Hospitals nationwide have gone to great lengths in an effort to reduce readmissions and improve patient quality. However, despite these concerted efforts, hospitals continue to incur fines from Medicare for excessive rates of patient readmissions, which are projected to total more than $428 million. Even worse, readmissions cost patients a…more.
The increasing availability of data about health care in the U.S. is empowering patients to take charge of their care and quietly revolutionizing how patients are treated. Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released data on which services were provided by over 880,000 health care providers, how…more.
Health care has never been more highly politicized than today. Last year, it was central to the third longest government shutdown in U.S. history. This week, it consumed a large chunk of President Obama’s State of the Union address. Every day, we are inundated by news of health exchange website…more.
A recent article in Health Affairs reports that ChenMed – which serves low-to-moderate income elderly patients primarily through the Medicare Advantage program – is achieving better health outcomes for Medicare-eligible seniors, including those living with five or more major and chronic health conditions. Dozens of Chen and JenCare Neighborhood Medical Centers are helping tens of thousands of seniors…more.
In today’s health care environment, so much attention is paid to preventing and eradicating disease to improve health outcomes. But for patients facing terminal illness or life-limiting conditions, accessing quality care can be a frightening and lonely challenge. That’s where hospice comes in as an option for more and more people.…more.
