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Biden Will Move to Have Medicare, Medicaid Cover GLP-1 Weight-Loss Meds
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- November 26, 2024
- Full Page
The outgoing Biden administration will propose that pricey GLP-1 obesity medications such as semaglutide (Wegovy), and tirzepatide (Zepbound) be covered by Medicare and Medicaid.<...
1 in 4 Americans Now Struggling to Cover Medical Costs
- Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
- November 21, 2024
- Full Page
U.S. health care costs are among the world's highest, and 1 in 4 adults with health coverage struggle with high out-of-pocket costs, a new survey shows.
The survey -- by the Commonwealth Fund, a health-care focused think tank -- finds that most people have coverage offer...
Four Million Americans Could Lose Health Coverage Once ACA Credits Expire
- Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
- November 20, 2024
- Full Page
If Congress lets healthcare tax credits established during the pandemic expire, 4 million Americans will become uninsured, a new analysis warns.
The tax credits, which have significantly lowered out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans, are set to expire at the end ...
Surgeon General Says U.S. Smoking Rates Have Tumbled, But Not for Everyone
- Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
- November 20, 2024
- Full Page
Although the United States has made significant headway in curbing cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, a new report finds deep divisions remain and they run along predictable fault lines.
Disparities in tobacco use continue to persist by income and occupatio...
Women Can Incur 'Catastrophic' Bills for Out-of-State Abortions, Study Finds
- November 8, 2024
- Full Page
One piece left out of the abortion debate is the high transportation and medical bills facing women forced to leave their state to obtain the procedure.
A new study is the first to give hard numbers on those concerns.
It finds that, even before the fall of Roe...
1 in 5 People Could Have Long COVID
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 8, 2024
- Full Page
More than 1 in 5 Americans likely suffer from long COVID, a new AI-assisted review has found.
The analysis suggests that nearly 23% of U.S. adults experience the symptoms of long COVID, according to results published Nov. 8 in the journal
Childbirth Can Bring Worrying Medical Bills, Even With Insurance
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 8, 2024
- Full Page
Having a child can cause significant and ongoing financial hardship for new parents, even if they are covered by health insurance, a new study shows.
More than half of people with private insurance spent more than $1,000 out of pocket on
Hospice Care Saves Medicare Lots of Money, Study Finds
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- October 28, 2024
- Full Page
Hospice care is a compassionate and heartfelt enterprise, involving a medical team dedicated to maintaining a person’s comfort and dignity as they face the final curtain.
No...
Biden Proposes That Insurers Cover Over-the-Counter Birth Control
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- October 21, 2024
- Full Page
Health insurers would be required to cover the cost of over-the-counter birth control and emergency contraception under new rules proposed by the White House on Monday.
"Since Roe v. Wade was overturned more than two years ago, Republican elected officials have made clea...
Change in Alzheimer's Drug Vial Size Could Be Big Money-Saver for Medicare
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- October 14, 2024
- Full Page
A simple tweak in available vial sizes of the breakthrough Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi could save Medicare hundreds of millions of doll...
Novo Nordisk CEO Grilled by Congress Over Price of Ozempic
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- September 25, 2024
- Full Page
During a tense hearing before a Senate committee on Tuesday, Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen faced tough questions over the company's high prices for its block...
U.S. Health Care System Ranks Last Among Wealthy Nations, Report Finds
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- September 19, 2024
- Full Page
Americans have the worst health care among the world’s wealthy nations, a new report says.
People in the United States die the earliest and live the sickest lives out of 10 developed countries, even though the United States spends the most on health care, according...
Biden Administration Issues Rules Making Mental Health Care More Accessible
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- September 9, 2024
- Full Page
Beginning Jan. 1, Americans with private health insurance coverage should gain better access to mental health care, as well as care to help ease substance abuse, federal officials announced Monday.
“Like medical care, mental health care is vital to the well-being o...
Most U.S. Seniors Prescribed at Least 1 Drug, But Many Skip Meds Due to Cost
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- September 5, 2024
- Full Page
Too many U.S. seniors are skipping their prescription meds due to cost, and the problem is most acute among the poor and chronically ill, new data shows.
Almost all (88.6%) Americans age 65 or older have been prescribed at least one prescription medicine, according to 20...
Insurance Coverage Could Impact Survival of Patients After Spinal Cord Injury
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- August 26, 2024
- Full Page
The care of people seriously harmed by spinal cord injury can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a new analysis suggests that ability to pay influences how long a patient remains on life support.
In a study of more than 8,400 U.S. adults with severe spinal cord i...
New Deals Will Cut Medicare Costs for Expensive Drugs
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- August 15, 2024
- Full Page
The Biden administration said Thursday that it has signed deals with drug companies that will lower the prices on 10 of the most popular and expensive drugs used by American seniors.
Taxpayers should save $6 billion because of the new prices, while seniors using Medicare...
Need a Low-Cost Eye Exam, Glasses? The State You Live In Is Key
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- August 15, 2024
- Full Page
When it comes to Medicaid and vision care, how much coverage people get depends on the state in which they live, a new study finds.
Most Medicaid enrollees have at least some routine vision coverage, but an estimated 6.5 million adults live in states without comprehensiv...
Cost of Health Care Is Big Concern for Voters Over 50
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- August 14, 2024
- Full Page
Older voters are keenly interested in the cost of health care, a new survey has found.
Five of the top six health issues among older adults have to do with health care costs, according to new data from the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging.
Obamacare Boosted New Moms' Access to Mental Health Care
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- August 12, 2024
- Full Page
Pregnant women and new moms have better access to treatment for mood disorders, thanks to Obamacare, a new study finds.
Number of Uninsured Americans Rose to 8.2% in 2024
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- August 6, 2024
- Full Page
Following several years of record low rates of uninsured Americans, a new survey finds more folks are once again without health insurance.
More than 8% of Americans did not have health coverage during the first few months of 2024, according to
U.S. Spends $43 Billion Annually on Cancer Screening
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- August 6, 2024
- Full Page
Screening for cancer saves lives, but a new report shows it comes with a hefty price tag: The United States spends at least $43 billion annually on tests that check for five major cancers.
Common Medical Billing Errors Keep Many Americans From Care: Report
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- August 1, 2024
- Full Page
Insured working-age adults are frequently being hit with medical bills for services that should have been covered, a new Commonwealth Fund survey has found.
Close to half (45%) of insured workers have received a bill or copay in the past year for a service they thought s...
Need a Good Medicare Advantage Plan? They're Tough to Find for Poorer Americans
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- July 25, 2024
- Full Page
Medicare Advantage plans are touted as a great alternative to traditional Medicare, offering seniors easier access to doctors, hospitals and prescription drugs.
But access to a good Medicare Advantage plan relies heavily on where a person lives, a new study finds.
...
Black, Hispanic Americans More Likely to Be Dropped From Medicaid
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- June 4, 2024
- Full Page
Following the end of temporary pandemic-era rules expanding access to Medicaid, about 10 million Americans have lost that coverage.
But a new report finds that most folks who've lost coverage have done so because of paperwork issues, and they're far more likely to be peo...
For Minor Health Issues, Pharmacist Care May Be the Low-Cost Option
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- May 29, 2024
- Full Page
Allowing pharmacists to treat minor illnesses could potentially expand health care access to more people and save millions of dollars, a new study suggests.
Americans With Private Insurance May Pay More for Hospital Stay
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- May 14, 2024
- Full Page
Having private insurance may not be all it is cracked up to be when it comes to hospital bills, new research warns.
In a report published Monday by the nonprofit research institute RAND Corp., resear...
New Rules Mean 3.6 Million Americans Could Get Wegovy Via Medicare, Costing Billions
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- April 24, 2024
- Full Page
A budget-busting 3.6 million Medicare recipients could now be eligible for coverage of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, a new KFF analysis says.
That's because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Wegovy (semaglutide) to reduce the risk of
$282 Billion: What Mental Illness Costs America Each Year
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- April 24, 2024
- Full Page
America's mental health woes essentially serve as an annual economic downturn for the nation, a new study says.
Mental illness costs the U.S. economy $282 billion every year, equivalent to the average economic recession, researchers report.
That estimate amounts to...
Cancer Takes Tough Toll on Family Finances
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- April 23, 2024
- Full Page
About six out of 10 working-age adults hit with a cancer diagnosis say it put real pressure on their financial survival, a new report finds.
"Today's findings reiterate the crit...
Shortage of Primary Care Doctors Could Bring Crowded ERs: Study
- Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
- March 12, 2024
- Full Page
Americans living in areas where primary care doctors and nurse practitioners are in short supply face a greater risk for emergency surgeries and complications, new research shows.
They're also more likely to wind up back in the hospital after they've left it.
That'...
Medical Costs for Kids' Mental Health Jumped 31% in 5 Years
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- March 11, 2024
- Full Page
The cost to American families of caring for a child with a mental health condition rose by almost a third between 2017 and 2021, a new report finds, to an average $4,361 per year.
Overall, American families spent an estimated $31 billion in 2021 on child mental hea...
This Election Year, Health Care Costs Top Voter Concerns: Poll
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- February 21, 2024
- Full Page
Unexpected medical bills and high health care costs are dominating an election where kitchen table economic problems weigh heavily on voter's minds, a new KFF poll has found.
Voters struggling to pay their monthly bills are most eager to hear presidential candidates talk...
Out-of-Pocket Costs Are Tough on Americans With Diabetes
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- February 21, 2024
- Full Page
People with diabetes have to spend a ton of money to stay healthy, a new study reports.
Total and out-of-pocket costs for diabetics run hundreds to thousands of dollars more than regular medical expenses for people without diabetes, researchers found.
Type 1 diabet...
Black, Hispanic Middle Class Finding It Tougher to Afford Senior Housing, Health Care
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- February 19, 2024
- Full Page
Millions of Black and Hispanic middle-class adults won't be able to afford senior housing and health care expenses as they grow old, a new study warns.
Dementia Care Costs Can Quickly Burn Through People's Savings: Study
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- February 9, 2024
- Full Page
Dementia care can eat through the savings of cash-strapped seniors, a new study warns.
The average senior with dementia in non-nursing residential care facilities spent 97% of their monthly income on long-term care, researchers found. Meanwhile, those living in nursing h...
Medical Tourism in Mexico Led to Deadly Fungal Illness for Americans
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- February 9, 2024
- Full Page
Medical tourism to Mexico for cosmetic procedures exposed Americans to a deadly fungal infection last year, a new report shows.
An outbreak of Fusarium solani meningitis occurred at two clinics in Matamoros specializing in elective cosmetic procedures like breas...
Financial Troubles Could Lead to Cancers Diagnosed at Later Stage
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- February 7, 2024
- Full Page
Folks squeezed financially may find themselves shut out from medical care, leading to delayed cancer diagnoses, a new report finds.
A full third of cancer patients suffered some form of recent financial hardship -- a bankruptcy, lien or eviction -- prior to their diagnos...
U.S. Prescription Drug Prices Nearly Triple Those of Other Nations
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- February 5, 2024
- Full Page
Americans pay nearly three times as much for their prescription drugs as residents of other nations do, new research shows.
Drug prices in the United States average nearly 2.8 times those seen in 33 other countries, the
Higher Premiums for Employer-Sponsored Insurance Keep Wages Low: Study
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- January 16, 2024
- Full Page
Ever glance at your paycheck and wonder why your take-home pay is so much less than you'd expect?
The rising cost of employer-sponsored health insurance is a major reason why, a new study argues.
The cost of employer-sponsored health benefits increased much faster ...
Record Number of Americans Are Signing Up for Obamacare
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- January 11, 2024
- Full Page
A record-breaking 20 million Americans have already signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.
"Today, we hit a major milestone in lowering costs and ensuring all Americans have access to quality, affordabl...
Court Ruling Could Bring Higher Patient Costs for PrEP, and More HIV Infections
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- January 9, 2024
- Full Page
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a lifeline for Americans, many of them gay men, who are at high risk of contracting the virus that causes AIDS.
But a case that is winding its way through the court system might push the cost of PrEP to levels that are unaffordable ...
FDA Gives Florida OK to Import Cheaper Drugs From Canada
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- January 5, 2024
- Full Page
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday gave the nod to a Florida plan to import drugs from Canada at much lower prices than in the United States.
The approval could prove to be a major turning point for the United States' prescription drug market.
U.S. res...
Hospital Costs Soared for COVID Patients During Pandemic
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- January 3, 2024
- Full Page
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 throu...
Record Number of Americans Choose Obamacare
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- December 22, 2023
- Full Page
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 people ...
Most Older Americans Think Medicare Should Cover Weight-Loss Meds: Poll
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- December 13, 2023
- Full Page
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 adul...
White House Could Punish Big Pharma's High Prices by Removing Patents
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- December 7, 2023
- Full Page
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 lice...
Pill-sized Device Tracks Breathing, Heart Rate From Inside the Body
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 20, 2023
- Full Page
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 p...
Compared to Other Wealthy Nations, Americans More Likely to Skip Medical Care Due to Cost
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- November 16, 2023
- Full Page
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 Commonwealth Fund report ...
Gun Violence Takes Huge Mental, Financial Toll on Kids & Their Families
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 7, 2023
- Full Page
Gun violence causes a ripple effect that creates a lasting impact on young people lucky enough to survive being shot, as well as their families, a comprehensive new study finds.
Child and teenaged gunshot survivors carry the physical and emotional scars of violence, and ...