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As more patients email doctors, health systems start charging fees

Meg Bakewell, who has cancer and cancer-related heart disease, sometimes emails her primary care physician, oncologist, and cardiologist asking them for medical advice when she experiences urgent symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath.

14 Sep 2023

People who require specialized neurologic care most often travel long distances, study finds

Nearly one in five people on Medicare travel 50 or more miles one way to see a neurologist, a doctor who diagnoses and treats diseases of the brain and nervous system, according to research published in the September 13, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Sep 2023

Comparing HIV PrEP medications: Study explores hypertension risk in adults on TAF vs. TDF

The risk of hypertension and statin initiation in adults starting Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-exposure prophylaxis.

13 Sep 2023

Researchers look at five established definitions for safety-net hospitals

Safety-net hospitals have a common mission to provide care for Medicaid beneficiaries and those who are uninsured, but there's no universal definition for these hospitals-;complicating efforts to allocate funding.

8 Sep 2023

The shrinking number of primary care physicians is reaching a tipping point

I've been receiving an escalating stream of panicked emails from people telling me their longtime physician was retiring, was no longer taking their insurance, or had gone concierge and would no longer see them unless they ponied up a hefty annual fee.

8 Sep 2023

Even in the most depressed county in America, stigma around mental illness persists

Sitting on a bench laughing with a co-worker during a morning smoke break, Debra Orcutt quickly raises her hand when asked if she knows anyone dealing with depression.

6 Sep 2023

Free online tool could potentially mitigate financial toxicity for some prostate cancer patients

A free online tool could potentially save some prostate cancer patients more than $9,000 in out-of-pocket drug costs, a new study finds.

5 Sep 2023

Heart Health Check Recall pilot program shows promise in early detection of cardiovascular disease

A Heart Foundation pilot program that recalls at-risk Australians via a text message from their GP clinic, is being seen as a potential lifesaver.

4 Sep 2023

Biden administration proposes new standards to boost nursing home staffing

The nation's most thinly staffed nursing homes would be required to hire more workers under new rules proposed on Friday by the Biden administration, the greatest change to federal nursing home regulations in three decades.

1 Sep 2023

KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': 3 health policy experts you should know

In this special episode, host Julie Rovner, KFF Health News' chief Washington correspondent, interviews three noted health policy experts.

31 Aug 2023

A move to cut drug prices has patients with rare diseases worried

For people with cystic fibrosis, like Sabrina Walker, Trikafta has been a life-changer.

30 Aug 2023

5 things to know about the new drug pricing negotiations

The Biden administration has picked the first 10 high-priced prescription drugs subject to federal price negotiations, taking a swipe at the powerful pharmaceutical industry.

30 Aug 2023

Exclusive: CMS study sabotages efforts to bolster nursing home staffing, advocates say

The Biden administration last year promised to establish minimum staffing levels for the nation's roughly 15,000 nursing homes. It was the centerpiece of an agenda to overhaul an industry the government said was rife with substandard care and failures to follow federal quality rules.

29 Aug 2023

She paid her husband’s hospital bill. A year after his death, they wanted more money.

Last summer, Eloise Reynolds paid the bill for her husband's final stay in the hospital.

29 Aug 2023

Patient experiences in hospitals declined significantly during COVID-19 pandemic

The experiences of patients hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly worse than in the years before the crisis, with hospitals with higher staffing levels holding on to better scores longer, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

25 Aug 2023

New report on the impacts of Michigan’s Medicaid expansion shows positive effects and opportunities for improvement

At a pivotal time for Medicaid health coverage for Americans with low incomes, a report on the impacts of Michigan's Medicaid expansion shows very positive effects, as well as opportunities for continued improvements.

25 Aug 2023

California offers lifeline to 17 troubled hospitals

Madera Community Hospital in California's Central Valley, which ceased operations last December and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March, moved a step closer to reopening Thursday when California's new fund for troubled hospitals said it was prepared to offer the facility up to $52 million in interest-free loans.

24 Aug 2023

People over 60s with the unhealthiest lifestyles more likely to require nursing home admission

Over 60s with the unhealthiest lifestyles are significantly more likely to require admission to a nursing home than their peers with the healthiest lifestyles, suggest the findings of a large population study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

24 Aug 2023

Timing and cost of new vaccines vary by virus and health insurance status

As summer edges toward fall, thoughts turn to, well, vaccines.

24 Aug 2023

After backlash, feds cancel plan that risked limiting breast reconstruction options

Federal regulators have abandoned a plan that physicians, patients, and advocacy groups for breast cancer patients feared would limit women's options for reconstructive surgery.

23 Aug 2023

Medicare News and Research

As more patients email doctors, health systems start charging fees

People who require specialized neurologic care most often travel long distances, study finds

Comparing HIV PrEP medications: Study explores hypertension risk in adults on TAF vs. TDF

Researchers look at five established definitions for safety-net hospitals

The shrinking number of primary care physicians is reaching a tipping point

Even in the most depressed county in America, stigma around mental illness persists

Free online tool could potentially mitigate financial toxicity for some prostate cancer patients

Heart Health Check Recall pilot program shows promise in early detection of cardiovascular disease

Biden administration proposes new standards to boost nursing home staffing

KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': 3 health policy experts you should know

A move to cut drug prices has patients with rare diseases worried

5 things to know about the new drug pricing negotiations

Exclusive: CMS study sabotages efforts to bolster nursing home staffing, advocates say

She paid her husband’s hospital bill. A year after his death, they wanted more money.

Patient experiences in hospitals declined significantly during COVID-19 pandemic

New report on the impacts of Michigan’s Medicaid expansion shows positive effects and opportunities for improvement

California offers lifeline to 17 troubled hospitals

People over 60s with the unhealthiest lifestyles more likely to require nursing home admission

Timing and cost of new vaccines vary by virus and health insurance status

After backlash, feds cancel plan that risked limiting breast reconstruction options

One Health, One Mission: The World Organisation for Animal Health on the AMR Frontline

Uniting Against Resistance: The World Health Organization for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2023

Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance: A Conversation with Dr. Beverley Isherwood

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