Medicare News and Research

RSS

Medical marijuana reduces use of prescription drugs, research finds

Medical marijuana is having a positive impact on the bottom line of Medicare's prescription drug benefit program in states that have legalized its use for medicinal purposes, according to University of Georgia researchers in a study published today in the July issue of Health Affairs.

8 Jul 2016

Routine Pap smear screenings linked to lower cervical cancer risk in older women

A new study from the University of Illinois confirms a link between routine Pap smear screenings and a lower risk of developing cervical cancer in women over age 65.

8 Jul 2016

Study shows wealthier Americans receive more health care than lower-income groups

Inequality in the use of health care has increased dramatically in recent years, with wealthier Americans, who tend to be healthier, now consuming the most care, according to a study published today [Wednesday, July 6] in the July issue of Health Affairs.

7 Jul 2016

Health care resource use and costs of H.P. Acthar® gel for multiple sclerosis relapse

Mallinckrodt plc, a leading global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced new retrospective health economic data on H.P. Acthar® Gel (repository corticotropin injection; RCI), which may be an option for the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses.

6 Jul 2016

Annual repeat CT scans can eliminate need for biopsy or surgery in NSNs

Annual low-dose computed-tomography (CT) screening can eliminate the need for biopsy or surgery in nonsolid lung nodules, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

5 Jul 2016

Advances in cancer detection and treatment create large numbers of older cancer survivors

Improved cancer detection and treatment efforts, combined with demographic trends, are creating larger numbers of older cancer survivors who are likely to have other health conditions that impact care and well-being.

4 Jul 2016

Depression reduces COPD maintenance medication adherence in older adults

A recent study in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society found that in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries who were newly diagnosed with COPD, adherence to maintenance medications decreased with new episodes of depression.

24 Jun 2016

Study examines how frequently older adults with diagnosed and undiagnosed dementia perform unsafe activities

Dementia currently affects some 5 million people in the U.S., and that number is expected to triple by 2050. Having dementia affects the way you think, act, and make decisions.

23 Jun 2016

Study examines changes in coverage among hospitalized nonelderly adults after Medicaid expansion

In a study appearing in the June 21 issue of JAMA, Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined changes in insurance coverage among hospitalized nonelderly adults after Michigan expanded Medicaid coverage in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act.

22 Jun 2016

Study finds nearly half of older Americans spend heavily on end-of-life care

Last-ditch, high-tech heroic treatments. Days in the hospital intensive care unit. You might think this is what makes dying in America so expensive - and that it's where we should focus efforts to spend the nation's healthcare dollars more wisely.

17 Jun 2016

New study may provide more insights into effects of physician-hospital integration

The Affordable Care Act and changing economic conditions have encouraged the integration of physicians and hospitals, particularly through accountable care organizations and medical homes.

17 Jun 2016

Study shows for-profit hospices have persistently high rates of hospitalization

Patients who were asked where they wanted to die upon entering hospice had lower rates of hospitalization at the end of life, as did those in hospices that monitored symptoms more frequently, according to a new study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

16 Jun 2016

Insurance coverage of CT colonography and other USPSTF-recognized tests could help fight CRC

Final United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) colorectal cancer screening recommendations assigned an "A" grade to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in those ages 50-75 years and provided a list of recognized screening exams.

16 Jun 2016

Complex 36-point therapeutic personalized program can help reverse memory loss in early AD patients

Results from quantitative MRI and neuropsychological testing show unprecedented improvements in ten patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) or its precursors following treatment with a programmatic and personalized therapy. Results from an approach dubbed metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration are now available online in the journal Aging.

16 Jun 2016

Opioid use common among Medicare beneficiaries after hospital discharge

Nearly 15 percent of opioid-naïve patients hospitalized under Medicare are discharged with a new prescription for opioids, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.

15 Jun 2016

Many family doctors have poor knowledge about LDCT lung cancer screening

Although clinical trials have shown that lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can detect lung cancers early and reduce lung cancer mortality, less than half of family physicians in a recent survey agreed that screening reduces lung cancer–related deaths.

14 Jun 2016

New study finds underutilization of PR therapy among older COPD patients

A new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston investigating trends on the use of pulmonary rehabilitation therapy among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease found that this therapy was underutilized, despite its health benefits and cost effectiveness.

10 Jun 2016

New ‘hospital-level measure of value’ can inform consumers about quality, costs of health care choices

In the United States, the transition from volume to value dominates discussions of health care reform. While shared decision making might help patients determine whether to get care, transparency in procedure- and hospital-specific value measures would help them determine where to get care.

7 Jun 2016

Overtesting for HbA1C levels can increase risk of severe hypoglycemia

With a more-is-better mindset common in society, frequent commercials encouraging checks of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels, and ads for new diabetes medications to lower HbA1C in adults with Type 2 diabetes, Mayo Clinic researchers were not too surprised to find overtesting occurring.

7 Jun 2016

Johns Hopkins study highlights added risks of undiagnosed dementia in older adults

A Johns Hopkins study on data from more than 7,000 older Americans has found that those who show signs of probable dementia but are not yet formally diagnosed are nearly twice as likely as those with such a diagnosis to engage in potentially unsafe activities, such as driving, cooking, and managing finances and medications.

2 Jun 2016

Medicare News and Research

Medical marijuana reduces use of prescription drugs, research finds

Routine Pap smear screenings linked to lower cervical cancer risk in older women

Study shows wealthier Americans receive more health care than lower-income groups

Health care resource use and costs of H.P. Acthar® gel for multiple sclerosis relapse

Annual repeat CT scans can eliminate need for biopsy or surgery in NSNs

Advances in cancer detection and treatment create large numbers of older cancer survivors

Depression reduces COPD maintenance medication adherence in older adults

Study examines how frequently older adults with diagnosed and undiagnosed dementia perform unsafe activities

Study examines changes in coverage among hospitalized nonelderly adults after Medicaid expansion

Study finds nearly half of older Americans spend heavily on end-of-life care

New study may provide more insights into effects of physician-hospital integration

Study shows for-profit hospices have persistently high rates of hospitalization

Insurance coverage of CT colonography and other USPSTF-recognized tests could help fight CRC

Complex 36-point therapeutic personalized program can help reverse memory loss in early AD patients

Opioid use common among Medicare beneficiaries after hospital discharge

Many family doctors have poor knowledge about LDCT lung cancer screening

New study finds underutilization of PR therapy among older COPD patients

New ‘hospital-level measure of value’ can inform consumers about quality, costs of health care choices

Overtesting for HbA1C levels can increase risk of severe hypoglycemia

Johns Hopkins study highlights added risks of undiagnosed dementia in older adults

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Latest News