Medicare Advantage – the commercial alternative to traditional Medicare – is drawing down federal health care funds, costing taxpayers an extra 22% per enrollee to the tune of US$83 billion…
Tag: Medicare
sales pitches are often from biased sources, the choices can be overwhelming and impartial help is not equally available to all
The 67 million Americans eligible for Medicare make an important decision every October: Should they make changes in their Medicare health insurance plans for the next calendar year? The decision…
Harris proposes that Medicare cover more in-home health care, filling a large gap for older Americans and their caregivers
Vice President Kamala Harris outlined a proposal to allow Medicare to expand its coverage of home health care for older Americans. The Democratic presidential nominee announced this plan on the…
Drug prices improved under Biden-Harris and Trump − but not for everyone, and not enough
When it comes to drug pricing, the Trump and Biden-Harris administrations both have some very modest wins to tout. As director of the Health Outcomes, Policy, and Evidence Synthesis group…
A public health historian sizes up their records
Health care is a defining issue in the 2024 election – Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican contender Donald Trump have starkly different records on the issue. Rather than…
Biden administration’s negotiated price cuts for 10 common prescription drugs likely to save Medicare billions, beginning in 2026
The Biden administration announced on Aug. 16, 2024, the reduced prices of the first 10 drugs it has negotiated with pharmaceutical companies over their Medicare prices. Provisions authorizing these negotiations…
Cancer costs for Americans with private health insurance rose after the ACA rollout and fell for those with Medicaid
Low-income Americans ages 18 to 64 with cancer saved about US$1,250 per year on treatment within seven years of the 2014 rollout of the Affordable Care Act, according to my…
Hospice care for those with dementia falls far short of meeting people’s needs at the end of life
Jimmy Carter, who chose to forgo aggressive medical care for complications of cancer and frailty in February 2023, recently reached his one-year anniversary since enrolling in hospice care. During this…
How for-profit nursing home regulators can use the powers they already have to fix growing problems with poor-quality care
Governments at both state and federal levels have yet to fully wield their authority to fight poor-quality care at for-profit nursing homes nationwide, leaving the pressing need for elder care…
