DIAGNOSIS: UNPREPARED Elderly Hospital Patients Arrive Sick, Often Leave Disabled

By Anna Gorman Photos by Heidi de Marco August 9, 2016 SAN FRANCISCO — Janet Prochazka was active and outspoken, living by herself and working as a special education tutor. Then, in March, a bad fall landed her in the hospital. Doctors cared for her wounds and treated her pneumonia. But Prochazka, 75, didn’t sleep or eat well at Zuckerberg …

Diagnosis: Unprepared

Hospitals can be hazardous places for elderly patients, who are at increased risk of falling, drug-induced injury and confusion. But as the nation’s senior population grows, many facilities are ill-equipped to address their unique needs. Kaiser Health News visited hospitals around the country, reviewed data and interviewed dozens of patients, family members and health providers to document the extent of …

CMS releases new prescription drug cost data

CMS News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 18, 2016 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries Second annual release provides clearer look into Medicare Part D costs and services Continuing the commitment to greater data transparency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) today released privacy-protected data on the prescription drugs that were paid for under the …

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Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model

Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model Date 2016-08-10 Contact press@cms.hhs.gov Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is announcing refinements to the design of the second year of the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design (MA-VBID) model. The MA-VBID model is an opportunity for Medicare Advantage plans (MA …

Delivering on the Promise of Better Care for Older Adults

CMS BLOG http://blog.cms.gov/2016/08/11/delivering-on-the-promise-of-better-care-for-older-adults August 11, 2016 By Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Since becoming acting administrator, I have spoken frequently about to the importance of moving to the next chapter in implementing the Affordable Care Act. This new chapter goes beyond providing people with quality, affordable coverage – but making sure that we are …

Affordable Care Act payment model continues to improve care, lower costs

CMS News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 9, 2016 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries The Independence at Home Demonstration continues to provide high quality primary care services for chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries in the home setting while saving the Medicare program money, according to a new analysis released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid …

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CMS extends, expands fraud-fighting enrollment moratoria efforts in six states

CMS extends, expands fraud-fighting enrollment moratoria efforts in six states New demonstration enhances agency’s enrollment and investigative options Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an extension and statewide expansion of fraud-fighting temporary provider enrollment moratoria efforts in six states, along with a new related demonstration project to allow for certain exceptions to the moratoria and heightened …

Medicare projects relatively stable average prescription drug premiums in 2017

CMS NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 29, 2016 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries Medicare projects relatively stable average prescription drug premiums in 2017 Today, Medicare announced that the average basic premium for a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan in 2017 is projected to remain relatively stable at an estimated $34 per month. This represents …