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Covered California to cut patient costs after Democratic lawmakers win funding from Gov. Newsom

Weeks after Democratic lawmakers forced Gov. Gavin Newsom to make good on a four-year-old pledge to use tax penalty proceeds from fining the uninsured to increase health insurance subsidies for low- and middle-income Californians, Covered California officials announced they will funnel that money into reducing out-of-pocket spending for many enrollees struggling with the cost of care.

27 Jul 2023

Universal genetic testing may improve risk stratification and treatment for rare and lethal cancer

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a highly lethal cancer, with a five-year survival rate of less than 20 percent. Although a precursor lesion to EAC, called Barrett's esophagus (BE), is present in roughly seven percent of middle-aged adults, less than one percent of BE patients will progress to EAC, making it difficult to determine which individuals are at risk of developing this deadly cancer.

27 Jul 2023

Gender-affirming care required for transgender children, shows study

Many families whose transgender children need gender-affirming care will need to drive much further than before because of laws and other actions passed since 2021 in 20 states, a new study shows.

27 Jul 2023

Screening will not address racial disparities in melanoma survival rates: Study

Increased skin cancer screening in individuals with skin of color is not sufficient to address racial disparities in melanoma survival rates, according to a new JAMA Dermatology study by UPMC and University of Pittsburgh researchers.

27 Jul 2023

Keck Hospital of USC earns five stars on the CMS 2023 quality report

Keck Hospital of USC earned five stars, the highest rating possible, on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2023 quality star rating report.

26 Jul 2023

Pain clinic chain to pay $11.4M to settle Medicare and Medicaid fraud claims

The owner of one of California's largest chains of pain management clinics has agreed to pay nearly $11.4 million to California, Oregon, and the federal government to settle allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

26 Jul 2023

A year with 988: What worked? What challenges lie ahead?

The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline's 988 hotline marked its one-year milestone this month. Mental health experts say the three-digit number made help more accessible than before.

26 Jul 2023

Tackling obesity in children with heart disease

Childhood is a window of opportunity to tackle obesity before the damage it causes is irreversible, according to a scientific statement by experts on heart disease and childhood obesity published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1

26 Jul 2023

Low reimbursement rates for HPV vaccine could be a barrier to access

Bare minimum reimbursement rates could be a factor in why some clinics may be struggling to offer HPV vaccination in the U.S.

25 Jul 2023

Older sexual and gender minority adults have higher rates of frailty, study shows

In June, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the average age of the U.S. population reached a new high of nearly 39 years old.

25 Jul 2023

MIT expert calls for a total overhaul of the U.S. health insurance system

It's not exactly what he's best known for, but Alexander Hamilton helped develop the first national, compulsory health insurance policy in the world: a 1798 taxpayer-financed plan Congress approved to cover sick and disabled seamen.

25 Jul 2023

Postpartum counseling is key to reducing long-term risk of heart disease in women

Despite having risk factors for heart disease, only 60% of women reported receiving counseling on optimizing their heart health, which includes healthy eating, exercise and losing weight gained during pregnancy at their six-week postpartum visit between 2016 and 2020, a new Northwestern Medicine study has found.

25 Jul 2023

Deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients requires clear leadership, long-term commitment

Major changes aimed at treating psychiatric patients in the community instead of hospital requires clear and strong leadership, as well as and long-term political and financial commitment, analysis shows.

25 Jul 2023

AI can improve risk prediction for death with low-dose CT scans

Artificial intelligence (AI) can use data from low-dose CT scans of the lungs to improve risk prediction for death from lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and other causes, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

25 Jul 2023

New weight loss drugs carry high price tags and lots of questions for seniors

Corlee Morris has dieted throughout her adult life.

25 Jul 2023

Hospitals ask Congress to delay ACA Medicaid funding cuts — for the 14th time

It has become as familiar a sight in Washington as the cherry blossoms in spring: lobbyists from the nation's hospitals descending on the Capitol to ask lawmakers to postpone billions in Medicaid funding cuts prescribed by the Affordable Care Act — cuts industry leaders agreed to years ago.

25 Jul 2023

$Study receives $10.5 million funding to compare two care models for improving outcomes in fracture patients$