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Health News Results - 56
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...
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...
Long-Term Care Out of Reach for 6.5 Million 'Near Dual' American Seniors
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- October 14, 2024
- Full Page
About 6.5 million “Near Dual” seniors are struggling to afford long-term care as they grow older and more frail, a new study warns.
“Near Dual” seniors are those who are eligible for Medicare but are only at the cusp of eligibility for Medicaid, t...
3.6 Million Americans Could Be Covered for Wegovy Under New Medicare Rules
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- August 27, 2024
- Full Page
New Medicare rules could make 3.6 million Americans -- or even more -- eligible for treatment with the pricey weight-loss drug Wegovy, a new study finds.
Under the new rules, the...
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...
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.
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
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...
1 in 4 Older, Low-Income Americans Are Uninsured
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- September 18, 2023
- Full Page
As people age, health issues tend to mount, but roughly a quarter of low-income adults over 65 have no medical insurance.
That's the age when most Americans become eligible for Medicare, the federal health insurance for seniors. But many of the uninsured seniors are Hisp...
Heart, Diabetes, Cancer Drugs on List for Medicare Price Negotiations, White House Says
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- August 29, 2023
- Full Page
The Biden administration on Tuesday named the first 10 medicines that will be subject to price negotiations between Medicare and participating drug companies.
The list represents the first step in a landmark program aimed at reducing the government's drug spending, and p...
Psychiatrists Tough to Find for Seniors in Medicare Advantage Plans
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- July 10, 2023
- Full Page
U.S. seniors with mental health needs may not have much access to psychiatrists who could help them, new research shows.
Despite an overall heightened demand for mental health services, nearly two-thirds of Medicare Advantage psychiatrist networks included less than 25%...
Reversing a Trend, Sicker Americans Are Staying With Medicare Managed Care Plans
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- June 28, 2023
- Full Page
A new study shows that older Americans with health issues are now staying with their Medicare Advantage managed plans, rather than swapping them for traditional plans through a health insurer.
Although Medicare Advantage has been criticized in the past for "cherry-pickin...
For 'Near Poor' Seniors, Medicaid 'Cliff' Could Keep Health Care Out of Reach
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- April 10, 2023
- Full Page
The so-called "Medicaid cliff" is a perennial threat for millions of American seniors whose incomes put them just above the poverty line.
While impoverished seniors often have Medicaid to help cover their health care expenses, seniors who make just a little bit more hav...
Primary Care Visits Shorter, More Prone to Error for Non-White Patients: Study
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- March 13, 2023
- Full Page
Do all patients get the same amount of face-to-face time when visiting their primary care doctor?
Apparently not, claims a new study that found Black and Hispanic patients -- as well as patients with public health insurance like Medicaid or Medicare -- tend to get the s...
Seniors' Dental Care Declines After Medicare Kicks In
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- February 9, 2023
- Full Page
Without dental coverage, many American seniors on Medicare stop getting the fillings and crowns they may need, a new study finds.
The result isn't pretty.
"Without dental coverage for adults who are eligible [for] Medicare, we are seeing a rise in loss of teeth aft...
Fighting Liver Cancer Takes Big Financial Toll: Study
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- February 2, 2023
- Full Page
Out-of-pocket costs can leave Medicare patients with the most common type of liver cancer in financial distress.
While Medicare payments in the first year after diagnosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exceeded $65,000, out-of-pocket costs were more than $10,000,
Medicare Will Save U.S. Billions Negotiating Drug Prices
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- January 30, 2023
- Full Page
The U.S. government could save billions every year once Medicare begins negotiating drug prices in 2026, new research suggests.
The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress ...
Pandemic Funding Saved More Americans From Medical Debt
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- January 18, 2023
- Full Page
The number of Americans who had trouble paying their medical bills dropped precipitously between 2019 and 2021, and funds from the American Rescue Plan and other federal pandemic relief programs may have been a reason why.
Overall, 10.8% of Americans responding to a fede...
Biden Administration Calls for Crackdown on Misleading Medicare Ads
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- December 15, 2022
- Full Page
Medicare Advantage ads that are confusing or misleading could be banned under a new rule that was proposed Wednesday by the Biden administration to protect seniors.
Nearly half of all seniors or people with disabilities who are enrolled in the Medicare program through th...
Cost of Epilepsy Meds Continues to Soar
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- December 2, 2022
- Full Page
Costs for epilepsy medications in the United States are skyrocketing, outpacing inflation and straining federal insurers Medicare and Medicaid, according to new research.
Spending on antiseizure medications more than doubled in eight years for the government insurers, la...
Type of Medicare Could Influence Cancer Patients' Outcomes
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 28, 2022
- Full Page
Your chances of surviving cancer could depend on the type of Medicare plan you have, a new study reports.
Americans enrolled in a privatized, cost-saving Medicare Advantage plan are more likely to die within a month of undergoing complex cancer surgery, compared to those...
Tougher Federal Penalties to Come for Failing Nursing Homes
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- October 24, 2022
- Full Page
About 88 nursing homes in the United States are on a watch list for worrisome care that puts residents in danger, but now they will face tougher penalties for any ...
There's a Push to Expand Medicare's Coverage of Dental Issues
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- October 18, 2022
- Full Page
Dental coverage under Medicare could soon start expanding for seniors under a new proposal from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Still, the propos...
Medicare Monthly Premiums to Drop for Seniors
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- September 28, 2022
- Full Page
Millions of seniors who had to pay high increases in Medicare premiums this year will get a break in 2023 when they see a rare drop in monthly premiums for Medicare Part B.
Th...
Here's How the Inflation Reduction Act Will Lower the Cost of Health Care
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- August 17, 2022
- Full Page
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, making it the most significant health care legislation enacted in more than a decade.
How will it affec...
Here's How New Federal Legislation Might Cut Your Drug Costs
- By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- August 12, 2022
- Full Page
The Inflation Reduction Act is expected to bring out-of-pocket drug costs down for many U.S. seniors, but most of its benefits aren't immediate.
Under the law, Medicare will now be allowed to negotiate the cost of some drugs. That should eventually bring down out-of-pock...
Medicare's Free Wellness Visit Can Prevent Diabetes Amputation
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- June 20, 2022
- Full Page
Annual wellness visits covered by Medicare reduce diabetes patients' risk of amputation by more than one-third, a new study finds.
"Our results confirmed our hypothesis that Annual Wellnes...
Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Coverage for Eligible, Necessary Care: Report
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- April 28, 2022
- Full Page
Coverage for eligible, necessary care is denied each year to tens of thousands of seniors with private Medicare Advantage plans, U.S. federal investigators say.
In a report released Thursda...
1 in 5 Medicare Patients Use Medical Marijuana: Survey
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- April 14, 2022
- Full Page
One in five Medicare recipients use medical marijuana and two-thirds say it should be covered by Medicare, a new survey reveals.
Medical marijuana is legal in 37 states, four...
Medicare Will Only Cover Aduhelm for Alzheimer's Patients in Clinical Trials
- Cara Murez and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
- April 8, 2022
- Full Page
Medicare announced Thursday that it will limit its coverage of the pricey new drug Aduhelm to Alzheimer's patients enrolled in clinical trials of the drug.
Approved amid controvers...
Medicare Now Covers COVID Tests Bought at Drug Stores
- By Cara Murez and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
- April 5, 2022
- Full Page
Medicare announced Monday that seniors can now walk into most drug stores and get a free over-the-counter COVID test.
"For the first time in its history, Medicare is paying for an over-the-counter test," Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, director of the Center fo...
Medicare to Provide Free COVID-19 Rapid Tests
- Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
- February 4, 2022
- Full Page
Medicare will soon provide up to eight free COVID rapid tests a month to seniors enrolled in the government health insurance program, the Biden administration announced Thursday.
Calif. Universal Health Care System Bill Faces Monday Deadline
- Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
- January 31, 2022
- Full Page
California lawmakers must vote by Monday on whether to keep a bill to create a universal health care system moving forward.
Monday, Jan. 31, is the last chance for Califor...
After Heart Attack, Cardiac Rehab Begins Road to Recovery
- Dennis Thompson
- January 21, 2022
- Full Page
Your heart is in an incredibly vulnerable state if you've suffered a heart attack or are fighting heart failure, and cardiac rehabilitation could be an important part of your recovery.
Unfortunately, not enough older folks appear to be taking advantage of this life-savin...
Here's How to Get Your Free Home COVID Test Kits
- Dennis Thompson
- January 18, 2022
- Full Page
Home COVID tests are now available at no cost to most Americans, as part of the Biden administration's effort to increase testing around the United States.
Insurance Often Covers Ivermectin for COVID, Even Though Drug Doesn't Work
- Robert Preidt
- January 17, 2022
- Full Page
U.S. insurers are paying millions of dollars a year to cover the cost of ivermectin for COVID-19 patients despite a lack of proof the anti-parasitic drug is effective against the virus, a new study finds.
Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Or...
Medicare Proposes to Only Cover Alzheimer's Drug Aduhelm for Use in Clinical Trials
- Ernie Mundell and Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporters
- January 11, 2022
- Full Page
It's a move that could severely limit the number of people taking the controversial new Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm: Medicare on Tuesday proposed to only cover the cost of the pricey medication for people enrolled in approved clinical trials.
A final decision on coverage ...
Medicare May Rethink Premium Hike for Pricey Alzheimer's Drug
- Robin Foster and Robert Preidt
- January 10, 2022
- Full Page
Medicare has been told to reassess a significant premium increase it had announced that largely stemmed from the expensive new Alzheimer's drug
Aduhelm: Will Medicare Cover the Controversial Alzheimer's Drug?
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- January 7, 2022
- Full Page
Following a months-long and unprecedented review, Medicare officials expect to announce within the next couple of weeks whether the program will cover the controversial Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm. The drug's benefits are in question and its annual price tag tops $28,000.
T...
Maker Cuts Price of Controversial New Alzheimer's Drug in Half
- Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
- December 20, 2021
- Full Page
The maker of the pricey new Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm (aducanumab) said Monday it will slash the cost of its medication in half, effective Jan. 1, 2022.
The move follows widespread criticism of the drug's original $56,000-a-year price tag.
The reduction in the whole...
Many Seniors on Medicare Falling Into Medical Debt
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- December 15, 2021
- Full Page
"Medicare For All" gets tossed around a lot by advocates of universal health coverage, but a new study finds that today's Medicare is far from free for seniors and people with disabilities.
Instead, a large number of beneficiaries are sliding into medical debt and delayi...
Biden Pledges to Lower Prescription Drug Prices for Americans
- Robin Foster
- December 7, 2021
- Full Page
President Joe Biden promised cheaper prescription drugs for all Americans on Monday as his social agenda legislation winds its way through Congress.
Biden tried to shift Americans' focus to pocketbook provisions overlooked in his $2 trillion legislation, which deals with...
Almost 13 Million Americans Per Year Skip Meds Due to Cost
- Robert Preidt
- December 3, 2021
- Full Page
Nearly 13 million U.S. adults a year skip or delay filling needed prescriptions due to high price tags, new research shows.
This figure includes more than 2.3 million Medicare beneficiaries and 3.8 million privately insured working-age adults who didn't get needed medica...
Pricey Alzheimer's Drug Drives Spike in Medicare B Premium: Officials
- Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
- November 15, 2021
- Full Page
A new and expensive Alzheimer's drug called Aduhelm is responsible for about half of the $21.60 increase in monthly premiums for Medicare's Part B outpatient program in 2022, Medicare officials report.
The new premium will be $170.10 a month, and the $21.60 boost is the ...
Medicare Could Negotiate Drug Prices Under Democrat Proposal
- Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
- November 3, 2021
- Full Page
A measure designed to lower prescription drug costs for seniors has been added to President Joe Biden's social safety net and climate change bill that Democratic leaders hope to bring to a House vote this week.
For the first time, the measure would enable the federal gov...
Almost 1 in 3 U.S. Seniors Now Sees at Least 5 Doctors Per Year
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- November 2, 2021
- Full Page
Nearly one-third of older U.S. adults visit at least five different doctors each year -- reflecting the growing role of specialists in Americans' health care, a new study finds.
Over the past 20 years, Americans on Medicare have been increasingly seeing specialists, rese...
Cancer Costs U.S. Patients $21 Billion a Year
- October 26, 2021
- Full Page
American cancer patients spent more than $21 billion on their care in 2019, a new report shows.
That $21.09 billion included out-of-pocket costs of $16.22 billion and patient time costs of $4.87 billion. Patient time costs are the value of the time patients spend traveli...
Out-of-Pocket Medical Bills for COVID-19 May Average $3,800 in 2021: Study
- Robert Preidt
- October 18, 2021
- Full Page
Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 could now face thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical costs, according to a new report.
In 2020, most health insurance companies waived co-pays, deductibles and other cost-sharing for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but many st...
How the COVID Pandemic Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse, Even as Telehealth Helped
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- October 1, 2021
- Full Page
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the U.S. opioid crisis in ways bad and good, increasing the risk of use and overdose but also spurring innovative approaches to treatment.
The pandemic has definitely been linked to an increase in opioid use and overdose deaths, Tufts ...