Few in US spell out how they want to die; House health bill includes end-of-life counseling

Few Americans make end-of-life wishes known

House calls a health reform fix? Updating old idea seen as saving costs while boosting care

House calls as cost-saver in health care reform?

House health care legislation likely to include new insurance program for long-term care

House bill likely to include long-term health care

Many elderly with dementia and kidney failure in nursing homes get futile care, studies show

LOS ANGELES — A surprising number of frail, elderly Americans in nursing homes are suffering from futile care at the end of their lives, two new federally funded studies reveal.

US nursing homes pushed to brink: fund cuts, recession force layoffs, cutbacks, closings

HARTFORD, Conn. — The nation’s nursing homes are perilously close to laying off workers, cutting services — possibly even closing — because of a perfect storm wallop from the recession and deep federal and state government spending cuts, industry experts say.

Report: Government can better target poorly performing nursing homes in need of extra scrutiny

WASHINGTON — A government program that brings extra scrutiny to poorly performing nursing homes leaves out hundreds of troubled facilities, investigators report.

Vexing issue of long-term health care for seniors, disabled absent from raging US debate

MIAMI — Gillian Lloyd’s parents did everything right: They saved compulsively for their retirement and brought aides into their home when they needed help. Yet they still face impossible questions of how to continue paying for care in their final years.

HEALTHBEAT: Improving health care quality at below-average prices? Some communities are trying

WASHINGTON — If you pay the mechanic $1,000 to fix your transmission and it breaks again next week, the garage should find and fix the problem for free. So if you get an infection following open-heart surgery because the doctor forgot an antibiotic, why are you charged extra to clear up the wound?

Little _ and little known _ agency could have oversized role in health care overhaul

WASHINGTON — Asked about a cut President Barack Obama recommended in Medicare, California Rep. Fortney Stark responded with a question of his own: “What does MedPAC think?”