HomeCare Editors’ Top 5: Week of August 3

Congress Overwhelmingly Approves Bill Bolstering Medicare Patients’ Hospital Rights

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation Monday night requiring hospitals across the nation to tell Medicare patients when they receive observation care but have not been admitted to the hospital. (Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News)

Univita Health Losing Medicaid Contracts

Univita Health, which gained control of the entire Florida Medicaid home-care market a year ago, has suddenly lost all of its HMO contracts.

Home Health Dramatically Shifts Away from Post-Hospital Care

While home health agencies are crucial post-hospital care providers, they have seen a huge uptick in patients who are not coming out of that setting, recently released Medicare data shows. (Tim Mullaney, Home Health Care News)

Medicare Turns 50 but Big Challenges Await

Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, has come a long way since its creation in 1965, when nearly half of all seniors were uninsured. (Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health News)

Health Spending Projected to Grow Modestly, but Faster

U.S. health spending is expected to grow faster during the next decade than in recent years, reflecting a stronger economy, an aging population and higher levels of insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, a new federal report says.  (Laura Ungar/USA Today)