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Results for search "Insurance: Medicare".

Health News Results - 86

13 Dec
Most Older Americans Think Medicare Should Cover Weight-Loss Meds: Poll

Most Older Americans Think Medicare Should Cover Weight-Loss Meds: Poll

An overwhelming majority of older Americans think health insurers and Medicare should cover the cost of weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound, a new survey has found.

More than four out of five older adul...

18 Sep
1 in 4 Older, Low-Income Americans Are Uninsured

1 in 4 Older, Low-Income Americans Are Uninsured

As people age, health issues tend to mount, but roughly a quarter of low-income adults over 65 have no medical insurance.

That's the age when most Americans become eligible for Medicare, the federal health insurance for seniors. But many of the uninsured seniors are Hisp...

29 Aug
Heart, Diabetes, Cancer Drugs on List for Medicare Price Negotiations, White House Says

Heart, Diabetes, Cancer Drugs on List for Medicare Price Negotiations, White House Says

The Biden administration on Tuesday named the first 10 medicines that will be subject to price negotiations between Medicare and participating drug companies.

The list represents the first step in a landmark program aimed at reducing the government's drug spending, and p...

10 Jul
Psychiatrists Tough to Find for Seniors in Medicare Advantage Plans

Psychiatrists Tough to Find for Seniors in Medicare Advantage Plans

U.S. seniors with mental health needs may not have much access to psychiatrists who could help them, new research shows.

Despite an overall heightened demand for mental health services, nearly two-thirds of Medicare Advantage psychiatrist networks included less than 25%...

28 Jun
Reversing a Trend, Sicker Americans Are Staying With Medicare Managed Care Plans

Reversing a Trend, Sicker Americans Are Staying With Medicare Managed Care Plans

A new study shows that older Americans with health issues are now staying with their Medicare Advantage managed plans, rather than swapping them for traditional plans through a health insurer.

Although Medicare Advantage has been criticized in the past for “cherry-pick...

10 Apr
For 'Near Poor' Seniors, Medicaid 'Cliff' Could Keep Health Care Out of Reach

For 'Near Poor' Seniors, Medicaid 'Cliff' Could Keep Health Care Out of Reach

The so-called "Medicaid cliff" is a perennial threat for millions of American seniors whose incomes put them just above the poverty line.

While impoverished seniors often have Medicaid to help cover their health care expenses, seniors who make just a little bit more hav...

13 Mar
Primary Care Visits Shorter, More Prone to Error for Non-White Patients: Study

Primary Care Visits Shorter, More Prone to Error for Non-White Patients: Study

Do all patients get the same amount of face-to-face time when visiting their primary care doctor?

Apparently not, claims a new study that found Black and Hispanic patients -- as well as patients with public health insurance like Medicaid or Medicare -- tend to get the s...

09 Feb
Seniors' Dental Care Declines After Medicare Kicks In

Seniors' Dental Care Declines After Medicare Kicks In

Without dental coverage, many American seniors on Medicare stop getting the fillings and crowns they may need, a new study finds.

The result isn't pretty.

“Without dental coverage for adults who are eligible [for] Medicare, we are seeing a rise in loss of teeth a...

02 Feb
Fighting Liver Cancer Takes Big Financial Toll: Study

Fighting Liver Cancer Takes Big Financial Toll: Study

Out-of-pocket costs can leave Medicare patients with the most common type of liver cancer in financial distress.

While Medicare payments in the first year after diagnosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exceeded $65,000, out-of-pocket costs were more than $10,000,

30 Jan
Medicare Will Save U.S. Billions Negotiating Drug Prices

Medicare Will Save U.S. Billions Negotiating Drug Prices

The U.S. government could save billions every year once Medicare begins negotiating drug prices in 2026, new research suggests.

The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress ...

18 Jan
Pandemic Funding Saved More Americans From Medical Debt

Pandemic Funding Saved More Americans From Medical Debt

The number of Americans who had trouble paying their medical bills dropped precipitously between 2019 and 2021, and funds from the American Rescue Plan and other federal pandemic relief programs may have been a reason why.

Overall, 10.8% of Americans responding to a fede...

15 Dec
Biden Administration Calls for Crackdown on Misleading Medicare Ads

Biden Administration Calls for Crackdown on Misleading Medicare Ads

Medicare Advantage ads that are confusing or misleading could be banned under a new rule that was proposed Wednesday by the Biden administration to protect seniors.

Nearly half of all seniors or people with disabilities who are enrolled in the Medicare program through th...

02 Dec
Cost of Epilepsy Meds Continues to Soar

Cost of Epilepsy Meds Continues to Soar

Costs for epilepsy medications in the United States are skyrocketing, outpacing inflation and straining federal insurers Medicare and Medicaid, according to new research.

Spending on antiseizure medications more than doubled in eight years for the government insurers, la...

28 Nov
Type of Medicare Could Influence Cancer Patients' Outcomes

Type of Medicare Could Influence Cancer Patients' Outcomes

Your chances of surviving cancer could depend on the type of Medicare plan you have, a new study reports.

Americans enrolled in a privatized, cost-saving Medicare Advantage plan are more likely to die within a month of undergoing complex cancer surgery, compared to those...

24 Oct
Tougher Federal Penalties to Come for Failing Nursing Homes

Tougher Federal Penalties to Come for Failing Nursing Homes

About 88 nursing homes in the United States are on a watch list for worrisome care that puts residents in danger, but now they will face tougher penalties for any ...

18 Oct
There's a Push to Expand Medicare's Coverage of Dental Issues

There's a Push to Expand Medicare's Coverage of Dental Issues

Dental coverage under Medicare could soon start expanding for seniors under a new proposal from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Still, the propos...

28 Sep
Medicare Monthly Premiums to Drop for Seniors

Medicare Monthly Premiums to Drop for Seniors

Millions of seniors who had to pay high increases in Medicare premiums this year will get a break in 2023 when they see a rare drop in monthly premiums for Medicare Part B.

Th...

17 Aug
Here's How the Inflation Reduction Act Will Lower the Cost of Health Care

Here's How the Inflation Reduction Act Will Lower the Cost of Health Care

President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, making it the most significant health care legislation enacted in more than a decade.

How will it affec...

12 Aug
Here's How New Federal Legislation Might Cut Your Drug Costs

Here's How New Federal Legislation Might Cut Your Drug Costs

The Inflation Reduction Act is expected to bring out-of-pocket drug costs down for many U.S. seniors, but most of its benefits aren't immediate.

Under the law, Medicare will now be allowed to negotiate the cost of some drugs. That should eventually bring down out-of-pock...

20 Jun
Medicare's Free Wellness Visit Can Prevent Diabetes Amputation

Medicare's Free Wellness Visit Can Prevent Diabetes Amputation

Annual wellness visits covered by Medicare reduce diabetes patients' risk of amputation by more than one-third, a new study finds.

"Our results confirmed our hypothesis that Annual Wellnes...

28 Apr
Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Coverage for Eligible, Necessary Care: Report

Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Coverage for Eligible, Necessary Care: Report

Coverage for eligible, necessary care is denied each year to tens of thousands of seniors with private Medicare Advantage plans, U.S. federal investigators say.

In a report released Thursda...

14 Apr
1 in 5 Medicare Patients Use Medical Marijuana: Survey

1 in 5 Medicare Patients Use Medical Marijuana: Survey

One in five Medicare recipients use medical marijuana and two-thirds say it should be covered by Medicare, a new survey reveals.

Medical marijuana is legal in 37 states, four...

08 Apr
Medicare Will Only Cover Aduhelm for Alzheimer's Patients in Clinical Trials

Medicare Will Only Cover Aduhelm for Alzheimer's Patients in Clinical Trials

Medicare announced Thursday that it will limit its coverage of the pricey new drug Aduhelm to Alzheimer's patients enrolled in clinical trials of the drug.

Approved amid controvers...

05 Apr
Medicare Now Covers COVID Tests Bought at Drug Stores

Medicare Now Covers COVID Tests Bought at Drug Stores

Medicare announced Monday that seniors can now walk into most drug stores and get a free over-the-counter COVID test.

"For the first time in its history, Medicare is paying for an over-the-counter test," Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, director of the Center fo...

04 Feb
Medicare to Provide Free COVID-19 Rapid Tests

Medicare to Provide Free COVID-19 Rapid Tests

Medicare will soon provide up to eight free COVID rapid tests a month to seniors enrolled in the government health insurance program, the Biden administration announced Thursday.

The

31 Jan
Calif. Universal Health Care System Bill Faces Monday Deadline

Calif. Universal Health Care System Bill Faces Monday Deadline

California lawmakers must vote by Monday on whether to keep a bill to create a universal health care system moving forward.

Monday, Jan. 31, is the last chance for Califor...

21 Jan
After Heart Attack, Cardiac Rehab Begins Road to Recovery

After Heart Attack, Cardiac Rehab Begins Road to Recovery

Your heart is in an incredibly vulnerable state if you've suffered a heart attack or are fighting heart failure, and cardiac rehabilitation could be an important part of your recovery.

Unfortunately, not enough older folks appear to be taking advantage of this life-savin...

18 Jan
Here's How to Get Your Free Home COVID Test Kits

Here's How to Get Your Free Home COVID Test Kits

Home COVID tests are now available at no cost to most Americans, as part of the Biden administration's effort to increase testing around the United States.

Folks can buy home tests online or in stores and be

17 Jan
Insurance Often Covers Ivermectin for COVID, Even Though Drug Doesn't Work

Insurance Often Covers Ivermectin for COVID, Even Though Drug Doesn't Work

U.S. insurers are paying millions of dollars a year to cover the cost of ivermectin for COVID-19 patients despite a lack of proof the anti-parasitic drug is effective against the virus, a new study finds.

Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Or...

11 Jan
Medicare Proposes to Only Cover Alzheimer's Drug Aduhelm for Use in Clinical Trials

Medicare Proposes to Only Cover Alzheimer's Drug Aduhelm for Use in Clinical Trials

It's a move that could severely limit the number of people taking the controversial new Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm: Medicare on Tuesday proposed to only cover the cost of the pricey medication for people enrolled in approved clinical trials.

A final decision on coverage ...

10 Jan
Medicare May Rethink Premium Hike for Pricey Alzheimer's Drug

Medicare May Rethink Premium Hike for Pricey Alzheimer's Drug

Medicare has been told to reassess a significant premium increase it had announced that largely stemmed from the expensive new Alzheimer's drug

07 Jan
Aduhelm: Will Medicare Cover the Controversial Alzheimer's Drug?

Aduhelm: Will Medicare Cover the Controversial Alzheimer's Drug?

Following a months-long and unprecedented review, Medicare officials expect to announce within the next couple of weeks whether the program will cover the controversial Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm. The drug's benefits are in question and its annual price tag tops $28,000.

T...

20 Dec
Maker Cuts Price of Controversial New Alzheimer's Drug in Half

Maker Cuts Price of Controversial New Alzheimer's Drug in Half

The maker of the pricey new Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm (aducanumab) said Monday it will slash the cost of its medication in half, effective Jan. 1, 2022.

The move follows widespread criticism of the drug's original $56,000-a-year price tag.

The reduction in the whole...

15 Dec
Many Seniors on Medicare Falling Into Medical Debt

Many Seniors on Medicare Falling Into Medical Debt

"Medicare For All" gets tossed around a lot by advocates of universal health coverage, but a new study finds that today's Medicare is far from free for seniors and people with disabilities.

Instead, a large number of beneficiaries are sliding into medical debt and delayi...

07 Dec
Biden Pledges to Lower Prescription Drug Prices for Americans

Biden Pledges to Lower Prescription Drug Prices for Americans

President Joe Biden promised cheaper prescription drugs for all Americans on Monday as his social agenda legislation winds its way through Congress.

Biden tried to shift Americans' focus to pocketbook provisions overlooked in his $2 trillion legislation, which deals with...

03 Dec
Almost 13 Million Americans Per Year Skip Meds Due to Cost

Almost 13 Million Americans Per Year Skip Meds Due to Cost

Nearly 13 million U.S. adults a year skip or delay filling needed prescriptions due to high price tags, new research shows.

This figure includes more than 2.3 million Medicare beneficiaries and 3.8 million privately insured working-age adults who didn't get needed medica...

15 Nov
Pricey Alzheimer's Drug Drives Spike in Medicare B Premium: Officials

Pricey Alzheimer's Drug Drives Spike in Medicare B Premium: Officials

A new and expensive Alzheimer's drug called Aduhelm is responsible for about half of the $21.60 increase in monthly premiums for Medicare's Part B outpatient program in 2022, Medicare officials report.

The new premium will be $170.10 a month, and the $21.60 boost is the ...

03 Nov
Medicare Could Negotiate Drug Prices Under Democrat Proposal

Medicare Could Negotiate Drug Prices Under Democrat Proposal

A measure designed to lower prescription drug costs for seniors has been added to President Joe Biden's social safety net and climate change bill that Democratic leaders hope to bring to a House vote this week.

For the first time, the measure would enable the federal gov...

02 Nov
Almost 1 in 3 U.S. Seniors Now Sees at Least 5 Doctors Per Year

Almost 1 in 3 U.S. Seniors Now Sees at Least 5 Doctors Per Year

Nearly one-third of older U.S. adults visit at least five different doctors each year -- reflecting the growing role of specialists in Americans' health care, a new study finds.

Over the past 20 years, Americans on Medicare have been increasingly seeing specialists, rese...

26 Oct
Cancer Costs U.S. Patients $21 Billion a Year

Cancer Costs U.S. Patients $21 Billion a Year

American cancer patients spent more than $21 billion on their care in 2019, a new report shows.

That $21.09 billion included out-of-pocket costs of $16.22 billion and patient time costs of $4.87 billion. Patient time costs are the value of the time patients spend traveli...

18 Oct
Out-of-Pocket Medical Bills for COVID-19 May Average $3,800 in 2021: Study

Out-of-Pocket Medical Bills for COVID-19 May Average $3,800 in 2021: Study

Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 could now face thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical costs, according to a new report.

In 2020, most health insurance companies waived co-pays, deductibles and other cost-sharing for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but many st...

01 Oct
How the COVID Pandemic Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse, Even as Telehealth Helped

How the COVID Pandemic Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse, Even as Telehealth Helped

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the U.S. opioid crisis in ways bad and good, increasing the risk of use and overdose but also spurring innovative approaches to treatment.

The pandemic has definitely been linked to an increase in opioid use and overdose deaths, Tufts ...

22 Sep
18 Million Americans Can't Pay for Needed Meds

18 Million Americans Can't Pay for Needed Meds

As many as 18 million Americans can't afford their prescribed medications, a new nationwide poll finds.

That's 7% of the adult population in the United States. But when it comes to households making less than $24,000 per year, the percentage jumps to 19%, the West Health...

16 Sep
Hospitalizing the Unvaccinated Has Cost U.S. Nearly $6 Billion

Hospitalizing the Unvaccinated Has Cost U.S. Nearly $6 Billion

The cost of providing hospital care for unvaccinated Americans has reached $5.7 billion in just three months, CBS News reported.

Between June and August, about 287,000 people who were not vaccinated were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States, according ...

15 Sep
Turning 65 Brings Big Health Care Cost Savings, Study Finds

Turning 65 Brings Big Health Care Cost Savings, Study Finds

When Americans are eligible for Medicare at age 65, they see a significant drop in their out-of-pocket medical costs.

Lowering the eligibility age would save even more, especially for people with the highest out-of-pocket costs, according to a

14 Sep
Most Alzheimer's Patients Wouldn't Have Qualified for Controversial Drug's Trial: Study

Most Alzheimer's Patients Wouldn't Have Qualified for Controversial Drug's Trial: Study

U.S. approval of the Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm is already mired in controversy. Now a new study finds that most Alzheimer's patients could not have taken part in clinical trials that led to the green light.

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave accelerated a...

10 Sep
Average COVID Hospitalization Is 150 Times More Expensive Than Vaccination

Average COVID Hospitalization Is 150 Times More Expensive Than Vaccination

While the cost of administering COVID-19 vaccines is nominal -- and free to consumers in the United States -- the cost of paying for hospitalizations for people who've contracted the virus is dramatically higher.

The average financial cost of hospitalization for a COVID-...

23 Aug
Little Change in Number of Uninsured in  Pandemic's First Year

Little Change in Number of Uninsured in  Pandemic's First Year

While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the economy and jobs, it didn't result in fewer Americans having health insurance.

The number of 18- to 64-year-olds in the United States without health insurance held steady at 11% between March 2019 and April 2021, ac...

29 Jul
Lowering Medicare Age Could Help Close Racial Gaps in Health Care: Study

Lowering Medicare Age Could Help Close Racial Gaps in Health Care: Study

Could reducing racial disparities in health care be as simple as lowering the age at which Americans qualify for Medicare?

Yes, claims a new study that suggests lowering eligibility from age 65 to age 60 could go a long way toward addressing inequities in health insuranc...

21 Jul
PrEP HIV Prevention Pills to Be Free for Insured Americans

PrEP HIV Prevention Pills to Be Free for Insured Americans

Nearly all health insurers must cover the entire cost of HIV prevention treatments, the U.S. government says.

That includes the two approved pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs Truvada and Descovy, all clinic visits and lab tests, NBC News reported.