Medicare News and Research

RSS

Affordable Care Act improves access to primary care for Medicaid patients, Penn study finds

Since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, which provided access to health insurance to millions of previously uninsured adults in the United States, the availability of appointments with primary care physicians has improved for patients with Medicaid and remains unchanged for patients with private coverage, according to new research led by the Perelman School of Medicine and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

28 Feb 2017

ED patients with ultrasounds interpreted by nonradiologists underwent follow-up imaging, research finds

According to new research by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, the use of follow-up imaging is significantly less when initial emergency department ultrasound examinations are interpreted by a radiologist than a nonradiologist.

23 Feb 2017

New study shows ways to improve patient care and reduce costs linked to coronary angioplasty

Hospitals can improve patient care and reduce costs associated with coronary angioplasty if cardiologists perform more of these procedures through an artery in the wrist and if they take steps to discharge such patients on the same day, according to a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

22 Feb 2017

Transradial, same-day PCIs could save $300 million each year, research shows

If hospitals can perform more transradial, same-day percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCIs, not only will patients benefit because it is associated with have less complications, but collectively, hospitals across the U.S. could save $300 million each year, according to research published today in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

21 Feb 2017

Non-elderly cancer survivors more likely to change prescription drug use for financial reasons, study finds

A new analysis indicates that many cancer survivors change their prescription drug use (including skipping doses or requesting cheaper medications) for financial reasons.

21 Feb 2017

Researchers explore how patients with COPD, heart failure and heart attack fared in ICU

Does a stay in the intensive care unit give patients a better chance of surviving a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure flare-up or even a heart attack, compared with care in another type of hospital unit? Unless a patient is clearly critically ill, the answer may be no, according to University of Michigan researchers who analyzed more than 1.5 million Medicare records.

17 Feb 2017

RTI study: Cardiovascular disease costs expected to reach $1.1 trillion in next two decades

A new study projects that by 2035, cardiovascular disease, the most costly and prevalent killer, if left unchecked, will place a crushing economic and health burden on the nation's financial and health care systems. The study was conducted by RTI International for the American Heart Association.

15 Feb 2017

Many older adults may not be receiving AED treatment after potential epilepsy diagnosis

Many older adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy in the United States are being prescribed older anti-epileptic drugs, and only half begin treatment with AEDs within the first 30 days of a potential epilepsy diagnosis.

8 Feb 2017

Study links higher BMI to lower chances of getting hospice care

The heavier someone is, the less likely they are to have what many people might call a "good death", with hospice care and a chance to die at home, a new study finds. And that difference comes with a financial, as well as a personal, cost, the research shows.

8 Feb 2017

Routine blood test that measures kidney function can predict short-term outcomes for stroke patients

A routine blood test that measures kidney function can be a valuable predictor of short-term outcomes for stroke patients, according to a study led by a neurologist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

31 Jan 2017

Hemodialysis patients do not wish to receive treatment for depression, study shows

Many patients with kidney failure who are receiving chronic hemodialysis have depressive symptoms but do not wish to receive aggressive treatment to alleviate them, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

28 Jan 2017

Study focuses on benefit of continuous glucose monitoring for diabetes patients on MDI insulin therapy

Dexcom announces the first and only randomised, controlled study focusing solely on the benefit of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for diabetes patients on multiple daily injections (MDI) insulin therapy.

27 Jan 2017

SCS therapy can be key to reducing use of opioids in patients battling chronic pain, study finds

New research has found spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy can be key to reducing or stabilizing the use of opioids in patients battling chronic pain.

20 Jan 2017

Access to anesthesia care not increased when states ‘opt-out’ of Medicare rule, study finds

Patient access to anesthesia care for seven common surgical procedures is not increased when states "opt-out" of the Medicare rule that requires anesthesia to be administered with physician supervision, reports a study published in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

20 Jan 2017

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator improves survival rate in older patients, study finds

Of patients over age 65 who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) after surviving sudden cardiac arrest or a near-fatal arrhythmia, almost 80 percent survived two years--a higher rate than found in past trials performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the devices in this situation, according to a study today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

17 Jan 2017

Technology and cost barriers hinder real-time reporting of cancer patients' symptoms

Capturing real-time reports of cancer patients' symptoms between doctor's visits has proven health benefits, but technology and cost barriers are getting in the way of widespread adoption of the practice, reports a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher.

12 Jan 2017

VisionCare receives FDA approval to begin clinical study of telescope implant in post-cataract patients

VisionCare, Inc. ("VisionCare"), a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the company's investigational device exemption for a new U.S. clinical study.

12 Jan 2017

Study finds decline in rate of prostate cancer treatment after change in screening recommendations

As some national guidelines now recommend against routine prostate cancer screening, the overall rate of men receiving treatment for the disease declined 42 percent, a new study finds.

10 Jan 2017

New study explores impact of Affordable Care Act on socioeconomic disparities in cancer screening

Out-of-pocket expenditures are thought to be a significant barrier to receiving cancer preventive services, especially for individuals of lower socioeconomic status. A new study looks at how the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which eliminated such out-of-pocket expenditures, has affected the use of mammography and colonoscopy.

9 Jan 2017

Landmark Lancet Series highlights areas and extent of overuse and underuse of medical services

Launched today by The Lancet, the 'Right Care Series' features major commentaries by Vikas Saini (Lown Institute, Boston), Adam Elshaug (University of Sydney), Paul Glasziou (Bond University), Don Berwick (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Cambridge, MA) and others who examine the areas and extent of overuse and underuse of health and medical services.