Uwe E. Reinhardt is an economist at Princeton. For previous posts in his series on why America pays so much for health care, click
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Medicare, the federal health-insurance program for America’s elderly, plays a major and highly controversial role in our health-care system. To many Americans it is a blessing. Others view it as a source of all that’s wrong with American health care. I propose to explore these views in this and the next two Read the rest of this entry »
, with little public debate, has expanded its coverage of drugs for
.
Cancer doctors had clamored for the changes, saying that some of these treatments, known as off-label uses, were essential if patients were to receive the most up-to-date care. But for many such uses there is scant clinical evidence that the drugs are effective, despite costing as much as $10,000 a month. Because the drugs may represent a patient’s last hope, though, doctors Read the rest of this entry »
Seniors should have recently received an “annual notice of change” package stating the changes that go into effect next year.
The Medicare Rights Center advises seniors to call their plans and check whether their medications are covered. They should be sure to make a list of all drugs and the dosages prescribed in advance.
Seniors also will want to ask about drug copayments, which pharmacies are in the network and whether the plan has placed Read the rest of this entry »
WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicare has quietly expanded its coverage for cancer drugs to include some treatments that haven’t gotten the Food and Drug Administration’s full seal of approval.
The change was announced last summer with little fanfare and took effect in the fall. It means that doctors and patients seeking Medicare reimbursement for certain novel treatments won’t have to negotiate with the billing department for payment. But it’s also Read the rest of this entry »
Figuring out which Medicare drug-insurance plan is right for you is confusing enough. Now, complaints are mounting about an obscure drug-pricing system that can force many older Americans to pay stiff penalties when they opt for brand-name drugs instead of a generic.
The system, known as reference-based pricing, is used by dozens of plans offering coverage through Medicare’s Part D drug-insurance program. Under reference-based pricing, patients Read the rest of this entry »
(CMS), the government insurance program for the disabled and elderly, will
for the extra cost of treating patients who are injured due to their own mistakes.
For decades hospitals have been reimbursed for their own mistakes and the cost to correct them. But now, the federal government is tired of doctors and hospitals profiting from their mistakes.
Medicare covers 12.5 million people annually. In 2007, Medicare spent $110 billion on inpatient Read the rest of this entry »
Uwe E. Reinhardt is an economist at Princeton. For previous posts in his series on why America pays so much for health care, click
,
.
Medicare, the federal health-insurance program for America’s elderly, plays a major and highly controversial role in our health-care system. To many Americans it is a blessing. Others view it as a source of all that’s wrong with American health care. I propose to explore these views in this and the next two Read the rest of this entry »
By forcing the hospitals to internalize any additional costs they might incur due to negligence, it is reasoned that health care providers will have an even stronger incentive to prevent their patients from being injured as a result of bed sores, injuries from falls or urinary tract infections, for example.
According to the Times’ report, Medicare has created a list of ten conditions it argues are in fact “reasonably preventable.” Read the rest of this entry »
The Obama administration needs to look closely at a Medicare rule that seems likely to increase costs by expanding coverage for “off-label” uses of cancer drugs.
For a new administration committed to fixing America’s health system by only paying for medicine we know works, Medicare’s decision to pay for off-label chemotherapy drugs, ably
presents a challenging opportunity. Reversing this policy could send a powerful and positive message.
The new rule commits the government to paying for some anti-cancer drugs that the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t found effective in dealing with the particular diagnosis Read the rest of this entry »