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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.

Medicare now covers new noninvasive test for heart disease

Loyola Medicine is the leading center in Illinois offering a new noninvasive test for heart disease that now is covered by Medicare.

4 Jan 2018

Small-cell lung cancer patients encounter obstacles to receiving standard-of-care treatment

Despite decades of clinical research establishing chemotherapy with thoracic radiation as the standard-of-care for the initial management of non-metastatic small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), a large percentage of U.S. patients do not receive these treatments and in turn have lower overall survival, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

4 Jan 2018

Frail patients losing access to dental house calls

Devon Rising shakes his head and tries to cover his face with his hands. It's time to get his few remaining teeth cleaned, and he fusses for a bit.

2 Jan 2018

Trump administration relaxes financial penalties against nursing homes

The Trump administration — reversing guidelines put in place under President Barack Obama — is scaling back the use of fines against nursing homes that harm residents or place them in grave risk of injury.

2 Jan 2018

Ophthalmologists have more negative perceptions about effect of EHR systems

Ophthalmologists' use of electronic health records systems for storing and accessing patients' medical histories more than doubled between 2006 and 2016, while their perceptions of financial and clinical productivity following EHR implementation declined, a study published today in JAMA Ophthalmology shows.

29 Dec 2017

Study: Higher dose of anti-seizure drug during pregnancy may increase baby's risk of cleft lip, palate

Taking a higher dose of topiramate during the first three months of pregnancy may increase a baby's risk of cleft lip or cleft palate more than when taking a lower dose, according to a study published in the December 27, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Dec 2017

Indirect referrals by nonpublic EDs prevalent in communities with public hospital option

The practice of indirect referrals by nonpublic emergency departments and their affiliated physicians are prevalent in communities with a public hospital option.

28 Dec 2017

Medicaid expansions for low-income parents can lead to expanded use of prenatal care

The Medicaid expansions for low-income parents that took place in 34 states between 1996 and 2011 led to a 2.3 percent decrease in the uninsured rate among women who already had a child and became pregnant again, and a 7.9 percent decrease in the number of mothers who didn't have insurance while they were pregnant.

28 Dec 2017

Children’s insurance, other health programs funded — for now — in bill

The bill passed by Congress late Thursday to keep most of the federal government funded for another month also provided a temporary reprieve to a number of health programs in danger of running out of money, most notably the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.

22 Dec 2017

Medicare penalizes group of 751 hospitals for patient injuries

The federal government Thursday lowered a year's worth of Medicare payments to 751 hospitals to penalize them for having the highest rates of patient injuries.

21 Dec 2017

Medicaid expansion improves early-stage cancer detection, research shows

The Affordable Care Act led to an increase in the number of cancer diagnoses -- particularly those at early stages -- in states where Medicaid was expanded, according to research from Indiana University.

21 Dec 2017

Rush University, Rush Copley Medical Center receive five-star rating for hospital quality

Rush University Medical Center and Rush Copley Medical Center each have received five stars, the highest possible rating, for hospital quality from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

21 Dec 2017

When nursing homes push out poor and disabled patients

Anita Willis says the social worker offered her a painful choice: She could either leave the San Jose, Calif., nursing home where she'd spent a month recovering from a stroke — or come up with $336 a day to stay on.

20 Dec 2017

Study finds racial, socioeconomic barriers to accessing life-saving treatment for metastatic cancer

Increasing use of a potentially life-saving treatment for metastatic cancer is leaving too many vulnerable patients behind, according to a new study from Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital published in JNCCN – Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

19 Dec 2017

Special issue highlights factors affecting healthcare for LGBT older adults

A special issue of LGBT Health includes the latest research, clinical practice innovations, and policy aimed at addressing disparities and enhancing healthcare for older LGBT populations.

18 Dec 2017

Coarse particulate matter exposure linked to increased asthma risk in children

Children exposed to coarse particulate matter may be more likely to develop asthma and to be treated in an ER or be hospitalized for the condition, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

15 Dec 2017