WEDNESDAY, Jan. 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The average cost of hospital care for COVID-19 patients skyrocketed during the pandemic, outstripping what might be expected under inflation, a new study shows. Average hospital costs for COVID patients increased five times faster than the rate of medical inflation through the firstContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Dec. 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The Vietnam war was a traumatic event in American history, most especially for those who served. However, there’s a glimmer of good news from recent research: Suicide rates for Vietnam veterans over the past four decades were no higher than that of theContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Dec. 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Over 15 million Americans have signed up for health insurance using the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace, a 33% increase from the year before, preliminary government data shows. On Dec. 15, the deadline for coverage that starts Jan. 1, a whopping 745,000 peopleContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Dec. 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) — American physicians have mixed feelings on the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) into mainstream medical practice, a new survey shows. The survey of nearly 1,100 doctors, conducted by the American Medical Association (AMA) in August, found 41% of physicians saying they were “equallyContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 13, 2023 (HealthDay News) — An overwhelming majority of older Americans think health insurers and Medicare should cover the cost of weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound, a new survey has found. More than four out of five older adults (83%) think insurance companies should pay forContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Dec. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Doctor’s brains are great decision-makers, but even the smartest physicians might be well-served with a little diagnostic help from ChatGPT, a new study suggests. The main benefit comes from a thinking process known as “probabilistic reasoning” — knowing the odds that something willContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Dec. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The Biden administration is flexing some federal muscle in its push for lower drug prices, warning pharmaceutical companies that it might use its authority to cancel patent protections if a medication costs too much. Federal law allows the government to grant patent licensesContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Dec. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Games like football, soccer and rugby come to mind when thinking about sports-related concussions. But a smashing tennis shot could cause a traumatic brain injury if the ball whacks a player’s head, a new study argues. Concussions can happen if a tennis ballContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) — States that ban abortion could be headed to a brain drain when it comes to up-and-coming medical professionals. Three out of four future U.S. doctors say state access to abortion is a key factor in choosing where they’ll apply for their residency training,Continue Reading
MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) — A new ‘technopill’ can safely monitor a person’s vital signs from inside their bodies, researchers report. The vitals-monitoring (VM) Pill works by tracking the small vibrations in the body associated with lungs breathing and the heart beating. It can detect if a personContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Nov. 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) — If you need medical care, you’re more likely to skip it due to cost issues if you’re American than if you’re Australian, Canadian, British or French, a new report finds. Rising costs aren’t just causing poorer Americans to forgo needed care: The CommonwealthContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Nov. 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) — About one in eight military families are turning to food banks and community pantries to make ends meet and feed their children, a new study finds. More than 13% of military families with at least one child said they used a food bankContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8, 2023 (Healthday News) — A new drug to treat postpartum depression will cost nearly $16,000 for a 14-day course of treatment, a price tag that has doctors worried that some patients won’t be able to afford the medication. Zurzuvae (zuranolone) was first approved by the U.S. Food andContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Nov. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — When doctors advise patients to lose weight, an optimistic approach is more likely to get results. Researchers found that patients were more likely to participate in the recommended program and shed pounds if doctors presented obesity treatments as an “opportunity.” They compared thatContinue Reading