Dept. of Health & Human Services report says most hospital errors go unreported
According to the department’s study of Medicare patients, hospital employees only recognize and report about one out of every seven medical errors.
FAQ: The ‘Doc Fix’ Dilemma
Presented are some answers to frequently asked questions about the “doc fix.”
Lawmakers Offer Bipartisan Plan to Overhaul Medicare
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and Congressman Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, unveiled a bipartisan plan on Wednesday to revamp Medicare and make a fixed federal contribution to the cost of coverage for each beneficiary.
Hospitals Try To Control Readmissions, Even When It Hurts Profits
Starting next fall, HHS will begin penalizing hospitals if their readmission rates are higher than expected for three conditions: heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia. As such, hospitals are making strides to avoid these repercussions.
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services making Medicare claims database more available to public
In particular, the federal agency will relax its restrictions on the release of information about individual doctors who participate in Medicare, the $524 billion federal program for the elderly and disabled, reversing a three-decade position that doing so would violate physicians’ privacy rights.
Federal gov’t to announce in press conference today that health care reform laws surrounding Medicare are working
According to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, part of the success is due to seniors becoming more involved in their care.
Medicare will cover obesity screening and treatment
Medicare, which covers some 42 million American seniors, will pay for obesity screening and behavioral therapy as part of its portfolio of preventive services.
Doctors face steep Medicare cuts unless Congress acts before Jan. 1
Unless Congress acts before Jan. 1, doctors face a 27 percent cut in their fees for treating Medicare patients which could undermine health care for millions of elderly and disabled beneficiaries.
Rise in Medicare premium will be lower than expected
Some of the more recent Medicare enrollees will actually see their premiums decrease.
A cut back on overused imaging services may curb Medicare spending
Congress has tried before to cut imaging costs, slicing reimbursement rates to doctors and adding new rules for doctors who refer patients to imaging machines that they own. These are some potential cuts being considered now for Medicare.