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Rural cancer patients benefit from local surgical care

Adults living in rural communities often travel long distances when seeking treatment for cancer, but distant travel may not always be necessary to receive high-quality surgical care, according to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

11 Feb 2026

New Medicaid work rules likely to hit middle-aged adults hard

Lori Kelley's deteriorating vision has made it hard for her to find steady work.

11 Feb 2026

Safety perceptions of major vaccines show significant drop over the past three years

In a winter marked by flu outbreaks, the persistence of Covid-19, and surges of measles cases across the United States, an Annenberg survey finds that a sizable majority of Americans think the three vaccines that combat these potentially deadly illnesses are safe to take, although perceptions of the safety of all three vaccines showed a statistically significant drop over the past three years.

10 Feb 2026

Three PBMs dominate retail prescriptions in Medicare Part D and Medicaid markets

Just three pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) dominate retail prescriptions in Medicare Part D and Medicaid managed care across much of the country, with markets in in nearly every state considered highly concentrated for at least one program, according to a new study from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

10 Feb 2026

Medicare's three-day rule: Longer hospital stays, no patient benefit

A long-standing Medicare policy meant to manage rehabilitation services in nursing homes may keep older Americans in hospitals longer than necessary without improving patient health or saving Medicare money, new research finds.

9 Feb 2026

Cognitive speed training shows potential to delay dementia for two decades

Adults age 65 and older who completed five to six weeks of cognitive speed training - in this case, speed of processing training, which helps people quickly find visual information on a computer screen and handle increasingly complex tasks in a shorter time period - and who had follow-up sessions about one to three years later were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, up to two decades later, according to new findings published today in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions.

9 Feb 2026

Dementia collaborative care delivers greater value than Alzheimer’s medication

Programs that match caregivers with patient navigators yield better outcomes than Alzheimer's drug – but combining the two may be best.

6 Feb 2026

With ICE using Medicaid data, hospitals and states are in a bind over warning immigrant patients

The Trump administration's move to give deportation officials access to Medicaid data is putting hospitals and states in a bind as they weigh whether to alert immigrant patients that their personal information, including home addresses, could be used in efforts to remove them from the country.

6 Feb 2026

Newsom walks thin line on immigrant health as he eyes presidential bid

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is eyeing a presidential bid, has incensed both Democrats and Republicans over immigrant health care in his home state, underscoring the delicate political path ahead.

5 Feb 2026

Most commercially insured patients live with chronic conditions

The majority (57.5 percent) of commercially insured patients had at least one chronic condition in 2024. The average allowed amount for a patient with no chronic conditions was $1,590, while the average allowed amount for a patient with one chronic condition was nearly double ($3,039).

2 Feb 2026

When health insurance costs more than the mortgage

When Noah Hulsman, who owns a skate shop in Louisville, Kentucky, learned he no longer qualified for federal subsidies to help him pay for his "gold" Affordable Care Act health plan, the 37-year-old opted for skimpier coverage. But the deductible is about a quarter of his yearly income.

2 Feb 2026

Simpler hemiarch surgery effective for older aortic dissection patients

Ascending aortic hemiarch reconstruction offers the same long-term benefits to patients over age 65 with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) as more complex extended arch reconstruction procedures, according to a study presented today at the 2026 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

1 Feb 2026

Age shapes long-term outcomes after multi-arterial CABG strategies

A late-breaking study drawing on more than 15 years of national outcomes data from the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) suggests that the two most commonly used multi-arterial coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) strategies-bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) and single internal thoracic artery plus radial artery (SITA+RA)-offer comparable long-term survival overall, with important differences emerging by patient age.

31 Jan 2026

Blurry line between medical and vision insurance leaves patient with unexpected bill

Barbara Tuszynski was concerned about her vision but confident in her insurance coverage when she went to an eye clinic last May.

30 Jan 2026

People with cerebral amyloid angiopathy more likely to develop dementia

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a condition where protein (called amyloid) builds up in the brain, making blood vessels weak.

29 Jan 2026

Medicare Advantage insurers face new curbs on overcharges in Trump plan that reins in payments

Medicare Advantage health plans are blasting a government proposal this week that would keep their reimbursement rates flat next year while making other payment changes.

29 Jan 2026

BU receives $2M grant to study MedRhythms' MOVIVE device for Parkinson's gait

Boston University (BU) today announced it has been awarded a $2 million research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF).

27 Jan 2026

Wildfire smoke significantly raises stroke risk among older adults

People exposed to wildfire smoke have a higher risk of suffering a stroke, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Tuesday).

27 Jan 2026

Medicare Advantage skews hospital readmission penalties

For more than a decade, hospitals have worked to help older adults avoid repeated inpatient stays, incentivized by a federal program that cuts Medicare reimbursements if hospitals have higher-than-expected rates of readmissions for people with certain conditions.

22 Jan 2026

Medicaid tries new approach with sickle cell: Companies get paid only if costly gene therapies work

Serenity Cole enjoyed Christmas last month relaxing with her family near her St. Louis home, making crafts and visiting friends.

21 Jan 2026