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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

Obamacare co-ops down from 23 to final ‘3 little miracles’

New Mexico Health Connections' decision to close at year's end will leave just three of the 23 nonprofit health insurance co-ops that sprang from the Affordable Care Act.

9 Sep 2020

In legislative shuffle, California prioritizes safety gear and sick leave during crisis

California lawmakers convened this year with big plans to tackle soaring health care costs, expand health insurance coverage and improve treatment for mental health and addiction.

4 Sep 2020

HHS plan to improve rural health focuses on better broadband, telehealth services

Knowing it may be met with some skepticism, the Trump administration Thursday announced a sweeping plan that officials say will transform health care in rural America.

4 Sep 2020

Researchers identify properties in placenta tissue that may prevent COVID-19 transmission

Researchers from Boston Medical Center's Maxwell Finland Laboratory for Infectious Diseases have identified properties in placenta tissue that may play an important role in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 from a mother with the virus to her fetus.

3 Sep 2020

HIV and HCV testing at drug detoxification centers can help identify persons at-risk during opioid epidemic

With an increase in HIV and HCV infections as a consequence of the ongoing opioid epidemic, Boston Medical Center researchers found that only a small number of those who test positive for those infections at a drug detoxification center followed up for a clinical visit after their test.

3 Sep 2020

Study reports 'unmet need' for joint replacement surgery after Medicaid expansion

States that have expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act have seen an "early surge in demand" for hip and knee replacement surgery, reports a study in the September 2, 2020 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

2 Sep 2020

Survey shows pandemic will limit access to pediatric eye care

Pediatric ophthalmologists are a rarity in medicine. There are only about a thousand of them to serve America's 75 million children. And as other physicians fled private practice for hospitals or have been gobbled up by private equity firms, most pediatric ophthalmologists remain in private practice.

1 Sep 2020

Opposition to Obamacare becomes political liability for GOP incumbents

In the 2014 elections, Republicans rode a wave of anti-Affordable Care Act sentiment to pick up nine Senate seats, the largest gain for either party since 1980.

28 Aug 2020

Trump again claims he’s bringing down drug prices, but details of how are skimpy

President Donald Trump has long considered lowering the high cost of prescription drugs to be one of his signature issues, and it is likely to be a talking point he relies on throughout the upcoming campaign.

26 Aug 2020

Online health technology can close the gap on racial disparities

New research from Boston Medical Center highlights the benefits of using health technology to engage African American and Black women earlier in preconception care in an effort to close the gap on racial disparities in birth outcomes and maternal mortality.

26 Aug 2020

Florida’s cautionary tale: How gutting and muzzling public health fueled COVID fire

On a sweltering July morning, Rose Wilson struggled to breathe as she sat in her bed, the light from her computer illuminating her face and the oxygen tubes in her nose.

24 Aug 2020

Trump is sending fast, cheap COVID tests to nursing homes — but there’s a hitch

The Trump administration's latest effort to use COVID-19 rapid tests — touted by one senior official as a "turning point" in arresting the coronavirus's spread within nursing homes — is running into roadblocks likely to limit how widely they'll be used.

24 Aug 2020

Study highlights the need to standardize training around evaluating urine sediment tests

A new study shows that nephrologists do not always agree on their interpretation of images from urine sediment tests, which are frequently ordered to evaluate a variety of kidney diseases.

21 Aug 2020

Democratic convention, night 4: ‘Facts over fiction’ in Biden’s speech

In a near-empty arena on the river in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, former Vice President Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for president, promising hope over fear, fairness over privilege, love over hate.

21 Aug 2020

Study: More than 20% of nursing homes in the U.S. still report staff, PPE shortages

Nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States have occurred among nursing home residents, whose age, chronic medical conditions, and congregate living quarters place them and their caregivers at high risk of contracting the disease.

20 Aug 2020

Fewer rhinovirus infections in Philadelphia after COVID-19 stay-at-home orders

Philadelphia and its surrounding counties issued a series of "stay-at-home" orders on March 17, 2020 in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

20 Aug 2020

Study reveals important trends in early COVID-19 patients in Massachusetts

Data from the first COVID-19 patients treated at three large Massachusetts hospitals reveal important trends, including disproportionate representation of vulnerable populations, high rates of disease-related complications, and the need for post-discharge, post-acute care and monitoring.

19 Aug 2020

Researchers establish lung cancer public health screening guidelines for African Americans

Public health screening guidelines for lung cancer followed by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) undercount African Americans, contributing to disparities in lung cancer screening and treatment, according to a study published today in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

19 Aug 2020

Telemedicine use by older adults has skyrocketed, new poll finds

One in four older Americans had a virtual medical visit in the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of them by video, a new telehealth poll finds.

17 Aug 2020

Contact tracers in Massachusetts might order milk or help with rent. Here’s why.

It’s a familiar moment. The kids want their cereal and the coffee’s brewing, but you’re out of milk. No problem, you think — the corner store is just a couple of minutes away. But if you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to the coronavirus, you’re supposed to stay put.

13 Aug 2020