Costs of Care (old)

When Does Workplace Wellness Become Coercive?

Julie Appleby
,

A small but growing number of employers tie financial incentives to losing weight and exercising. The cost of nonparticipation can be so high that critics question whether workers have a true choice.
Doctors, Nurses Among 243 Charged In Million-Dollar Medicare Schemes

Bill Chappell
,

One doctor alone is accused of causing nearly $23 million in fraud losses, including "over 1,000 expensive power wheelchairs ... that were not medically necessary and often not provided."

Costs of Care (old)

State Obamacare Exchanges Experience Growing Pains

Jeff Cohen, WNPR
,

Minnesota, Colorado and Connecticut are figuring out how to keep their health insurance marketplaces afloat as federal startup funding runs out.
Costs of Care (old)

Amputee Farmers Struggle With Available Prosthetics

Kristofor Husted
,

When it comes to hazardous work industries, farming is in the top three with transportation and warehousing, and mining. And many times after an...
Costs of Care (old)

Texas Politicians And Businesses Feud Over Medicaid Expansion

Wade Goodwyn
,

Texas has turned down federal funds to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Hospitals and some business owners want the money, but it's a tough sell in Republican-dominated state politics.
Costs of Care (old)

Patient Finds Shopping For Low-Priced CT Scan Doesn’t Pay Off

Douglas White knew high-deductible insurance is supposed to make patients feel the pain of medical prices and turn them into smart shoppers. So he…
Costs of Care (old)

New Rules Would Limit Profits, Score Quality For Medicaid Plans

Sweeping proposals disclosed Tuesday would create profit guidelines for private Medicaid plans as well as new standards for the plans’ doctor and hospital…
Costs of Care (old)

Smokers More Likely To Quit If Their Own Cash Is On The Line

Richard Harris
,

A carrot isn't enough — bring on the stick. A study finds smokers are more likely to quit tobacco if they lose some of their own money after a relapse, than if they get a bonus for quitting the habit.
Costs of Care (old)

Free Contraceptives Must Be Free, Obama Administration Tells Insurers

Phil Galewitz
,

The notice to insurers comes after reports found many health plans weren't providing no-cost birth control for all prescription methods, a requirement under the Affordable Care Act.
Costs of Care (old)

Family Doctors Who Do More, Save More

Anders Kelto
,

A study suggests that coordinated care, led by a family doctor who is judicious about referring patients to specialists, leads to cost savings.
Costs of Care (old)

Paying Medicaid Enrollees To Get Checkups, Quit Smoking and Lose Weight: Will It Pay Off?

Taking a cue from workplace wellness programs, Iowa and New Mexico are among more than a dozen states offering incentives to Medicaid beneficiaries to get…
Costs of Care (old)

Who Keeps Track If Your Surgery Goes Well Or Fails?

Richard Harris
,

The outcomes of many medical procedures and treatments done in hospitals nationwide aren't tracked or even measured, says a surgeon who thinks that's bad. Understanding outcomes, he says, saves lives.