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Health News Results - 55

Act Fast and You Can Still Enroll In An ACA Healthcare Plan for 2025

Folks need to act now if they want health insurance coverage starting Jan. 1 through an Affordable Care Act marketplace, officials and experts say.

Wednesday is the last day folks can enroll in coverage that commences at the top of the year, according to HealthCare.gov.

This is an extension -- usually Dec. 15 is...

American Seniors Struggle to Pay Medical Bills More Than Peers in Other Wealthy Countries

American seniors still pay more for health care than their counterparts in most other wealthy countries do, despite coverage by Medicare, a new study finds.

They are also more likely to postpone or skip needed care because of cost concerns.

“In the U.S., nearly all older adults are covered by Medicare and can access, at minimum, the most basic health services,” concluded...

Biden Will Move to Have Medicare, Medicaid Cover GLP-1 Weight-Loss Meds

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.

However, the move would have to be approved by the new Trump administration. 

Right now, a law passed b...

1 in 4 Americans Now Struggling to Cover Medical Costs

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 offered by employers, but their policies don't always provide timely or affordable access to care. 

As a result, m...

Medicaid Covers GLP-1 Meds for Obesity in Just 13 States

Poorer folks’ access to blockbuster weight-loss drugs through Medicaid remains limited, a new KFF analysis has found.

Only 13 states currently allow Medicaid to cover treatment of obesity using glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist (GLP-1) medications, researchers discovered.

Under the Medicaid system, individual states are allowed to decide whether to cover GLP-1 drugs, which inclu...

Long-Term Care Out of Reach for 6.5 Million 'Near Dual' American Seniors

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, the federal/state insurance program for the poor, researchers said.

Medicaid covers long-term care for seniors; Med...

Need a Low-Cost Eye Exam, Glasses? The State You Live In Is Key

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 comprehensive coverage for routine eye exams, researchers found. Likewise, about 14.6 million adults didn’t have comprehensiv...

Cost of Health Care Is Big Concern for Voters Over 50

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.

“There have been efforts in recent years to reduce costs of some types of care for older adults, especially t...

Black, Hispanic Americans More Likely to Be Dropped From Medicaid

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 people of color.

"A lot of people got kicked off Medicaid for administrative reasons,"said senior study author

Almost 1 in 4 People Disenrolled From Medicaid Are Now Uninsured

Nearly a quarter of Americans who lost their pandemic-era Medicaid coverage say they're now without any health insurance, a new survey finds.

More than half (54%) of these currently uninsured adults cited cost as the reason keeping them from having coverage.

The survey of 1,227 adults was cond...

Many Can't Access Mental Health Services that Save Money, Keep People Out of Jail

When it comes to giving at-risk Americans access to the mental health services they need, prevention is far better than detention, new research confirms.

However, a majority of the 950 U.S. counties surveyed in the report do not offer access to the types of mental health and substance use disorder services that can save communities money and prevent incarceration.

"Most co...

Better Health Care Access Is Helping People With Down Syndrome Live Longer

Americans with Down syndrome have a critical lifeline in Medicaid insurance, new research confirms.

But the publicly funded insurance program will have to respond to rising numbers of older adults with Down syndrome, researchers say.

"As more people with Down syndrome survive to older ages, the Medicaid system needs to be ready to serve this population with tailored, sensitive, and ...

Biden Administration Moves to Boost Health Care to the Homeless

A new rule allows health care providers to be reimbursed for treating homeless people wherever they are, rather than just in hospitals or clinics.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began al...

Tech 'Glitch' Is Causing Kids to Lose Medicaid Coverage

A Medicaid "glitch"is removing health care coverage for potentially millions of children, U.S. health officials warned Wednesday.

Automated systems involved in a large-scale eligibility review are causing entire households to be removed from Medicaid coverage, according to a

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 31, 2023
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    • Paperwork Causing Many Americans to Lose Medicaid Coverage, White House Warns

    Large numbers of Americans who were dropped from Medicaid this spring lost their coverage because of paperwork problems, and not because they weren't still eligible for the public health insurance program.

    "I am deeply concerned about high rates of procedural terminations due to 'red tape' and other paperwork issues,"Health and Human Services Secretary

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 31, 2023
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    • More Cancer Patients Got Palliative Care After Obamacare

    New research finds that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- brought an unexpected benefit: increases in how many patients got palliative care.

    "Our findings are encouraging, especially with growing evidence of the important benefits of palliative care for patients with cancer,"said lead study author

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 6, 2023
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    • Feds Urge States to Slow Down on Dropping Folks From Medicaid as Pandemic Relief Ends

    Large numbers of people are losing their Medicaid health coverage as pandemic relief measures end, and the federal government is asking states to slow down the purging of rolls.

    Some people losing coverage could still be eligible and are being cut only for administrative reasons, such as not responding in time with their forms or not understanding the renewal process, the Biden Administra...

    In an Aging America, a Looming Shortage of Home Health Care Workers

    Over the last decade, an aging American population has increasingly turned away from nursing homes in favor of trained caregivers who can provide critical help in the home with basic daily tasks.

    But a new investigation warns the need for at-home care has vastly outpaced a much smaller growth in the pool of home care workers.

    The result: between 2013 and 2019, the number of availabl...

    For 'Near Poor' Seniors, Medicaid 'Cliff' Could Keep Health Care Out of Reach

    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 have to pay the higher out-of-pocket costs of Medicare themselves.

    The upshot: They're much less likely to go to the ...

    Birth Complications? Risk May Rise Depending on Where in U.S. You Live

    Where a woman lives in the United States has a lot to do with whether she has severe maternal complications from childbirth, according to new research using Medicaid data.

    Her race or ethnicity also greatly affects this, researchers found.

    "Near misses" -- where complications could have led to the death of the woman during pregnancy or delivery -- are highest in Washington, D.C., nu...

    On Medicaid & Need Mental Health Services? Where You Live in U.S. Matters

    Medicaid reimbursement for mental health services varies widely across the United States, making it hard for many folks who need help to get it, a new study finds.

    Researchers found as much as a fivefold difference among states in Medicaid reimbursement rates.

    Even though Medicaid, the go...

    IUDs, Contraceptive Implants Tough to Access for Women on Medicaid

    People covered by Medicaid insurance may not have easy access to some of the most effective, longer-acting birth control methods, new research claims.

    Investigators found that while about 48% of physicians who treat Medicaid patients provided prescription contraception like the birth control pill, only 10% offered longer-acting methods like IUDs and implants. Birth control is considered a...

    Primary Care Visits Shorter, More Prone to Error for Non-White Patients: Study

    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 short end of the stick when it comes to the length of office visits.

    In some cases, shorter visits can potentially ...

    US to Allow Medicaid to Pay for Drug Treatment in Prisons

    Soon, the federal government will allow states to use Medicaid funds to treat prisoners for drug addiction and mental health services.

    In an announcement made during a visit to the Camden County Jail in New Jersey on Tuesday, Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said stat...

    Big Changes Are Coming to U.S. Health Care as Pandemic Emergencies Expire

    Americans received unprecedented access to health care during the pandemic, including hassle-free public insurance and free tests, treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

    Now, they need to prepare for most of that to unwind, experts say.

    "Essentially, Congress and the administration moved to a model of universal health coverage for COVID vaccines, treatments and tests"during the pande...

    Obamacare Helped Women in Some Southern States Get Better Breast Cancer Care

    The Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid makes it more likely that a woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer earlier rather than at an advanced, harder-to-treat stage, new research suggests.

    Not all U.S. states expanded Medicaid coverage after the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) made it possible in 2010. That's because the Supreme Court made it optional for states ...

    In a First, Medicaid Extends Coverage to Prison Inmates

    Some inmates in California could begin getting certain limited health services, including substance abuse treatment and mental health diagnoses, using Medicaid funds.

    Typically, inmates lose Medicaid coverage while in the prison, jail or juvenile justice system.

    This change will be the first time ever that Medicaid has provided some coverage for inmates, the Associated Press

    Pandemic Funding Saved More Americans From Medical Debt

    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 federal survey in 2021 said they had had problems covering medical bills that year, down from 14% in 2019, according to rese...

    Millions Could Lose Medicaid by April as Pandemic Rules Ease

    Millions of Americans are about to lose Medicaid coverage that they gained -- and maintained hassle-free -- through the pandemic.

    The end-of-year spending bill that Congress passed will "unwind"a continuous Medicaid enrollment requirement that states had to honor to get additional federal pandemic funds, explained Jenn...

    Obamacare May Have Helped Extend Lives of Young Cancer Patients

    Young adults with cancer, especially those who are Hispanic or Black, had better outcomes because of coverage available to them under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

    New research explored the impact of Medicaid coverage under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, linking it to with better survival for 18- to 39-ye...

    Cost of Epilepsy Meds Continues to Soar

    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, largely because of third-generation and brand-name drugs, the study found.

    "While it's very important that Medicare ...

    Tougher Federal Penalties to Come for Failing Nursing Homes

    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 future violation.

    Those tougher penalties could include the loss of federal funding if they receive more than one ...

    When Adults Sign Up for Medicaid, Kids Can Benefit

    Some adults who sign up for Medicaid also bring their unenrolled but eligible kids into the system, a new study reports.

    For every nine adults who gained access to Medicaid in Oregon due to a special enrollment lottery, one previously eligible child was added to the rolls as well, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Their study called this an examp...

    Staffing Shortages Have U.S. Nursing Homes in Crisis

    There's a shortage of nursing home beds for the elderly in America due to a severe staffing crisis that has caused long-term care facilities to cut back on new admissions, new research shows.

    Three out of five nursing homes (61%) have limited new admissions due to staffing shortages, according to a

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 29, 2022
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    • Obamacare May Have Helped Lower Suicide Rates

    Suicide rates are rising more slowly in states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new study finds.

    "Suicide is a public health problem, and our findings indicate that increasing access to health care -- including mental health care -- by expanding Medicaid eligibility can play an imp...

    Obamacare Helped Extend Lives of People With Cancer

    Cancer survival rates rose more in states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare than in those that did not, and rates increased most among Black patients and those in rural areas, according to a new study.

    "Our findings provide further evidence of ...

    Pandemic Medicaid Rules Allowed More Women to Stay Insured After Childbirth

    Far fewer U.S. women lost health insurance coverage after giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic than in previous years, likely due to a federal law that prevented Medicaid from dropping people, researchers say.

    But they noted that the Fa...

    Crowdfunding for Medical Costs Almost Always Fails

    You have almost certainly seen the pleas while scrolling through social media: Called crowdfunding, folks try to raise money to pay for their sick loved one's mounting medical bills.

    But new research shows these grassroots campaigns rarely raise enough money to make a difference.

    According to GoFundMe, which corner...

    Calif. Universal Health Care System Bill Faces Monday Deadline

    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 California Democrats in the Assembly to keep the

  • Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
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  • January 31, 2022
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    • After Heart Attack, Cardiac Rehab Begins Road to Recovery

    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-saving therapy.

    Fewer than one in 10 eligible Medicare beneficiaries get recommended heart failure rehab treatments, th...

    Here's How to Get Your Free Home COVID Test Kits

    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.

    Folks can buy home tests online or in stores and be

  • Dennis Thompson
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  • January 18, 2022
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    • Medicaid Rules May Affect Americans' Cancer Survival

    The chance of someone who is covered by Medicaid surviving cancer may depend in part on where they live, a new analysis finds.

    In states that had lower Medicaid income eligibility limits, cancer survival rates were worse for cancers both in early and late stages compared to states with higher Medicaid income eligibility limits, Amer...

    Many Seniors on Medicare Falling Into Medical Debt

    "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 delaying needed health care due to financial holes in the system, according to findings published online Dec. 10 in

    1 in 3 U.S. Children Lack Adequate Health Insurance

    Though they live in one of the world's richest nations, a growing number of young Americans are without ample health insurance.

    A new study reports that 34% of U.S. kids age 17 and under were "...

    Medicaid Expansion Saved Lives in Affected States: Study

    In a sign that the expansion of Medicaid has really worked, new research finds that death rates have declined in states that expanded the public health insurance program.

    Medicaid expansion began in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare") and has provided health coverage for an additional 12 million Americans. Expansion is optional, and nearly one-quarter of st...

    Almost 13 Million Americans Per Year Skip Meds Due to Cost

    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 medications each year in 2018 and 2019 because of cost, according to a nationally representative survey of U.S. households.

    Racial Disparities Persist With Childhood Cancers

    Black kids and Hispanic kids with cancer fare worse than their white counterparts, a large, nationwide study finds.

    "This study suggests that improving health insurance coverage and access to care for children, especially those with low [socioeconomic status], may reduce racial/ethnic survival disparities," Jingxuan Zhao, an associate scientist at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, a...

    How the COVID Pandemic Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse, Even as Telehealth Helped

    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 University's Thomas Stopka said during a HealthDay Now video interview.

    "We've been seeing increases in o...

    Millions Who Joined Medicaid During Health Emergency Could Soon Lose Coverage

    When the COVID-19 public health emergency ends, a new crisis in insurance coverage in the United States may begin.

    Fifteen million Americans who enrolled in Medicaid during the pandemic could lose their coverage when the emergency declaration ends, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute, a social policy think tank.

    Its researchers said states can minimize disenrollment by k...

    Hospitalizing the Unvaccinated Has Cost U.S. Nearly $6 Billion

    The cost of providing hospital care for unvaccinated Americans has reached $5.7 billion in just three months, CBS News reported.

    Between June and August, about 287,000 people who were not vaccinated were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the Peterson Center on Healthcare, which collaborated to track healt...