THURSDAY, July 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Could reducing racial disparities in health care be as simple as lowering the age at which Americans qualify for Medicare? Yes, claims a new study that suggests lowering eligibility from age 65 to age 60 could go a long way toward addressing inequitiesContinue Reading
MONDAY, July 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) — People of color are consistently less likely to see medical specialists than white patients are, a new U.S. study finds, highlighting yet another disparity in the nation’s health care system. Researchers found that compared with their white counterparts, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans andContinue Reading
THURSDAY, July 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Many Americans are being charged for preventive — and supposedly free — health care, new research shows, and those bills may keep them from booking appointments in the future. Out-of-pocket charges for preventive care that should be free under the Affordable Care ActContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, July 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Nearly all health insurers must cover the entire cost of HIV prevention treatments, the U.S. government says. That includes the two approved pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs Truvada and Descovy, all clinic visits and lab tests, NBC News reported. The guidance, issued this weekContinue Reading
MONDAY, July 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The coronavirus pandemic has left plenty of Americans saddled with medical bills they can’t pay, a new survey reveals. More than 50% of those who were infected with COVID-19 or who lost income due to the pandemic are now struggling with medical debt,Continue Reading
THURSDAY, July 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Opioid addiction treatment has become more widely available to Medicaid recipients under the Affordable Care Act, but Black patients are much less likely than white patients to get that treatment, a new study finds. “Opioid use disorder can be treated, just like anyContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, July 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has eased financial struggles for younger adult cancer survivors, a new study finds. University of Michigan researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 participants in the National Health Interview Survey and found that cancer survivors ages 18 toContinue Reading
TUESDAY, July 13, 2021 (Healthday News) — Medicare launched a formal process on Monday that will determine whether the agency will cover Aduhelm, the newly approved Alzheimer’s drug whose high price tag and unproven benefits have prompted widespread controversy. Medicare’s announcement came the same day that leaders of two HouseContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, July 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Can Costco beat Medicare Part D when it comes to prescription drug prices? Apparently so, claims a new study that found that roughly half of generic medications were cheaper when purchased from the discount retailer than from the government program. The researchers comparedContinue Reading
FRIDAY, July 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Racial disparities in breast cancer survival have narrowed in recent years, but Black women with the disease still have double the death rate of white women. That’s according to a study that tracked breast cancer trends in Florida between 1990 and 2015. Overall,Continue Reading
FRIDAY, July 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) — In a rare show of bipartisanship on health care, the Biden Administration is advancing Trump-era consumer protections aimed at curbing sometimes devastating surprise medical bills. It’s an issue that seems to unite Americans of all political stripes: Bills that seemingly come out ofContinue Reading
FRIDAY, July 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Many women in the United States aren’t screened for cervical cancer because they can’t afford it, a new study finds. Screening helps reduce cervical cancer cases and deaths, but disparities in screening rates exist based on income, insurance status, race and ethnicity. “Low-incomeContinue Reading
MONDAY, June 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — You decide to take a popular colon cancer screening test that can be performed at home, and it comes back positive. A follow-up colonoscopy is scheduled, but then you suddenly receive a large and unexpected medical bill. That’s what happened to a MissouriContinue Reading
MONDAY, June 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The public health message has always been loud and clear: If you are experiencing a medical emergency such as chest pain, dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. But a new study shows that a $1,000 or higher deductible on yourContinue Reading