Editors’ Top 5, Week of August 8

Medicare Extends Temporary Enrollment Moratoria, Again
New home health agencies will be blocked from Medicare enrollment in Florida, Illinois, Texas and Michigan, while new non-emergency ambulance providers will be blocked from Medicare enrollment in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas. (James Swann/Bloomberg BNA)

Prescription Drugs Aren’t the Largest Driver of Premium Increases
Despite all the emphasis being put on the cost of prescription drugs, outpatient spending is expected to be the largest driver of premium increases in 2017, according to an analysis by Avalere Health, an independent consulting firm. (Caitlin Owens/Morning Consult)

Political Parties Vow to Prioritize Homecare, Differ on Details
A breakdown of each party’s and candidate’s home health care priorities for the coming year (Amy Baxter/Home Health Care News)

Medicare’s Readmission Penalties Hit New High
The federal government’s readmission penalties on hospitals will reach a new high as Medicare withholds more than half a billion dollars in payments over the next year, records released last week show. (Jordan Rau/Kaiser Health News)

Seniors Rarely Consult Dr. Google for Medical Advice
Senior citizens need more medical care than anyone else in the United States. And the Internet is chock full of health information. Yet seniors are far less likely than other adults to tap into it, new research shows. (Karen Kaplan/Los Angeles Times)