Allison Bell reports for BenefitsPro on dentists who are increasingly selling their patients services they do not need. No one has good data on this phenomenon. But, reports are everywhere, and...
Diane Archer
Government lets Medicare Advantage inappropriate care denials...
Medicare Advantage plans must deliver the same “benefits” as Traditional Medicare, but I’ve always explained that they can and do frequently cover far fewer services. In short, they often deny...
When should you use an urgent care center?
Urgent care centers have been springing up across the country. In the ten years between 2014 and 2024, they grew in number from 7,000 to more than 15,000, reports Simar Bejaj for The New York Times...
Medicare Advantage prior authorization and claims processing:...
Medicare Advantage prior authorization and claims reviews are too often failing patients and providers. Insurers have a fundamental conflict of interest — their incentive is to delay, downgrade and...
Former HHS Head, Xavier Becerra, pivots on government-run health...
Running for governor in California, Xavier Becerra has moved away from supporting Medicare for all, a policy reform he has endorsed for decades. He needs support from interest groups who oppose it...
A little high-intensity activity daily goes a long way
If you’re getting older and wondering how to stay fit, keep in mind that a little high-intensity activity daily is worth the effort. Everything you do to stay active is beneficial, but a small...
Emergency room nightmares at big hospitals
In a piece for KFF Health News, Elisabeth Rosenthal describes the harrowing experiences her husband faced in a hospital emergency room, while suffering from esophageal cancer. It got to a point in...
Mexicans guaranteed universal health care
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum plans to guarantee all 130 million Mexicans universal healthcare. She is creating one Universal Health Service for everyone in Mexico, beginning next year, writes...
More than half of Rx spending in US is on specialty drugs
A new report finds that costs for specialty drugs are taking an outsized toll on payers, including health plans, union health plans and employers. More people are using specialty drugs. And, today...
Electing hospice improves end-of-life care and saves Medicare...
The Research Institute for Home Care commissioned an ATI Advisory report, which shows that early election of hospice both helps patients and saves Medicare money. The analysis further finds that if...