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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.

Study finds underuse of minimally invasive surgeries in elderly Medicare patients

A study of more than 200,000 Medicare patients who had common surgical procedures shows that, compared to the general population, they underwent far fewer minimally invasive operations, whose benefits include lower rates of complications and readmissions, along with shorter hospital stays.

5 Mar 2018

While talk about opioids continues in DC, addiction treatment is in peril in states

Opioids were on the White House agenda Thursday — President Trump convened a summit with members of his administration about the crisis. And Congress authorized funds for the opioid crisis in its recent budget deal — but those dollars aren’t flowing yet, and states say they are struggling to meet the need for treatment.

5 Mar 2018

ACA’s popularity grows, even as GOP lauds change to requirement to have coverage

Despite President Donald Trump’s boasting that "we have essentially repealed Obamacare," a new poll shows the Affordable Care Act is more popular than ever. In fact, many people don't know Congress repealed the ACA's penalty for not having insurance.

1 Mar 2018

Tens of thousands of Medicaid recipients skip paying new premiums

When Arkansas lawmakers debated in 2016 whether to renew the state's Medicaid expansion, many Republican lawmakers were swayed only if some of the 300,000 adults who gained coverage would have to start paying premiums.

1 Mar 2018

Study finds increase in genital surgery among transgender patients seeking gender-affirming surgeries

Genital surgery increased among transgender patients seeking gender-affirming surgeries and most patients paid out of pocket for the procedures.

1 Mar 2018

Common knee surgery brings little or no benefit to older patients, study shows

A new Medicare records study by Johns Hopkins researchers has added to mounting evidence that a common surgery designed to remove damaged, worn ends of the thin rubbery cartilage in the knee joint brings little or no benefit to people over the age of 65.

28 Feb 2018

Evaluations of Medicaid experiments by states, CMS are weak, GAO says

With federal spending on Medicaid experiments soaring in recent years, a congressional watchdog said state and federal governments fail to adequately evaluate if the efforts improve care and save money.

23 Feb 2018

Study finds strong connection between midwifery and birth outcomes

Midwife-friendly laws and regulations tend to coincide with lower rates of premature births, cesarean deliveries and newborn deaths, according to a U.S.-wide "report card" that ranks each of the 50 states on the quality of their maternity care.

21 Feb 2018

Study reveals HCT as effective treatment for NHL patients regardless of age

Results from a retrospective study of 1,629 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma showed that survival at 4 years following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for patients age 65 years and older is comparable to patients age 55 to 64 years.

21 Feb 2018

Bad bedside manna: Bank loans signed in the hospital leave patients vulnerable

Laura Cameron, then three months pregnant, tripped and fell in a parking lot and landed in the emergency room last May — her blood pressure was low and she was scared and in pain. She was flat on her back and plugged into a saline drip when a hospital employee approached her gurney to discuss how she would pay her hospital bill.

21 Feb 2018

Trump administration proposes rule to loosen curbs on short-term health plans

Insurers will again be able to sell short-term health insurance good for up to 12 months under a proposed rule released Tuesday by the Trump administration that could further roil the marketplace.

20 Feb 2018

Poor awareness among parents may hinder a child's early dental care

A new survey has found that one in six parents are likely to postpone their children’s dental care visits until the age of 4 or older.

19 Feb 2018

Report identifies potentially modifiable factors that may contribute to persistent risk of SUID

An analysis of trends in sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) over the past two decades finds that the drop in such deaths that took place following release of the 1992 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) "back to sleep" recommendations, did not occur in infants in the first month of life.

14 Feb 2018

Opioid users have increased risk of invasive pneumococcal diseases

Opioid users have a significantly increased risk of infections severe enough to require treatment at the hospital, such as pneumonia and meningitis, as compared to people who don't use opioids.

13 Feb 2018

Trump’s budget proposal swings at drug prices with a glancing blow

President Donald Trump's new budget proposal flirts with combating high prescription drug prices, but industry watchers say the tweaks to Medicare and Medicaid do little more than dance around the edges of lowering the actual prices of drugs.

13 Feb 2018

Upsurge of suburban poor discover health care’s nowhere land

The promise of cheaper housing brought Shari Castaneda to Palmdale, Calif., in northern Los Angeles County, about nine years ago.

9 Feb 2018

Bipartisan Senate budget deal boosts health programs

In a rare show of bipartisanship for the mostly polarized 115th Congress, Republican and Democratic Senate leaders announced a two-year budget deal that would increase federal spending for defense as well as key domestic priorities, including many health programs.

8 Feb 2018