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Scientists develop new model to predict a patient's risk for adverse events after hospital discharge

Historically, hospital patients have been at a high risk for adverse effects after they are discharged, according to the Institute of Medicine.

8 Jun 2018

HHS to allow insurers’ workaround on 2019 prices

Federal officials will not block insurance companies from again using a workaround to cushion a steep rise in health premiums caused by President Donald Trump's cancellation of a program established under the Affordable Care Act, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Wednesday.

7 Jun 2018

Study finds high insurance denial rates for life-saving hepatitis C drugs in the U.S.

The number of insurance denials for life-saving hepatitis C drugs among patients with both private and public insurers remains high across the United States, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reported in a new study published in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

7 Jun 2018

Doctors' attire does matter to patients, study finds

Physicians may want to dig a little deeper into their closets, or grab their white coats on the way out of the operating room, if they want patients to view them favorably, according to the largest-ever study of patient preferences for doctors' attire.

6 Jun 2018

Regeneron collaborates with Zoetis to research antibody therapies for animals

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Zoetis Inc. today announced a five-year collaboration to research the use of Regeneron's monoclonal antibody therapeutics in animals and discover new veterinary treatments.

6 Jun 2018

Older women undergoing mammography may have increased awareness to other preventive tests

Medicare patients who undergo mammography screening also are more likely to follow up with other recommended preventive services such as cervical cancer screenings or Pap smear, bone mass measurement or a flu vaccine, as compared to unscreened women, according to a new study led by researchers at NYU School of Medicine.

6 Jun 2018

Medicare financial outlook worsens

Medicare's financial condition has taken a turn for the worse following higher-than-expected hospital spending and reduced payroll taxes that fund the program, the federal government reported Tuesday.

5 Jun 2018

Verma unveils state Medicaid scorecard but refuses to judge efforts

The Trump administration Monday released a Medicaid "scorecard" intended to show how the nation's largest health program is performing. But the nation's top Medicaid official didn't want to draw any conclusions.

5 Jun 2018

Study: Shifting to bilevel PAP can save 56% of patients from therapy termination

A new study reveals that shifting patients who are struggling with adherence to positive airway pressure therapy to a more advanced bilevel device in the first 90 days of treatment is an effective tool for achieving adherence in well more than half of such cases.

5 Jun 2018

A hospital ER charges an ‘after-hours’ fee. Who has to pay it?

This week, I responded to readers who were unhappy with their health plan's decision not to pay an emergency department surcharge for after-hours care and concerned about difficulties getting Medicare to cover claims unrelated to a workers' compensation injury.

5 Jun 2018

Redaction of substance abuse data could result in long-term implications

Due to a change in federal regulation, from 2013-2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services redacted any health care encounter that included a diagnosis or procedure code related to substance abuse from the Medicare and Medicaid identifiable files.

5 Jun 2018

Chemotherapy may provide no benefit for breast cancer in some cases

In a new study a team of researchers have found that chemotherapy can be completely skipped in early stage breast cancer patients provided certain genetic tests of the tumours are made to assess the risk.

5 Jun 2018

Study: Most hospitals push workers to get vaccinated against influenza, except VA hospitals

In just a few short months, hospitals across the country will start their annual push to make sure their workers get vaccinated against influenza, to protect themselves and others. Memories of the last flu season – one of the worst in years – still linger.

4 Jun 2018

Outsiders swoop in vowing to rescue rural hospitals short on hope — and money

Beau Gertz faced a crowd of worried locals at this town's senior center, hoping to sell them on his vision for their long-beloved — but now bankrupt — hospital.

4 Jun 2018

Study: People taking immunosuppressant drugs less likely to develop Parkinson's disease

People who take drugs that suppress the immune system are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

31 May 2018

Virtual colonoscopy can help jump-start the transition to screening Americans starting at age 45

Virtual colonoscopy shown to increase colorectal cancer screening rates at a lower cost than standard colonoscopy -can help jump-start the transition to screening Americans starting at age 45 as new American Cancer Society Screening guidelines recommend.

31 May 2018

Depression symptoms can get worse without proper treatment

While it is common for everyone to feel down or sad at times, a person whose symptoms last for more than two weeks may be having a major depressive episode, according to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

31 May 2018

Another cause of doctor burnout: Being forced to give immigrants unequal care

One patient’s death changed the course of Dr. Lilia Cervantes’ career. The patient, Cervantes said, was a woman from Mexico with kidney failure who repeatedly visited the emergency room for more than three years. In that time, her heart had stopped more than once, and her ribs were fractured from CPR.

31 May 2018

Many older adults do not use online systems to communicate with doctors, poll finds

These days, Americans can manage many facets of their lives through the Internet. But a new poll suggests that many older adults still aren't using online systems to communicate with the doctors and other health care providers they rely on – despite the widespread availability of such systems.

30 May 2018

Delayed lactate measurements in sepsis patients increase risk of in-hospital death

The rising incidence of sepsis, a leading cause of in-hospital death, has prompted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to issue protocols known as care bundles to standardize and improve sepsis care.

25 May 2018

Medicare News and Research

Scientists develop new model to predict a patient's risk for adverse events after hospital discharge

HHS to allow insurers’ workaround on 2019 prices

Study finds high insurance denial rates for life-saving hepatitis C drugs in the U.S.

Doctors' attire does matter to patients, study finds

Regeneron collaborates with Zoetis to research antibody therapies for animals

Older women undergoing mammography may have increased awareness to other preventive tests

Medicare financial outlook worsens

Verma unveils state Medicaid scorecard but refuses to judge efforts

Study: Shifting to bilevel PAP can save 56% of patients from therapy termination

A hospital ER charges an ‘after-hours’ fee. Who has to pay it?

Redaction of substance abuse data could result in long-term implications

Chemotherapy may provide no benefit for breast cancer in some cases

Study: Most hospitals push workers to get vaccinated against influenza, except VA hospitals

Outsiders swoop in vowing to rescue rural hospitals short on hope — and money

Study: People taking immunosuppressant drugs less likely to develop Parkinson's disease

Virtual colonoscopy can help jump-start the transition to screening Americans starting at age 45

Depression symptoms can get worse without proper treatment

Another cause of doctor burnout: Being forced to give immigrants unequal care

Many older adults do not use online systems to communicate with doctors, poll finds

Delayed lactate measurements in sepsis patients increase risk of in-hospital death

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