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Most vulnerable patients are not reimbursed fairly by Medicare, research finds

Hospitals, doctors and Medicare Advantage insurance plans that care for some of the most vulnerable patients are not reimbursed fairly by Medicare, according to recent findings in JAMA.

10 Feb 2020

Statin use alone or with metformin may increase survival in high-risk prostate cancer patients

Among high-risk prostate cancer patients - those with high PSA and Gleason scores of 8 or more - many will develop a difficult-to-treat disease.

10 Feb 2020

Health care affordability remains a top issue for many middle-aged adults, study finds

Health insurance costs weigh heavily on the minds of many middle-aged adults, and many are worried for what they'll face in retirement or if federal health policies change, according to a new study just published in JAMA Network Open.

9 Feb 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Fact-checking president Trump’s State of the Union

President Donald Trump had a lot to say about health care in his State of the Union address Tuesday night — not all of it completely accurate.

6 Feb 2020

Missing doctor's visit linked to decreased visual acuity for patients with AMD

Missing a single ophthalmology appointment over a two-year period was associated with decreased visual acuity for patients with macular degeneration -- a leading cause of permanent vision loss in the elderly -- according to a new Penn Medicine study.

6 Feb 2020

To boost bottom lines, single-payer may be just what these restaurateurs ordered

Last winter, James Mark was a 2018 James Beard Award finalist. A few months later, both GQ and Bon Appétit ranked Big King, his newest Rhode Island restaurant, as one of the country's best places to eat.

6 Feb 2020

Missing prescription medications can lead to serious consequences

According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, 7.7 million Pennsylvanians live with at least one chronic health condition, such as diabetes, asthma, heart failure, hypertension or high cholesterol.

5 Feb 2020

Trump on ‘Medicare for All’ and the costs of extending health care to undocumented immigrants

In his 2020 State of the Union address, President Donald Trump attempted to tie a Democratic proposal for health care reform to one of his signature issues: immigration.

5 Feb 2020

What to do if your home health care agency ditches you

Craig Holly was determined to fight when the home health agency caring for his wife decided to cut off services Jan. 18.

4 Feb 2020

Why home health care is suddenly harder to come by for Medicare patients

The decision came out of the blue. "Your husband isn't going to get any better, so we can't continue services," an occupational therapist told Deloise "Del" Holloway in early November. "Medicare isn't going to pay for it."

3 Feb 2020

Warren is right. Presidents have the power to bypass Congress on drug pricing

On the presidential primary campaign trail in Iowa, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) brought out a favorite talking point: ways the president can bring down drug prices without waiting for Congress.

31 Jan 2020

Preeminent hospitals penalized over rates of patients’ injuries

Hundreds of hospitals across the nation, including a number with sterling reputations for cutting-edge care, will be paid less by Medicare after the federal government pronounced that they had higher rates of infections and patient injuries than others.

31 Jan 2020

5 things to know about Trump’s Medicaid block grant plan

The Trump administration unveiled a plan Thursday that would dramatically revamp Medicaid by allowing states to opt out of part of the current federal funding program and instead seek a fixed payment each year in exchange for gaining unprecedented flexibility over the program.

31 Jan 2020

State-purchased insurance plans improve HIV outcomes, save healthcare costs

Health insurance purchased by state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs for people living with HIV in states that did not expand Medicaid are improving outcomes and have the potential to save millions in healthcare costs, a new study suggests.

30 Jan 2020

Mercy Medical Center receives five stars for quality of care

Mercy Medical Center has received a 5-Star Overall Hospital Rating, the highest possible, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for quality of care.

30 Jan 2020

Two Rush hospitals earn top rating from CMS

Rush University Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital again earned high marks in one of the nation's most respected assessments of health care quality.

30 Jan 2020

A guide to following the health debate in the 2020 elections

Health has been a top issue in the presidential campaign during the past year: Not only do the Democratic candidates disagree with President Donald Trump, but they also disagree among themselves.

30 Jan 2020

Trump’s latest health care challenge: Gaining voters’ trust

Far more Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of several high-profile health care issues than give him positive marks, underscoring the challenge the president faces in claiming health care as a political asset in his reelection bid.

30 Jan 2020

Annual lung cancer screening with LDCT reduces lung cancer deaths

The Dutch-Belgian Randomized Lung Cancer Screening Trial, known as the NELSON trial (de Koning et. al), published Jan. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), reconfirms that annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in high-risk patients significantly reduces lung cancer deaths.

30 Jan 2020

Medicaid expansion could lessen the burden of colon cancers, save Black male lives

Expanding Medicaid in North Carolina could sharply lessen the burden of colon cancers in the state and save the lives of thousands of Black men as well as improving access to care for men of all races, researchers report in the 27 January issue of PLOS ONE.

29 Jan 2020