The opening of the American Health Care Association’s annual meeting took on a familiar air Monday afternoon in Las Vegas: A lot of proud retrospectives of a year gone by, prerequisite hand-wringing...
CMS may not cover bariatric surgery for non-obese diabetics
Nov 24, 2008
Medicare would not cover bariatric surgeries for people who have diabetes but are not morbidly obese, according to a policy proposed recently by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Open up and say ‘Aha’
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2010
OK, raise your hand if you were surprised to learn that physicians averted a major Medicare pay cut that was supposed to take place this week. Didn’t think so. I wasn’t either.
Medicare coverage for bariatric surgeries left up to discretion of administrative contractors
Jun 29, 2012
Long-term care operators struggling to meet the needs of obese residents could get some help from Medicare.
Your Medicare future: Bigger pie, smaller slice
By
John O'Connor
Nov 12, 2018
I have seen the future of Medicare. Here’s what you can expect: Demand will grow the program; fiscal realities will shrink your share.
Hospitals with dedicated ERs for seniors look to improve care and prevent readmissions
Oct 27, 2010
Hospitals in Southeast Michigan have been rolling out new emergency rooms catering exclusively to older adults. Built partly in anticipation of a ballooning senior citizen population in coming years, these...
CBO chief says House reform plan too costly
Jul 17, 2009
Some say the House’s proposed healthcare reform legislation, which includes cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, as well as a public health insurance plan, will prevent rising healthcare costs from bankrupting...
Medicare’s hospital readmission penalties kick in
By
McKnight's Staff
Oct 01, 2012
On Monday, Medicare began fining nearly two-thirds of hospitals that have high numbers of patients who are readmitted within 30 days of discharge for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.
Why the likely demise of LTC insurance isn’t all bad
By
John O'Connor
Jun 22, 2012
Two decades ago, private long-term care insurance was seen as a can’t-miss option for funding future nursing home costs. But like many of the people who purchased policies back then, the product...
News analysis: Medicare deficit rose by $1.2 trillion last year
May 20, 2008
The federal government accrued $2.5 trillion in new financial obligations to entitlement programs last year, far surpassing the reported figures of $162 billion, according to a new analysis from USA Today.