Consumer Health Ratings Your Guide to Quality and Cost
- Who is Most At Risk for a Bad Case of Coronavirus?by Gretchen Dahlen on July 9, 2020 at 5:09 pm
Most people know by now that the risk of severe illness from the coronavirus rises with age. But is it only the elderly who are most at risk for a bad case of coronavirus? No, it’s not. Those […]
- Medicare Hospital Fund Runs Out in 2026 – Or Soonerby Gretchen Dahlen on April 24, 2020 at 1:23 am
The future of Medicare is still in jeopardy. The hospital fund, known as Part A Medicare, will be depleted by 2026 according to a new report. The annual Medicare Board of Trustees sent its 2020 […]
- Five Concepts to Fight Coronavirusby Gretchen Dahlen on April 18, 2020 at 10:57 pm
It’s hard to believe that less than six weeks have passed since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus pandemic. We have survived the shock of hospitals as war zones, a tent […]
- Consumer Health Ratings President and CEO Appointed to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) National Advisory Councilby admin on April 18, 2020 at 9:36 pm
Gretchen M. Dahlen, president and chief executive officer of Consumer Health Ratings, has been named to the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). New […]
- 2020 Health Insurance Cost and Quality Ratingsby Gretchen Dahlen on September 12, 2019 at 8:29 pm
Last year, health insurance for a single person in the US private sector cost $6,715 on average. Annual open enrollment is nearly here for 2020. Now is a good time to gather your research on both […]
- The $2 Million Drug: Rare Disease Drug Pricesby Gretchen Dahlen on August 21, 2019 at 4:14 pm
The $2 million wonder drug is called Zolgensma. It’s made for infants and kids up to age 2 who have spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The rare disease is inherited. The new gene therapy drug can […]
- Mourning Neil Armstrong: Healthcare’s Test Pilotby Gretchen Dahlen on July 31, 2019 at 3:17 am
We had just finished celebrating the 50-year anniversary of man’s landing on the moon. When abruptly, troubling news appeared that famed astronaut Neil Armstrong may have died from hospital […]
- How Fast Is the Hospital ER Near Me?by Gretchen Dahlen on February 9, 2019 at 11:26 pm
Speed is probably the first thing you think of, if you need an Emergency Room. Should consumers be concerned about ER waiting time at their nearby hospital’s Emergency Department? Check the […]
- Hacienda Board of Directors: Time to Leave?by Gretchen Dahlen on February 1, 2019 at 6:14 pm
Based on DNA evidence, a male LPN was arrested Jan. 23 and charged with sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult who resided at Hacienda HealthCare in Phoenix. He allegedly raped and […]
- How Much Does an ER Visit Cost?by Gretchen Dahlen on January 9, 2019 at 6:00 pm
The short answer is a lot. The average cost for people visiting the Emergency Room in 2014 was $1533, up 7.7% from 2013. The median “typical” cost was $749 per person. If you bring that […]
Kaiser Health News
- Facing Headwinds on New Alzheimer’s Drug, Biogen Launches Controversial Campaignby Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News on July 23, 2021 at 9:00 am
The makers of Aduhelm, a drug approved last month despite concerns raised by experts about its effectiveness, have launched a website and ads designed to urge people who are worried about their memory to ask doctors about testing. But some health advocates say it is misleading because some memory loss with aging is normal.
- KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Delta Changes the Covid Conversationon July 22, 2021 at 6:10 pm
With covid cases on the upswing again around the country, partisan division remains over how to address the pandemic. Meanwhile, the Biden administration proposes bigger penalties for hospitals that fail to make their prices public as required. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Tami Luhby of CNN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest their favorite stories of the week they think you should read, too.
- Though Millions Are at Risk for Diabetes, Medicare Struggles to Expand Prevention Programby Harris Meyer on July 21, 2021 at 9:00 am
Medicare has proposed revamping its payment rules to get more people into a diabetes prevention plan that helps them eat better, exercise more and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Out of an estimated 16 million Medicare beneficiaries whose excess weight and other risk factors make them eligible, only 3,600 have participated since 2018.
- Sen. Wyden: $3.5T Budget May Have to Trim but It Can Set a Path to ‘Ambitious Goals’by Michael McAuliff on July 20, 2021 at 9:00 am
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who is helping to negotiate the health care spending framework for the Democrats' budget plan, said lawmakers may have to settle for very basic versions of programs deployed in the package. But the key, he added, is to get the "architecture of these changes, bold changes," started and show people what is possible.
- California Makes It Easier for Low-Income Residents to Get and Keep Free Health Coverageby Rachel Bluth, Kaiser Health News on July 20, 2021 at 9:00 am
State lawmakers aim to expand Medicaid enrollment by dedicating billions of dollars in coming years to simplifying paperwork, extending pregnancy coverage and opening the program to thousands of new enrollees, including older unauthorized immigrants and people who need nursing home care.