archive

October 8, 2012 KHNWhen a relative signs up for Medicare, it is often perplexing — and unnerving — for the rest of the family who may have grown used to cushy employer-sponsored coverage.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

October 3, 2012 KHNJust before new penalties kicked in for hospitals that readmit too many Medicare patients, the government discovered that the data it used to were out of date. The changes from the error are tiny, amounting on average to a fraction of a percent for most of the affected hospitals.

Summary

October 3, 2012 CPRThe federal government wants hospitals to take responsibility for discharged patients to make sure they are not admitted again within 30 days. Medicare will penalize hospitals with many repeat admissions, but some think putting this whole burden on hospitals is not fair.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

October 1, 2012 KHNMedicare is withholding 1 percent of its regular hospital payments to fund bonuses for hospitals that score well on quality tests. Separately, Medicare will penalize hospitals that have higher than expected readmission rates.

Summary

September 11, 2012 The federal health law makes it easier for most people with private insurance to get recommended vaccines without a copay. But the changes don't apply to people covered by Medicare.

Summary

August 29, 2012 The seven-term representative from Wisconsin is set to accept the GOP's vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday. Although he has won over remaining doubters within the party, he could hurt efforts to reach out to independents.

Summary

August 21, 2012 KHNCriminals who defraud public health care programs to the tune of billions of dollars a year are now up against sophisticated computer systems designed to catch them. But the new efforts may yield far more leads than the current team of investigators and analysts can handle.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

August 13, 2012 KHNNearly one in five Medicare beneficiaries is readmitted within a month, and a new effort under the Affordable Care Act wants to change that by penalizing hospitals with high readmission rates. But hospitals say it will be counterproductive.

Summary

August 13, 2012 Mitt Romney made a risky and daring move in naming House Budget Committee chair Paul Ryan as his running mate. It's a choice that has excited conservatives. But it also gives the White House an opportunity to switch focus from President Obama to the GOP and its plans for Medicare.

Summary

July 24, 2012 KHNAs Medicare prepares to start punishing hospitals with higher than expected readmission rates, new government data show that some hospitals with high readmissions are doing a better job than most in keeping Medicare patients alive.

Summary

May 21, 2012 In 2010, health spending rose fastest among people 18 and under, according to an analysis of data from private insurers. It's just one finding made possible by a new database.

Summary

May 15, 2012 KHNHow some insurers pay for treatments means that cancer pills can wind up costing a patient more than an IV. Some states have passed laws to make sure that patients don't have to pay more to take pills. But those laws don't apply to Medicare.

Summary

May 14, 2012 Of each dollar the federal government spends, how much goes to health care? How much goes to defense? How much goes to other programs? And how has spending changed over time?

Summary

April 24, 2012 Taxes are set to go up for most Americans next year. That's a good thing, Simon Johnson argues.

Summary

ListenPlaylist

April 23, 2012 The release of the Social Security and Medicare reports became an opportunity for Treasury Secretary Geithner to send voters the message that Obama administration was a staunch defender of the nation's most popular entitlements even though it accepted the need for gradual changes to make the programs more sustainable.

Summary