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So much care it hurts: Unneeded scans, therapy, surgery only add to patients’ ills

When Annie Dennison was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, she readily followed advice from her medical team, agreeing to harsh treatments in the hope of curing her disease.

23 Oct 2017

Anthem eases up on premium hikes after state scrutiny

Insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross agreed to reduce two planned premium increases for 2018 after California regulators questioned the company's rationale for raising rates by as much as it had initially proposed.

12 Oct 2017

Patients, health insurers challenge Iowa’s privatized Medicaid

Iowa is one of 38 states that radically changed the way it runs Medicaid over the past few years. The state moved about 600,000 people on the government-run health program into care that is managed by for-profit insurance companies.

9 Oct 2017

Study supports importance of alcohol control policies to reduce homicide

Stronger alcohol policies, including taxes and sales restrictions, have been shown to reduce the likelihood of alcohol involvement among homicide victims, according to a new study from Boston Medical Center and Boston University.

21 Sep 2017

Pharmaceutical companies may have strong hold on how doctors prescribe opioids, study suggests

One in twelve physicians - and nearly one in five family medicine physicians - accepted payments from pharmaceutical companies related to opioids, according to a new study out of Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine.

10 Aug 2017

New payment formula recommends allocating health insurance dollars for vulnerable populations

A first-of-its kind payment formula developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School recommends allocating some health insurance dollars for patients in vulnerable communities and for those subject to social risks, in addition to their medical issues.

8 Aug 2017

Anthem’s retreat leaves Californians with fewer choices, more worries

Bill Daitchman got some bad news this week: His insurer is breaking up with him. Daitchman and his wife, who own a graphic design business in Santa Cruz County, each pays $350 a month for a health insurance plan from Anthem Blue Cross on the Covered California exchange.

2 Aug 2017

Counting on Medicaid to avoid life in a nursing home? That’s now up to Congress.

Ten years ago, a driver ran a stop sign as Jim McIlroy rode into the intersection on his motorcycle. Serious injuries left McIlroy paralyzed from the chest down. But, after spending some time in a nursing home, he returned to his home near Bethel, Maine.

31 Jul 2017

Even without Congress, Trump can still cut Medicaid enrollment

After the Senate fell short in their effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration is poised to use its regulatory powers to accomplish what lawmakers could not: Shrink Medicaid.

28 Jul 2017

Study: Team-based primary care model effective in lowering opioid use among chronic pain patients

A new, team-based, primary care model is decreasing prescription opioid use among patients with chronic pain by 40 percent, according to a new study out of Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine, which is published online ahead of print in JAMA Internal Medicine.

18 Jul 2017

Black light helps determine disease extent of melasma in pregnant women

Researchers at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine have found that using a black light, or Wood's light, helps dermatologists determine disease extent of melasma, a hyperpigmentation condition that causes brown and gray patches to appear on the face.

17 Jul 2017

Medical transportation provider accused of disserving L.A.’s frail patients

Some days, the drivers showed up late to take Julian Myers to and from dialysis. Other days, they didn't come at all. When that happened, Myers, who has end-stage kidney disease, scrambled to find a ride.

14 Jul 2017

The union that roars: Nurses aren’t giving up on California’s single-payer push

To some, the California Nurses Association's political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme.

11 Jul 2017

Senate GOP bill aims to add psych beds; squeeze on Medicaid signals their undoing

A little-discussed provision in the Senate health care bill is designed to boost the number of hospital beds for psychiatric care, providing a long-sought victory for mental health advocates.

10 Jul 2017

Inferior vena cava filters may be overused in managed care populations, study suggests

Humana Inc. today announced research findings that suggest inferior vena cava (IVC) filters may be overused in managed care populations, and that filters may not always be removed after they are no longer needed.

6 Jul 2017

Study opens the lid on overprescribing of antibiotics for acute conjunctivitis

A new study suggests that most people with acute conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, are getting the wrong treatment.

29 Jun 2017

Racial disparities continue to exist in hospital readmissions, study finds

A new study in the journal Health Affairs shows that, despite being designed to more effectively manage care and control costs, black patients enrolled with Medicare Advantage are far more likely to be readmitted to the hospital after a surgery than those enrolled on traditional Medicare.

27 Jun 2017

Use of non-invasive ventilation decreases mortality in children with respiratory distress, study finds

A study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and the Mailman School of Public Health found that applying continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a form of non-invasive ventilation, decreased mortality in children with respiratory distress.

20 Jun 2017

Most people with acute conjunctivitis get wrong treatment, study suggests

A new study suggests that most people with acute conjunctivitis, or pink eye, are getting the wrong treatment. About 60 percent of patients are prescribed antibiotic eyedrops, even though antibiotics are rarely necessary to treat this common eye infection.

19 Jun 2017

Study highlights critical gap in addiction treatment for young people with OUD

Only one in four young adults and teens with opioid use disorder are receiving potentially life-saving medications for addiction treatment, according to a new Boston Medical Center study published online in JAMA Pediatrics.