The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine just released a 600-page report on problems found in nursing homes. Among the complaints were mediocre quality, too little investment in quality improvement, inadequate staffing levels, poorly trained staff, staff shortages due to low pay and inadequate funding sources. With 77 million Baby Boomers approaching old age, it is likely there will not be enough long-term care facilities to meet their needs. In addition, nursing homes are expensive and unaffordable for most Americans who lack long term care coverage.
Category: Medicare
Medicare to only cover pricy Alzheimer’s drug for seniors in clinical trials
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the agency will limit coverage for the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm to seniors enrolled in clinical trials. The decision is intended to protect seniors while the agency gathers more data on whether Aduhelm slows disease progressions in Alzheimer’s patients.
The Worst of Obamacare
Ever since Obamacare became law, my colleagues and I have been writing about a race to the bottom in the exchanges – where health plans try to attract the healthy and avoid the sick. The result: people with serious health problems are being denied access to the doctors and hospitals they desperately need.
Does Medicare Advantage Save the Government Money?
Matthew Holt at The Health Care Blog writes:
Critics (notably ex CMS veterans Berwick & Gilfillan) claim that risk adjustment games played by the private plans who run Medicare Advantage have cost up to $200bn over 10 years. Medpac (the independent body that advises Congress) estimates that “Medicare spends 4 percent more for MA enrollees than it would have spent if those enrollees remained in FFS Medicare” …. However data from the Medicare Trustees and other research from ACHP & the trade group Better Medicare Alliance suggests that Medpac’s analysis is incorrect and that Medicare Advantage saves the government about 9% per enrollee.
George Halvorson says the Medpac report is “fake news”.