In a new report, McKinsey offers insurers advice on how Medicare Advantage plans can maximize profits. McKinsey focuses on “star” power, keeping Medicare Advantage star ratings at four or...
Diane Archer
Is it still safe to drive? Have the doctor request a driving test
If you are lucky enough to live to a ripe old age, there may come a time when you should stop driving, both for your own safety and the safety of others. You may no longer have the reflexes, the...
FDA won’t approve MDMA for treatment of PTSD
The FDA isn’t approving MDMA (sometimes known as the party-drug ecstasy or molly) for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, a mental illness. Some Republican and Democratic...
Aspirin is good at preventing blood clots post-surgery. Why...
A recent study found that patients benefit as much from aspirin post-surgery as they do from costly and painful injectables. Both prevent blood clots in patients who have severely fractured a bone...
2024: Too little known about Medicare Advantage
The Kaiser Family Foundation lays out what Medicare Advantage plans–the health plans administered by corporate health insurers–are doing for their Medicare members in 2024. The Medicare...
Home visits: Another way Medicare Advantage plans gouge taxpayers
Policymakers who claim to be tough on crime continue to turn a blind eye to what appears to be multi-billion dollar corporate health insurer crimes in Medicare Advantage. Anna Wilde Mathews and...
Cancer screenings bring benefits at substantial cost
We’ve come a long way in being able to screen for a variety of cancers and less far in curing people with mid- to late-stage cancer. We still need to make sure everyone takes advantage of these...
Medicare Part D drug costs: What to expect in 2025
If you have Medicare, you will likely see many changes to your Medicare Part D drug costs in 2025. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 should lower your drug costs. Here’s what the Kaiser...
How to prevent falls and their sometimes horrific consequences
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than one in four people over 65 fall each year, and around three million end up in the emergency room or as a hospital inpatient. Falls...
Emergency or urgent care? Why it matters
A growing number of hospitals are offering people both hospital emergency room services and urgent care at one site, reports Philip Galewitz for KFF Health News. This model could be a financial...