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New Montana laws enshrine health care alternatives, for better or worse

When Paul Rana’s primary care physician left the VA clinic in Kalispell to open her own practice, he followed her. But instead of picking up a new health insurance policy, Rana and his partner agreed to pay a monthly fee that came with the promise of better access.

10 Jun 2021

Can a subscription model fix primary care in the US?

In April, San Francisco-based primary care company One Medical revealed an eye-popping compensation package for its chief executive and chairman, Amir Dan Rubin. His $199 million payday, particularly noteworthy at a company that has yet to turn a profit, made Rubin the second-highest-paid CEO in the United States last year — but only on paper.

10 Jun 2021

UMass Amherst researcher receives NIH grant to study the impact of ACOs on asthma care for children

University of Massachusetts Amherst health services researcher Dr. Sarah Goff has received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the impact of accountable care organizations (ACOs) on asthma care for children insured by Medicaid.

9 Jun 2021

KA Imaging signs Australian distributor - Regional Health Care Group

Medical distribution company Regional Health Care Group will now be bringing KA Imaging’s innovative X-ray technologies to Australia and New Zealand.

From KA Imaging 9 Jun 2021

Majority of women do not meet criteria for cervical cancer screening exit

Current guidelines recommend stopping cervical cancer screening at age 65, but women over age 65 make up over one in five new cervical cancer diagnoses, and are twice as likely to die after a cervical cancer diagnosis compared to younger women.

7 Jun 2021

Covid was a tipping point for telehealth. If some have their way, Virtual visits are here to stay.

As the covid crisis wanes and life approaches normal across the U.S., health industry leaders and many patient advocates are pushing Congress and the Biden administration to preserve the pandemic-fueled expansion of telehealth that has transformed how millions of Americans see the doctor.

7 Jun 2021

Researchers analyze transparency, variation of payer-negotiated prices for thyroid cancer treatment

Hospital price transparency is intended to help inform patients about the cost of services and procedures before they receive them. Since Jan. 1, 2021, hospitals in the U.S. have been required by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide pricing information online about items and services.

5 Jun 2021

Majority of Republicans support Medicare negotiation on drug prices

A new West Health/Gallup survey finds nearly all Democrats (97%) and the majority of Republicans (61%) support empowering the federal government to negotiate lower prices of brand-name prescription drugs covered by Medicare.

4 Jun 2021

Expanding insurance coverage is top priority for new Medicare-Medicaid chief

The new head of the federal agency that oversees health benefits for nearly 150 million Americans and $1 trillion in federal spending said in one of her first interviews that her top priorities will be broadening insurance coverage and ensuring health equity.

3 Jun 2021

NIH supports a new strategy to reduce side effects of head and neck cancer treatment

A new strategy to reduce the side effects suffered by patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancers now has the support of the National Institutes of Health.

2 Jun 2021

Doctors tell how to make the most of your telehealth visits

When the pandemic sidelined in-office visits at his practice, Dr. Dael Waxman "wasn't exactly thrilled with being at home." But he quickly shifted gears to video and telephone appointments.

2 Jun 2021

Adults with cerebral palsy receive significantly less physical therapy

Adults with cerebral palsy are more likely to experience the debilitating pains of musculoskeletal disorders, but they receive significantly less physical therapy for those ailments, according to a recent study.

29 May 2021

Biden administration signals it’s in no rush to allow Canadian drug imports

The Biden administration said Friday that it has no timeline on whether it will allow states to import drugs from Canada, an effort that was approved under President Donald Trump as a key strategy to control costs.

29 May 2021

In California, nursing home owners can operate after they’re denied a license

The pandemic has highlighted poor care in America’s nursing homes, where nearly 175,000 people have died of covid-19 — a third of all deaths from the disease nationwide.

28 May 2021

Caring for an aging nation

Health care for the nation's seniors looms large as the baby-boom generation ages into retirement. President Joe Biden tacitly acknowledged those needs in March with his proposal to spend $400 billion over the next eight years to improve access to in-home and community-based care.

28 May 2021

KHN’s ‘what the health?’: The return of the public option

The "public option" is back — both in Washington, D.C., and the states. President Joe Biden as a candidate supported the idea of a government-run or heavily regulated insurance plan that would compete with private insurance.

28 May 2021

Enough to wreck their rest: $10,322 for a sleep study

José Mendoza's snoring was bad — but the silence when he stopped breathing was even worse for his wife, Nancy.

27 May 2021

Adults with schizophrenia have increased risk of dying from suicide

Adults with schizophrenia have an elevated risk of dying from suicide. Yet there's only limited understanding of when and why people with schizophrenia die of suicide --in part because research studies have looked at relatively small groups of patients.

27 May 2021

Is your living room the future of hospital care?

Major hospital systems are betting big money that the future of hospital care looks a lot like the inside of patients' homes.

24 May 2021

Colorado will pay hospitals to close expensive free-standing ERs

Colorado health officials so abhor the high costs associated with free-standing emergency rooms they're offering to pay hospitals to shut the facilities down.

21 May 2021