JAMA findings suggest 'unintended harm' from Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program

Dive Brief: New evidence links CMS’ Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program to unintended harm in some patients, a JAMA editorial suggests.  Researchers analyzed 8.3 million hospitalizations of Medicare enrollees for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction and pneumonia over four periods from April 2005 through March 2015. Thirty-day post-discharge mortality for heart failure patients rose following announcement… Read More »

Depression in New Moms Adversely Affects the Health of Babies and Other Family Members

Maternal depression experienced by half of expectant and new mothers go undiagnosed and untreated, which can lead to major long-term health problems both for parents and for their infants. In an effort to prevent such complications, a new report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is once again urging doctors to screen mothers… Read More »

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ More On That Texas Lawsuit, And The Best And Worst Health Policy Stories Of The Year

Reaction is still coming in about last week’s federal court ruling that declared the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. And nearly final numbers for insurance sign-ups at healthcare.gov were surprisingly brisk despite the elimination of the health law’s tax penalty for not having insurance and a dramatically shrunken budget for outreach and enrollment assistance. The panelists… Read More »