Do patient satisfaction scores encourage doctors to deliver better care — or do they lure them into gaming the system? A recent study looked at the link between patient experiences and health care outcomes.
Health Insurance and Costs
What looks like a straightforward framework to protect California’s budget from escalating drug costs has policy experts perplexed, and potential allies on the sidelines.
Despite recent cost-cutting measures, California’s spending on pharmaceuticals has gone up, and so has the number of pricey drugs it is covering. It’s not clear state agencies have the means to balance drug cost pressures with the best interests of patients, taxpayers and public health.
While nearly half of Florida's kids rely on Medicaid, the program has battled persistent problems that have often left children without proper care. Reporter Maggie Clark of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune shares five key lessons from her reporting deep-dive.
Headed to Cleveland this week for AHCJ's 2016 conference? Contributing editor William Heisel highlights some great panel discussions you won't want to miss.
Maggie Clark reported this story with the support of the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism and the National Health Journalism Fellowship, programs of USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism....
So-called "surprise bills" can leave unsuspecting patients on the hook for thousands of dollars. And market solutions haven't fixed the problem so far, writes UCLA health policy expert Gerald Kominski.
Upwards of two-thirds of uninsured kids in the U.S. are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, but aren’t enrolled. New research suggests parent mentors could be a highly effective solution to getting more low-income kids insured, with potentially huge cost savings.
Do undocumented residents have to pay the Obamacare penalty for not having health insurance? Despite advocates' efforts, you might be surprised at how much confusion there is — even from tax preparers.
“One important thing is to find your advocate,” veteran reporter John Gonzales told fellow journalists this week. “You got to find someone who is going to be there for you when you’re having trouble with access.”