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Why do politicians weaponize Medicare? Because it works

The Medicare wars are back, and almost no one in Washington is surprised.

21 Feb 2023

California requires hospitals to turn to a patient’s next of kin, closing a longtime loophole

About four years ago, Dr. Gene Dorio sat on the ethics committee of a Southern California hospital whose administrators insisted they could decide whether to disconnect a ventilator from an unconscious patient — even though the man's wife and adult children wanted to continue life support.

17 Feb 2023

A health-heavy State of the Union

Health care was a recurring theme throughout President Joe Biden's 2023 State of the Union address on Capitol Hill this week.

9 Feb 2023

Study finds more cannabis vaping among high school seniors in medical marijuana states

More U.S. high school seniors reported vaping cannabis in states where it is legal only for medical purposes than states where all adult use is permitted – a study finding that surprised the researchers.

9 Feb 2023

Health policies were a prominent theme in Biden’s State of the Union speech

President Joe Biden on Tuesday delivered his State of the Union address to a politically divided Congress for the first time, calling for permanent fixes on policy priorities like unaffordable health care costs.

8 Feb 2023

Age-related accumulation of abdominal fat associated with lower muscle density

A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that age-related accumulation of abdominal fat is associated with lower muscle density.

3 Feb 2023

As long-term care staffing crisis worsens, immigrants can bridge the gaps

When Margarette Nerette arrived in the United States from Haiti, she sought safety and a new start.

3 Feb 2023

Au revoir, public health emergency

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KHN's weekly health policy news podcast, "What the Health?" A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book "Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z," now in its third edition.

2 Feb 2023

Healthcare professionals experience negative emotions after medication administration errors

Despite evidence showing that the causes of medication errors can be traced back to multiple factors in the healthcare setting, healthcare professionals still often feel the blame on them.

2 Feb 2023

Government lets health plans that ripped off Medicare keep the money

Medicare Advantage plans for seniors dodged a major financial bullet Monday as government officials gave them a reprieve for returning hundreds of millions of dollars or more in government overpayments — some dating back a decade or more.

30 Jan 2023

Did your health plan rip off Medicare?

The audit spreadsheets released today identify each health plan and summarize the findings. Medicare Advantage, a fast-growing alternative to original Medicare, is run primarily by major insurance companies.

27 Jan 2023

Latino teens are deputized as health educators to sway the unvaccinated

Classmates often stop Alma Gallegos as she makes her way down the bustling hallways of Theodore Roosevelt High School in southeast Fresno, California.

24 Jan 2023

Study suggests Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is associated with higher levels of soluble ACE2 in the human brain

Researchers investigated ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) levels among individuals with AD (Alzheimer’s disease).

23 Jan 2023

Luring out-of-state professionals is just the first step in solving Montana’s health worker shortage

Jenna Eisenhart spent nearly six years as a licensed therapist in Colorado before deciding to move to a place with a greater need for her services.

20 Jan 2023

New research project aims to investigate the effect of late life learning on cognition and aging

The National Health Institute has awarded Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The American University of Beirut Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine a five-year grant for the Late Life Learning (LLL), Cognition and Aging (3LC) study.

19 Jan 2023

What older Americans need to know about taking Paxlovid

A new coronavirus variant is circulating, the most transmissible one yet. Hospitalizations of infected patients are rising. And older adults represent nearly 90% of U.S. deaths from covid-19 in recent months, the largest portion since the start of the pandemic.

18 Jan 2023

Modification to Hospital Elder Life Program expands delirium prevention

A new study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) found that modifying a well-established and highly successful delirium prevention program for use when in-person or face-to-face interactions are limited or restricted is both feasible and acceptable to hospital staff and patients.

17 Jan 2023

Rural seniors benefit from pandemic-driven remote fitness boom

Eight women, all 73 or older, paced the fellowship hall at Malmo Evangelical Free Church to a rendition of Daniel O'Donnell's "Rivers of Babylon" as they warmed up for an hourlong fitness class.

17 Jan 2023

West Health and Sharp Memorial Hospital join forces to create a new integrated geriatric care model

Through a three-year partnership that seeks to enhance the healthcare journey of older adults, West Health and Sharp Memorial Hospital will work together to create a new integrated geriatric care model spanning the entire health care continuum, from the emergency department and operating room to primary care.

10 Jan 2023

How to improve American students' math skills

In the past two decades, researchers have made great strides in uncovering how children learn math, but little of that new knowledge has trickled down to teachers, according to a new book on math education.

9 Jan 2023