 19, 2012 A massive research project in California is beginning to show how genes, health habits and the environment can interact to cause diseases. The new combination of genetic and health information is one of the most powerful research tools on earth, a researcher says.

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October 17, 2012 Researchers say falls often happen when the elderly are not using a walker or wheelchair. Though 75 percent of patients in a recent study used one to get around, only 20 percent were using one when they fell.

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October 16, 2012 The home care workforce is one of the nation's fastest growing, yet its 2.5 million members — nearly all women — are also among the worst paid. With fears of a labor shortage as baby boomers age, there are efforts to make the job more attractive.

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