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In year 6, KFF Health News-NPR’s ‘Bill of the Month’ helps patients in a changing system

In 2023, our nationwide reporting team has been hard at work on a holiday gift to you: a packet of advice for navigating the labyrinthine American medical system.

26 Dec 2023

Bold changes are in store for Medi-Cal in 2024, but will patients benefit?

California's safety-net health program, Medi-Cal, is on the cusp of major changes that could rectify long-standing problems and improve health care for the state's low-income population.

22 Dec 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': 2023 is a wrap

Even without covid dominating the headlines, 2023 was a busy year for health policy.

21 Dec 2023

Deep flaws in FDA oversight of medical devices, and patient harm, exposed in lawsuits and records

Living with diabetes, Carlton "PeeWee" Gautney Jr. relied on a digital device about the size of a deck of playing cards to pump insulin into his bloodstream.

21 Dec 2023

A new test could save arthritis patients time, money, and pain. But will it be used?

Erinn Maury knew Remicade wasn't the right drug for Patti Schulte, a rheumatoid arthritis patient the physician saw at her Millersville, Maryland, practice. Schulte's swollen, painful joints hadn't responded to Enbrel or Humira, two drugs in the same class.

20 Dec 2023

Study reveals low rates of social factors documentation in healthcare

A new study provides the latest data on the low rates for screening and documenting Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in healthcare settings.

19 Dec 2023

Patients facing death are opting for a lifesaving heart device — but at what risk?

Too old and too sick for a heart transplant, Arvid Herrman was given a choice: Have a mechanical pump implanted in his heart, potentially keeping him alive for several years, or do nothing and almost certainly die within a year.

19 Dec 2023

Outrageous hospital cost for colonoscopies compared to smaller clinics

U.S. hospitals charge facility fees for colonoscopy procedures covered by private health insurance that are on average approximately 55 percent higher than facility fees billed by smaller clinics known as ambulatory surgical centers, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

15 Dec 2023

Poll: Vast majority of older adults think health insurers should cover obesity medications

The vast majority of older adults – 83% -- think health insurers should cover medications that can help people with obesity manage their weight, a new poll of people age 50 to 80 finds.

13 Dec 2023

Many patients may not benefit from gene-editing treatments for sickle cell disease

Federal approval of a breakthrough gene-editing technology that treats the pain and debilitating effects of sickle cell disease is cause for celebration among a community with few options for relief.

8 Dec 2023

Dodging the Medicare enrollment deadline can be costly

Angela M. Du Bois, a retired software tester in Durham, North Carolina, wasn't looking to replace her UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. She wasn't concerned as the Dec. 7 deadline approached for choosing another of the privately run health insurance alternatives to original Medicare.

7 Dec 2023

Understanding deprivation measures: A key to equitable public health resource allocation

Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 hit Black communities and communities of color particularly hard.

6 Dec 2023

These programs put unused prescription drugs in the hands of patients in need

On a recent November evening, Angie Phoenix waited at a pharmacy here in Colorado's second-largest city to pick up prescription drugs to treat her high blood pressure and arm seizures.

6 Dec 2023

Ethnic disparities in COVID-19 mortality rates among hospitalized patients in California

The association between race and outcomes in Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations in California.

6 Dec 2023

Are there racial and ethnic disparities in the use of novel hormonal therapy agents in men with advanced prostate cancer?

Researchers assessed ethnic and racial differences in novel hormonal therapy (NHT) use among advanced prostate cancer (PCa) patients.

6 Dec 2023

Medicare Part D found to over-reimburse pharmacies for generic drugs

Medicare is the single largest provider of health insurance in the United States, serving 63.8 million senior citizens as of 2022.

5 Dec 2023

What to know about home care services

Most older Americans want to live at home as long as they can, but finding and affording the help they need often isn't easy.

4 Dec 2023

Desperate families search for affordable home care

It's a good day when Frank Lee, a retired chef, can slip out to the hardware store, fairly confident that his wife, Robin, is in the hands of reliable help. He spends nearly every hour of every day anxiously overseeing her care at their home on the Isle of Palms, a barrier island near Charleston, South Carolina.

4 Dec 2023

Study finds racial disparity in the utilization of crucial prostate cancer therapy

A new study led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found Black men diagnosed with more advanced stages of prostate cancer are significantly less likely to be prescribed novel hormone therapy than other racial and ethnic groups – including white or Latino men – despite the therapy being proven to effectively control the growth of prostate tumors and extend the lives of men with the disease.

1 Dec 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump puts Obamacare repeal back on agenda

Former president and current 2024 Republican front-runner Donald Trump is aiming to put a repeal of the Affordable Care Act back on the political agenda, much to the delight of Democrats, who point to the health law's growing popularity.

30 Nov 2023

Medicare News and Research

In year 6, KFF Health News-NPR’s ‘Bill of the Month’ helps patients in a changing system

Bold changes are in store for Medi-Cal in 2024, but will patients benefit?

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': 2023 is a wrap

Deep flaws in FDA oversight of medical devices, and patient harm, exposed in lawsuits and records

A new test could save arthritis patients time, money, and pain. But will it be used?

Study reveals low rates of social factors documentation in healthcare

Patients facing death are opting for a lifesaving heart device — but at what risk?

Outrageous hospital cost for colonoscopies compared to smaller clinics

Poll: Vast majority of older adults think health insurers should cover obesity medications

Many patients may not benefit from gene-editing treatments for sickle cell disease

Dodging the Medicare enrollment deadline can be costly

Understanding deprivation measures: A key to equitable public health resource allocation

These programs put unused prescription drugs in the hands of patients in need

Ethnic disparities in COVID-19 mortality rates among hospitalized patients in California

Are there racial and ethnic disparities in the use of novel hormonal therapy agents in men with advanced prostate cancer?

Medicare Part D found to over-reimburse pharmacies for generic drugs

What to know about home care services

Desperate families search for affordable home care

Study finds racial disparity in the utilization of crucial prostate cancer therapy

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump puts Obamacare repeal back on agenda

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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