Fred Schulte

Visit kff.org to read Fred's bio.

[email protected]
@FredSchulte

Federal Watchdog Urges Crackdown on Medicare Advantage Home Visits

KFF Health News Original

Medicare officials are pushing back against a federal watchdog’s call to crack down on home visits by Medicare Advantage health plans — a practice the watchdog says may waste billions of tax dollars every year. In late October, a Health and Human Services inspector general audit found that the insurers pocketed $7.5 billion in 2023 from diagnosing health conditions that […]

Nursing Homes Wield Pandemic Immunity Laws To Duck Wrongful Death Suits

KFF Health News Original

More than 172,000 nursing home residents died of covid. In lawsuits, some families who lost loved ones say they were misled about safety measures or told that covid wasn’t a danger in their facilities.

How Medicare Advantage Plans Dodged Auditors and Overcharged Taxpayers by Millions

KFF Health News Original

Facing rare scrutiny from federal auditors, some Medicare Advantage health plans failed to produce any records to justify their payments, government records show. The audits revealed millions of dollars in overcharges to Medicare over three years.

Audits — Hidden Until Now — Reveal Millions in Medicare Advantage Overcharges

KFF Health News Original

Taxpayers had to foot the bills for care that should have cost far less, according to records released after KHN filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. The government may seek to recover up to $650 million as a result.

Sick Profit: Investigating Private Equity’s Stealthy Takeover of Health Care Across Cities and Specialties

KFF Health News Original

Private equity firms have shelled out almost $1 trillion to acquire nearly 8,000 health care businesses, in deals almost always hidden from federal regulators. The result: higher prices, lawsuits, and complaints about care.