Despite their growing popularity and effectiveness, there are still several myths and misconceptions about Dual Special Needs Plans.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz unveiled his ticket’s plans to improve the lives of rural voters as Vice President Kamala Harris looks to cut into former President Donald Trump’s support.

The topic is playing a major role in one of Texas’ only competitive congressional races this year as the competitors debate Medicare, abortion and expanding coverage.

Thinner benefits and coverage changes await many older Americans shopping for health insurance this fall.

A constitutional challenge to the Biden administration program enabling Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs has been revived by a federal appeals court.

At least one mystery about President Joe Biden’s often convoluted answers during the presidential debate has been solved.

Three Texas Medical Center institutions have agreed to pay a record $15 million settlement to resolve claims they billed for concurrent heart surgeries in violation of Medicare teaching physician and informed consent regulations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC), Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Surgical Associates of Texas P.A. (SAT) are the three institutions that have agreed to the settlement.Court records show an investigation into the intuitions and three of its surgeons began in August of 2019 when a whistleblower filed a complaint.“Well it became apparent looking at the document that there was a whistleblower who was inside, looking at the organization and seeing that these very prominent doctors were going from operating room to operating and even to another operating room and charging for doing the complete procedure when they could not have done the complete procedure, just from a pure time standpoint but they certified that they did those procedures and that’s what the government alleged, and whistleblower alleged,” said Attorney Randy SorrelsThose prominent surgeons named in court documents include Dr. Joseph Coselli, 71, Houston, and Dr. Joseph Lamelas, 63, Miami, Florida. SAT is a medical practice group affiliated with various cardiothoracic surgeons, including Dr. David Ott, 77, HoustonThe U.S. attorney’s office said the allegations also included the doctors delegating key aspects of extremely complicated and risky heart surgeries to unqualified medical residents.and failing to attend the surgical “timeout”— a critical moment where the entire team would pause and identify key risks to prevent surgical errors, according to the allegations,”“Yeah, These are some of the most well known heart surgeons in the country and so students would come to Baylor to learn from the very best, and they would be putting their hands literally inside the chest of patients. And you should have the attending physician there, But the allegations are as they weren't there and present at all times,” Sorrels said.Sorrels said it’s important that patients know, they can try and keep that from happening by advocating for themselves.What you want to do as a patient, especially before you go under anesthesia, is let it be known in the paperwork, Only the attending physician, the doctor that, you know, does the entire procedure,” said Sorrels.KPRC 2 also asked Sorrels if there’s anything that can be done if you’re a former patient and believe your life was put at risk.“Yeah, Texas law is not very patient friendly. The allegations were between 2013 and 2019. And Texas law requires you to bring a claim against a doctor within two years. So if you didn't bring your claim by 2021 at the latest, you can't bring a claim against any of these doctors or Baylor itself,” said Sorrels.Sorrels added that after examining the settlement it appears nobody would be criminally charged.“This $15 million payments is to settle all issues,” Sorrels said.

Three Texas Medical Center institutions have agreed to pay $15 million to resolve claims they billed for concurrent heart surgeries in violation of Medicare teaching physician and informed consent regulations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

People on Medicare who survived a drug overdose were much more likely to later receive opioid painkillers than any medication to treat addiction — and some went on to die of an overdose.

The Supreme Court's decision regarding Idaho's abortion ban may hinge on whether federal spending power can protect doctors against a state's criminal code.

The go-broke dates for benefit programs Medicare and Social Security have been pushed back as an improving economy has contributed to changed projected depletion dates, according to the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report.

CVS Health missed first-quarter expectations and chopped its 2024 outlook more than a dollar below Wall Street’s forecast.

About one-quarter of U.S. adults age 50 and older who aren't yet retired say they expect to never retire and 70% are concerned about prices rising faster than their income.

Prosecutors say Gwendolyn Gibbs, 72, the owner of Daybreak Rehabilitation Center, submitted fake claims to Medicare from 2007 until 2016 by pretending her patients were sicker than they really were.

President Joe Biden frequently cites insulin prices as he promotes a $35 price cap for Americans with diabetes who are on Medicare.

Last fall, you may have been amongst the millions of Americans who made choices about their Medicare coverage, but being proactive about your coverage in care doesn’t end after enrollment. Learn more some of the many ways that you can and should get more from your Medicare benefits.

Certain Medicare patients may get help paying for the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, as long as they also have heart disease.

Biogen will stop selling its Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm.

When packages you didn’t order arrive with your name on them, that is a red flag, especially if what’s inside is something medical-related. Amy Davis has the warning about fraud that is happening in the Houston area.

A bill to create a bipartisan commission that would tackle the nation’s soaring debt and make policy recommendations to Congress has won approval from a House committee.

The move caps a yearslong effort to extend coverage. Medicaid covers half of all births in Texas.

United Memorial Medical Center has agreed to pay $2 million and to make additional contingent payments to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations, the United States Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Time is running out for retirees to select their plan during Medicare open enrollment. Depending on the plan, licensed insurance agent Jasmine Alberto said it may cost more.

Medicare open enrollment began this week and ends on Dec. 7.

A Missouri City couple and owners of a home health agency have received prison time for defrauding Medicare out of over $8 million.

Texas is still the state with the highest percentage of uninsured residents, at nearly 17 percent, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau survey released Thursday.

President Joe Biden is touting his administration's efforts to lower medical costs.

Some private insurers are balking at paying for the first drug fully approved to slow mental decline in Alzheimer’s patients.

BestCare Laboratory Services LLC, will pay $5.7 million to settle an outstanding False Claims Act judgment after the company lied to Medicare to receive travel reimbursements, the United States Department of Justice said in a news release.

The Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has arrested three people associated with the genetic testing company ApolloMDx for their alleged involvement in a major healthcare fraud scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare approximately $142 million.

We are always looking for ways to save you money. The Texas summer heat means you are probably using more electricity to cool off your home. Viewer Don Conger emailed Investigator Amy Davis and said his utility bills are sky-high. He’s looking for a company that will do a home energy audit to show him things he can do in his home to conserve electricity.

Merck is suing the federal government over a plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices, calling the program a sham equivalent to extortion.

A 47-year-old home health company owner has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for a $1.4 million Medicare home health fraud scheme, the United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

Even with new spending restraints included in the congressional debt limit deal, the U.S. government’s deficits are still on course to keep climbing to record levels over the next few decades.

President Joe Biden says his administration is expanding eligibility for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Americans are deeply opposed to cutting into Medicare or Social Security benefits, and most support raising taxes on the nation’s highest earners to keep Medicare running as is.

An annual report on Social Security and Medicare says the financial safety nets millions of older Americans rely on and millions more young people are counting on will run short on funds to pay full benefits within the next decade.

In the federal budget standoff, the majority of U.S. adults are asking lawmakers to pull off the impossible: Cut the overall size of government, but also devote more money to the most popular and expensive programs.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is calling for “common sense and compassionate solutions” to reform entitlement programs and the nation’s debt burden.

President Joe Biden says his administration is focused “intensely” on lowering health care costs.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is proposing changes to entitlement programs for younger generations, opening the door to potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare if elected.

President Joe Biden says GOP lawmakers could put millions of people’s health care at risk.

It seems no one wants to cut Social Security or Medicare benefits.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida has amended a plan to overhaul how the federal government works after Democrats repeatedly seized on it to accuse Republicans of looking to cut Medicare and Social Security.

President Joe Biden is taking direct aim at Republicans who have floated cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

When President Joe Biden suggested that Republicans want to slash Medicare and Social Security it brought howls of protests from the GOP side of the aisle during the State of the Union address.

For all the sound and fury about raising the nation's debt limit, most economists say federal borrowing is not at a crisis point.

Millions of people who enrolled in Medicaid during the COVID-19 pandemic could start to lose their insurance plans by April 1 if Congress passes the $1.7 trillion spending package leaders unveiled Tuesday.

Thieves work overtime to target everyone, but especially our aging parents. From free health screenings to calls about medical devices or easy part time jobs - Jennifer Salazar, Executive Director of The Better Business Bureau Education Foundation, explains what you need to know to avoid falling victim.

The Supreme Court seems likely to reject a call to overturn decades of precedent and limit the ability of individuals to use federal civil rights law to sue.

With Medicare’s open enrollment underway, health experts are warning older adults about an uptick in misleading marketing tactics that might lead some to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don’t cover their doctors or prescriptions and drive up their out-of-pocket costs.

It’s the week a lot of people have been waiting for. Medicare open enrollment opens Saturday but with that, a warning about thieves using this time to target people. Amy Davis has what you should look out for!

For the first time in a decade, Americans will pay less next year on monthly premiums for Medicare’s Part B plan, which covers routine doctors’ visits and other outpatient care.

Medicare expert Ari Parker appeared on KPRC 2+ and shared his insights ahead of the next Medicare enrollment period.

Whether you are helping a parent or you need it yourself - healthcare, as you get older, is a topic we get a lot of questions about. In this week’s episode, Amy Davis and Guest Alex Rischan from the Houston-Galveston Area Agency on Aging break down what we need to know about Medicare.

Topic: healthcare coverage as we get older. You may need it or you might be helping a parent. Investigator Amy Davis gets answers to common questions about Medicare. Are those TV ads legit? Plus, learn how to apply for free help.

A 59-year-old Houston woman has been sent to federal prison following her conviction of committing and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

President Joe Biden has signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill.

Some older Americans are cheering news of a deal on Capitol Hill that could lead to lower drug costs.

A national medical testing company has agreed to pay $16 million to resolve allegations that it submitted claims for payment for medically unnecessary tests to federal health care programs.

The Biden administration is warning pharmacies not to discriminate against women who may seek reproductive health prescriptions, including some that might be involved in ending a pregnancy.

Senate Democrats want to boost taxes on some high earners and use the money to extend the solvency of Medicare.

A stronger-than-expected economic recovery from the pandemic has pushed back the go-broke dates for Social Security and Medicare, but officials warn that the current economic turbulence is putting additional pressures on the bedrock retirement programs.

Medicare recipients will get a premium reduction — but not until next year.

Biogen is looking for a new CEO less than a year after its launch of its Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm largely fizzled.

The indictment alleges that from 2015 to 2022, the owner of Elitte Healthcare and Service Inc. billed Medicare for home health care services that were never provided and created false medical records.

Medicare says it’s considering a cut in enrollee premiums, after officials stuck with an earlier decision to sharply limit coverage for a pricey new Alzheimer’s drug projected to drive up program costs.

A Missouri City couple, who owned a group home in Houston, was convicted by a federal jury for a $1 million Medicare fraud scheme, including violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Medicare says that millions of enrollees will finally have access to free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at drug stores.

The House has passed a bill capping the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for insured patients.

When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic comes, it could create major disruptions for U.S. health care.

Legislation to limit insulin costs for people with diabetes is getting a new push in the Senate.

Two widely supported bills are encountering delays in the Senate.

The Biden administration says people with Medicare will be able to get up to eight free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month, starting in early spring.

Medicare says it's shining a light on key markers for nursing home quality.

Medicare says it will limit coverage of a $28,000-a-year Alzheimer’s drug whose benefits have been widely questioned.

U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra is ordering Medicare to reassess a big premium increase facing millions of seniors this year.

The head of a Senate panel that oversees Medicare says the Biden administration should cut back a hefty premium increase soon to hit millions of enrollees.

A new $56,000-a-year Alzheimer’s medication that’s leading to one of the biggest increases ever in Medicare premiums is highlighting the limitations of President Joe Biden’s strategy for curbing prescription drug costs.

President Joe Biden is pledging his social agenda legislation will deliver tangible savings on prescription drugs for all Americans.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is asking the White House to cut back a big Medicare premium hike set to take effect in weeks and tied to a pricey Alzheimer’s drug whose benefits have been widely questioned.

Workers and families with private health insurance would reap savings on prescription drugs from a little-noticed provision in President Joe Biden's social agenda bill.

Two Houston-area ophthalmologists were penalized for abusing the Medicare system by overcharging for glaucoma treatment, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office says.

Medicare’s “Part B” outpatient premium will jump by $21.60 a month in 2022, one of the largest increases ever.

Medicare enrollees who take expensive medicines could save thousands of dollars a year under the Democrats’ sweeping social agenda bill, but those dividends won’t come overnight.

Open enrollment season is here, which typically means you will have the opportunity to select or switch your health insurance plan.

Democrats say they have sealed a deal to lower pharmaceutical drug costs for most older Americans as part of President Joe Biden’s sweeping $1.75 trillion domestic proposal.

House Democrats have added paid family and medical leave, immigration law changes and a state-and-local tax break to their $1.75 trillion social services and environmental bill.

Two congressional aides say Democrats have made significant progress on adding compromise provisions curbing prescription drug prices to their massive social and environment package.

Medicaid issues are turning up as winners in President Joe Biden’s social budget framework even as divisions force Democrats to hit pause on far-reaching improvements to Medicare.

Since plans and benefits change every year -- and there are so many options -- it makes sense to know what’s out there and what to look for.

Negotiating Medicare drug prices is a linchpin of President Joe Biden's ambitious health care agenda.

About 40% of Texas nursing home workers are unvaccinated and could face dismissal or quit their jobs under a federal vaccination requirement for the industry.

Democrats are fretting about how they’d divide a shrinking pie amid signs that negotiations over President Joe Biden’s massive domestic policy bill could yield a smaller serving of health care spending.

A House committee has dealt an ominous if tentative blow to President Joe Biden’s social and environment package.

The sharp shock of the coronavirus recession pushed Social Security a year closer to insolvency but left Medicare’s exhaustion date unchanged, the government reported Tuesday.

With COVID-19 on the rise again and many nursing home staffers unvaccinated, families still lack easy access to crucial Medicare immunization data that will help them pick the right facility for their loved one.

A government watchdog says that deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Affordable Care Act is now secure in the framework of the nation’s health care programs, and Democrats are eager to leap above and beyond.