Hospital readmission rates decrease after federal law levies financial...
Financial penalties levied under the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program lead to the poorest performing hospitals to achieve the greatest reductions in readmission...
View ArticleMedicare bundled-payments model cut joint replacement costs by more than 20...
Savings seen largely in lower costs of artificial joints and post-surgical rehabilitation.
View ArticleOlder lung cancer patients face significant treatment burden
Depending on the type of treatment older lung cancer patients receive, they can spend an average of one in three days interacting with the healthcare system in the first 60 days after surgery or...
View ArticlePrimary care physician involvement at end of life associated with less...
Regions of the country with greater primary care physician involvement in the last six months of life appear to have lower-intensity, lower-cost end-of-life care. The research by Claire K.
View ArticleMedicaid expansion linked to better care quality at health centers
As the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump and members of the 115th U.S.
View ArticlePatients face 'surprise' medical bills from out-of-network specialists
The average anesthesiologist, emergency physician, pathologist and radiologist charge more than four times what Medicare pays for similar services, often leaving privately-insured consumers stuck...
View ArticleWho is at risk to lose insurance if Affordable Care Act changed or repealed?
If Congress changes or repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which adults are at risk of losing health insurance?
View ArticleThe ACA increased coverage and access for the chronically ill, but many still...
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased insurance coverage and access to care for patients with chronic medical conditions, but a year after the law took full effect, many...
View ArticleSepsis trumps CMS's four medical conditions tracked for readmission rates
Sepsis accounts for considerably more hospital readmissions and associated costs than any of the four medical conditions tracked by the federal government to measure quality of care and guide...
View ArticleLarge pre-ACA Medicaid expansion did not level health disparities in cancer...
An analysis of the New York State's Medicaid expansion, which predated the 2010 Affordable Care Act, finds substantial decrease in uninsured rate but little change in racial disparities when it...
View ArticleMost primary care doctors 'strongly endorse' key elements of the Affordable...
Proponents of repealing the Affordable Care Act, including President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, have argued that the law places an undue burden on...
View ArticleNew survey finds many Americans want changes to ACA but few support immediate...
According to a new national survey on Americans' opinions on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 12 percent of Americans want...
View ArticleMany older adults with epilepsy may not be receiving optimal care
Many older adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy in the United States are being prescribed older anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), and only half begin treatment with AEDs within the first 30 days of a...
View ArticleExamining different accountable care organization payment models
Two new studies published online by JAMA Internal Medicine take a look at different accountable care organization (ACO) payment models.The first study by J. Michael McWilliams, M.D., Ph.D.
View ArticleInsurance status impacts complication rates after shoulder replacement surgery
Patients undergoing shoulder replacement surgery who have Medicaid, Medicare or no health insurance, had higher complication rates as compared to patients who had private insurance.
View ArticleMany cancer survivors change their prescription drug use for financial reasons
A new analysis indicates that many cancer survivors change their prescription drug use (including skipping doses or requesting cheaper medications) for financial reasons.
View ArticleTime for physicians to prepare for impending appropriate use mandate
Within a year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement a provision in the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) that requires physicians to consult appropriate use...
View ArticleFew Medicare patients take advantage of free annual wellness visits
In 2011, through the Affordable Care Act, Medicare introduced the Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), the first annual health check-up offered by Medicare at no cost to patients.
View ArticleEmergency room patients routinely overcharged, study finds
An analysis of billing records for more than 12,000 emergency medicine doctors across the United States shows that charges varied widely, but that on average, adult patients are charged 340 percent...
View ArticleVitamin D deficiency: Symptoms, causes, and prevention
Vitamin D is vital for muscle and bone health, but poor nutrition and not being exposed to enough natural sunlight can cause a vitamin D deficiency. This can lead to brittle bones, mood changes, and...
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