UnitedHealth Wins Ruling Over $2B in Alleged Medicare Advantage Overpayments
A special master found the Justice Department failed to prove wrongdoing by the giant health insurer.
Medicare
121 - 140 of 1,593 Results
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Home Improvements Can Help People Age Independently. But Medicare Seldom Picks Up the Bill.
A small program celebrated by its proponents helps people modify their homes and safely live independently as they age. But most insurers won鈥檛 pay for it, including Medicare.
By Joanne Kenen -
Republicans Once Wanted Government out of Health Care. Trump Voters See It Differently.
Frustrated by high health care prices, many who backed President Donald Trump support strong government actions to protect patients. It鈥檚 unclear whether GOP leaders will listen.
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Trump Froze Out Project 2025 in His Campaign. Now Its Blueprint Is His Health Care Playbook.
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump distanced himself from the conservative governing plan after Democratic attacks. But now it鈥檚 increasingly viewed as a blueprint for his administration鈥檚 plans for federal health programs.
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GOP Takes Aim at Medicaid, Putting Enrollees and Providers at Risk
Congressional Republicans are pushing plans that could make deep cuts to Medicaid to finance President Donald Trump鈥檚 tax cuts and other priorities. At stake is coverage for millions of low-income Americans, as well as a huge revenue source for hospitals 鈥 and every state.
Medicaid in the Crosshairs, Maybe
Episode 385President Donald Trump has said he won鈥檛 support major cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program for people with low incomes, but he has endorsed a House budget plan that calls for major cuts, leaving the program鈥檚 future in doubt. Meanwhile, thousands of workers at the Department of Health and Human Services were fired over the holiday weekend, from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with possibly more cuts to come.
Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Chaos Continues in Federal Health System
Episode 383The Senate has yet to confirm a Health and Human Services secretary, but things around the department continue to change at a breakneck pace to comply with President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive orders. Payment systems have been shut down, webpages and entire datasets have been taken offline, and workers 鈥 including those with civil service protections 鈥 have been urged to quit or threatened with layoffs. Meanwhile, foreign and trade policy changes are also affecting health policy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Appleby, who reported the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about a young woman, a grandfathered health plan, and a $14,000 IUD.
Hello, Trump. Bye-Bye, Biden.
Episode 380With just days to go before the official launch of a new administration, the GOP-led Congress is putting together plans on how to enact incoming President Donald Trump鈥檚 agenda, with a particular emphasis on cutting spending on the Medicaid program. Meanwhile, the Biden administration makes major moves in its last days, including banning a controversial food dye and ordering cigarette companies to minimize their nicotine content. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the latest 吃瓜不打烊 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about a colonoscopy that came with a much larger price tag than estimated.
New Year, New Congress, New Health Agenda
Episode 379Health is unlikely to be a top priority for the new GOP-led 119th Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. But it鈥檚 likely to play a key supporting role, with an abortion bill already scheduled for debate in the Senate. Meanwhile, it鈥檚 unclear when and how the new Congress will deal with the bipartisan bills jettisoned from the previous Congress鈥 year-end omnibus measure 鈥 including a major deal to rein in the power of pharmacy benefit managers. In this 鈥渃atch up on all the news you missed鈥 episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
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In Settling Fraud Case, New York Medicare Advantage Insurer, CEO Will Pay up to $100M
A whistleblower suit alleged a health insurer bilked Medicare by exaggerating how sick patients were.
By Fred Schulte -
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Readers Embrace ‘Going It Alone’ Series on Aging and Chastise Makers of Pulse Oximeters
吃瓜不打烊 gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
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TV鈥檚 Dr. Oz Invested in Businesses Regulated by Agency Trump Wants Him To Lead
Celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz recently held broad investments in health care, tech, and food companies. Were he confirmed to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, his job would involve interacting with giants of the industry that have contributed to his wealth.
By Darius Tahir Trump鈥檚 Nontraditional Health Picks
Episode 373Not only has President-elect Donald Trump chosen prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Trump also has said he will nominate controversial TV host Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees coverage for nearly half of Americans. Meanwhile, the lame-duck Congress is back in Washington with just a few weeks to figure out how to wrap up work for the year. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Riley Ray Griffin of Bloomberg News join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sarah Varney, who has been covering a trial in Idaho challenging the lack of medical exceptions in that state鈥檚 abortion ban.
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California Sets 15% Target for Primary Care Spending Over Next Decade
The state Office of Health Care Affordability has set a goal for insurers to direct 15% of their spending to primary care by 2034, part of a push to expand preventive care services. Health plans say it鈥檚 unclear how the policy will mesh with the state鈥檚 overarching goal to slow spending growth.
Readying for Republican Rule
Episode 372With Republicans now set to control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives starting in January, their health agenda remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that just about anything could be on the table, from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, to drug prices and public health. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups are preparing to fight the implementation of abortion rights ballot measures just passed by voters in seven states. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for 鈥渆xtra credit,鈥 the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.
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吃瓜不打烊 Sues To Force Disclosure of Medicare Advantage Audit Records
Freedom of Information Act case targets HHS inspector general鈥檚 reviews of billions of dollars in health plan overpayments.
By Fred Schulte -
Watchdog Calls for Tighter Scrutiny of Medicare Advantage Home Visits
Medicare officials defend the use of home visits that often spot medical conditions that are never treated.
By Fred Schulte -
Trump鈥檚 White House Return Poised To Tangle Health Care Safety Net
The new Trump administration is likely to reduce subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance plans and roll back Medicaid coverage. Public health authorities worry that anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be empowered.
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In Vermont, Where Almost Everyone Has Insurance, Many Can鈥檛 Find or Afford Care
Vermont has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the U.S., even though its residents pay some of the highest health insurance costs. Still, most of its hospitals are losing money and patients often face long waits for care.