Sen. Sanders Shows Fire, but Seeks Modest Goals, in His Debut Drug Hearing as Health Chair
By Arthur Allen
The Vermont independent and former presidential candidate was all fire and brimstone at his first hearing on drug prices as head of the Senate HELP Committee. He also pursued a more modest goal of covid vaccine price reductions. It isn’t clear whether Sanders will succeed in even that, but he has put affordability front and center.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Policy, and Politics, of Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage, the private-sector alternative to original Medicare, now enrolls nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries. But it remains controversial because — while most of its subscribers like the extra benefits many plans provide — the program frequently costs the federal government more than if those seniors remained in the fully public program. That controversy […]
Daily Edition for Thursday, March 23, 2023
The red food dye debate, a data breach, housing, covid, vaccine costs, birth control, opioids, fungus worries, and more are in the news.
Fresh Produce Is an Increasingly Popular Prescription for Chronically Ill Patients
By Carly Graf
Fresh produce prescription programs are getting a boost in Montana as a way of helping people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The approach may be a model for other rural states to promote healthy eating in food deserts.
Being ‘Socially Frail’ Comes With Health Risks for Older Adults
By Judith Graham
Researchers are identifying new ways to assess older adults’ social circumstances and identify risks that can compromise their health. “It’s a more complete picture of older adults’ circumstances than any one factor alone,” one expert said.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, March 22, 2023
A single-payer bill, youth hunger, hospital workers, overdoses, housing, HIV, covid origins, vaccines, and more are in the news.
End of Covid Emergency Will Usher in Changes Across the US Health System
By Rachana Pradhan
The May 11 expiration of the federal government’s pandemic emergency declaration will affect patient care across a broad range of settings, including telemedicine, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Daily Edition for Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Housing issues, a pharmacy court case, CalOptima, student hunger, the mental health crisis, a deadly fungus, and more are in the news.
Some Roadblocks to Lifesaving Addiction Treatment Are Gone. Now What?
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
The federal government has lifted restrictions on one of the most effective opioid addiction treatment medications. The change sets up a “truth serum moment”: Will mainstream doctors and nurses now treat addiction as a common disease?
Mental Health Care by Video Fills Gaps in Rural Nursing Homes
By Tony Leys
In-person mental health care is hard to arrange in rural nursing homes, so video chats with faraway professionals are filling the gap.
