In the early days of the COVID19 pandemic, you might have heard that it wasn’t necessary to wear a mask. Health experts told people to save masks for medical professionals, fearing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for people who needed it most. We even repeated that advice in our own coronavirus updates on… Continue Reading ›
On March 25, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies (CMS) released final numbers for the 2019 open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act. The agency’s annual report slipped in underneath a flurry of news surrounding coronavirus. Nevertheless, it underscores the fact that millions of Americans still lack healthcare coverage during a global pandemic… Continue Reading ›
Don’t panic. Easier said than done, right? Over the last six weeks, the country has jumped from casually aware of the novel coronavirus in China to a state of barely suppressed panic. Even in towns without any active cases of COVID-19, grocery store shelves sit empty, ransacked by the frenzied masses trying to stock up… Continue Reading ›
You’ve seen the headlines and heard the stories. There’s a new virus making its way around the world, threatening — and, by expert predictions, likely — to become a bonafide pandemic soon: coronavirus. Officially named COVID-19 based on the type of virus it is, this novel (new) coronavirus disease is actually caused by the same… Continue Reading ›
Older adults who have caregivers at home or close to them who can assist them during recovery after joint replacement may recover more quickly at home than in a rehabilitation center. A study released by the Journal of Arthroplasty in 2017 found that complication rates were no different after six months between patients who remained… Continue Reading ›
For several months, it was impossible to purchase romaine lettuce or any products containing romaine due to a multi-state E. coli outbreak linked to the product. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the outbreak appears to be over. Outbreak Details According to the CDC, 62 people were infected with the… Continue Reading ›
After drawn-out legal proceedings with the Justice Department, CVS Health and Aetna have finally agreed to a gigantic $69 billion merger deal. provided that the companies divest part of the business prior to officially merging. This merger is the most recent in a spate of huge health insurance and health provider buyouts and mergers, which… Continue Reading ›
More than 100,000 visits to California hospitals were by homeless people in 2017, up 28 percent from the two years prior. According to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, over a third involved a diagnosis of mental health, although only 6 percent of hospital discharges included a mental health diagnosis. The homeless population… Continue Reading ›
FDA Proposes Mammography Rule Regarding Dense Breasts Studies have shown that women with dense breasts have an increased risk of cancer, which could lead to missed cancer diagnoses on mammograms. In an effort to address the issue, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a rule that would require mammography centers to inform… Continue Reading ›
One in five Americans will go without the health care he needs because he can’t afford it. To decrease the out-of-pocket cost for patients, the federal government wants to make drug companies include in television ads the price of drugs and biological chemicals covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Pharmaceuticals companies, who say the law interferes… Continue Reading ›