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AGS expresses concern for future stability of high-quality, affordable health care

As it has since 2016, the American Geriatrics Society again expressed concern for the future stability of high-quality, person-centered, and affordable health care should bipartisan collaboration falter following a federal court ruling last Friday, which jeopardizes important gains under the Affordable Care Act.

21 Dec 2018

When needs arise, these older women have one another’s backs

Like many women aging alone, Eileen Kobrin worried that an accident could compromise her independence.

20 Dec 2018

5 ways nixing the Affordable Care Act could upend the entire health system

If Friday night's district court ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional were to be upheld, far more than the law's most high-profile provisions would be at stake.

20 Dec 2018

Women with heart disease report more disparities in care compared with men

Using data from a nationwide survey that represents 11 million women with heart and blood vessel diseases, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say women continue to report significant disparities in the care they receive compared with men.

20 Dec 2018

Increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the U.S. linked with occasional use

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the U.S. appears more closely linked with their occasional use by many people than by their repeated use among smaller numbers of people, according to a large new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

18 Dec 2018

Assisted living’s breakneck growth leaves patient safety behind

They found Bonnie Walker's body floating in a pond behind her assisted living facility in South Carolina. There were puncture wounds on her ear, her temple, her jaw and her cheeks.

17 Dec 2018

Researchers explore home healthcare nurses' knowledge attitudes toward infection control

Home healthcare workers' beliefs about infection prevention influence whether they comply with prevention protocols more than their actual knowledge of how to comply, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

14 Dec 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Insurance enrollment is lagging — and there are lots of reasons why

With less than a week to go before the deadline in most states, enrollment in health insurance for 2019 under the Affordable Care Act is lagging compared with the pace of previous years. That was expected, given last year's tax law eliminated the tax penalty for not having coverage starting Jan. 1. But analysts say there are other reasons for the downturn as well.

14 Dec 2018

For the asking, a check is in the mail to help pay for costly drugs

Kip Burgess was relieved last year when pharmaceutical giant Amgen overnighted him a $2,976 check to help pay for his go-to arthritis drug, Enbrel.

13 Dec 2018

3D-printed adaptive aids can benefit patients with arthritis

Adaptive aids are expensive. Additive manufacturing, using low-cost 3D printers, can save upwards of 94 percent for simple household items.

12 Dec 2018

One implant, two prices. It depends on who’s paying.

Kim Daniels didn't have to pay a penny for her double mastectomy or the reconstructive surgery she had after treatment for breast cancer in June 2018. Her health insurance, PennCare, administered through Independence Blue Cross in Pennsylvania, fully covered both procedures.

11 Dec 2018

Study: Some people with Type 2 diabetes may be testing their blood sugar more often than needed

For people with Type 2 diabetes, the task of testing their blood sugar with a fingertip prick and a drop of blood on a special strip of paper becomes part of everyday life.

11 Dec 2018

Optum, UnitedHealthcare take action to help people affected by North Carolina winter storms

UnitedHealthcare and Optum, the health benefits and services companies of UnitedHealth Group, are taking action to help people affected by the recent winter storms in North Carolina.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers compare health outcomes for VA and non-VA hospitals

The Veterans Health Administration is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,243 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,062 outpatient sites.

10 Dec 2018

Eating disorders now a top priority with Australian Government

According to a new announcement from the Morrison government on Sunday (9th of December 2018), patients who are suffering from severe forms of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia would soon have access to up to 60 appointments with psychologists and dieticians as part of their Medicare plan.

9 Dec 2018

More than half of California nursing homes balk at stricter staffing rules

More than half of California's nursing homes are asking to be exempted from new state regulations that would require them to spend more time directly caring for their patients.

7 Dec 2018

People covered by Michigan's expanded Medicaid program report improvements in health, finds study

Five states will expand Medicaid in 2019. Fourteen may start requiring Medicaid enrollees to work in return for their health coverage. And a new study could help all of these states understand what might be in store under these policies.

7 Dec 2018

Proton pump inhibitors in combination with oral anticoagulants reduce GI bleeding risk

A Vanderbilt University Medical Centerstudy published today in JAMA shows that patients already at higher risk for gastrointestinal bleeding gain a marked protection from this risk when they take a proton pump inhibitor in combination with an oral anticoagulant.

4 Dec 2018

Expanded use of tele-emergency services can help strengthen rural hospitals

A new study from the University of Iowa finds rural hospitals that use tele-medicine to back up their emergency room health care providers not only save money, but find it easier to recruit new physicians.

3 Dec 2018

Medicare cuts payments to nursing homes whose patients keep ending up in hospital

The federal government has taken a new step to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions of nursing home patients by lowering a year's worth of payments to nearly 11,000 nursing homes. It gave bonuses to nearly 4,000 others.

3 Dec 2018

Medicare News and Research

AGS expresses concern for future stability of high-quality, affordable health care

When needs arise, these older women have one another’s backs

5 ways nixing the Affordable Care Act could upend the entire health system

Women with heart disease report more disparities in care compared with men

Increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the U.S. linked with occasional use

Assisted living’s breakneck growth leaves patient safety behind

Researchers explore home healthcare nurses' knowledge attitudes toward infection control

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Insurance enrollment is lagging — and there are lots of reasons why

For the asking, a check is in the mail to help pay for costly drugs

3D-printed adaptive aids can benefit patients with arthritis

One implant, two prices. It depends on who’s paying.

Study: Some people with Type 2 diabetes may be testing their blood sugar more often than needed

Optum, UnitedHealthcare take action to help people affected by North Carolina winter storms

Researchers compare health outcomes for VA and non-VA hospitals

Eating disorders now a top priority with Australian Government

More than half of California nursing homes balk at stricter staffing rules

People covered by Michigan's expanded Medicaid program report improvements in health, finds study

Proton pump inhibitors in combination with oral anticoagulants reduce GI bleeding risk

Expanded use of tele-emergency services can help strengthen rural hospitals

Medicare cuts payments to nursing homes whose patients keep ending up in hospital

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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