Small independent hospitals are being acquired by large hospital systems across the US or, worse still, they are shutting down. What does that mean for the future of hospitals and for their patients...
Diane Archer
Raising Medicare eligibility age could lead to thousands of...
A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by Alison Galvani et al. at Yale, finds that raising the Medicare eligibility to 67, as many Republicans are proposing...
Want to live longer? See a doctor who’s female
A new study finds that women live longer when they see female doctors. This study adds to a body of research that finds women and minorities who see female doctors have better health than their...
People with Medicare increasingly going without private...
A new report from the US Census Bureau reveals that an increasing number of people with Medicare are going without private supplemental coverage. While the report does not look into why this is the...
New nursing home staffing requirements are a step forward
It has become increasingly clear that our federal government is not willing or able to enact laws and rules that go as far as necessary to protect consumers. Recently, the Centers for Medicare and...
States address prior authorization denials, while Congress fears...
People across the country are facing increasing numbers of treatment denials from insurers, even after their insurers have approved these treatments for extended periods. Shalina Chatlani reports for...
Diet soda: Bad for your health and your weight
According to the experts, diet soda is bad for your health and your weight, Peri Ormont Blumberg reports for Time Magazine. Notwithstanding, many Americans live on diet sodas. By so doing, they often...
Will insulin ever be affordable in the US?
The pharmaceutical industry is all too powerful in the US. Not only does it spend a lot of money contributing to policymakers’ political campaigns and lobbying them to ensure pharmaceutical...
Half of rural hospitals are losing money, closing units
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez reports for Kaiser Health News on the failing finances of half of rural hospitals. They are losing money. A big part of the reason are the insurers offering Medicare Advantage...
Medicare Part D drug coverage stunts are rampant
When it comes to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, one thing’s for sure: Medicare Part D coverage stunts will continue without an overhaul. Insurers have way too much room to drive up...