Tag: costs

The time required to secure prior authorization approvals for radiation therapy treatments equates to a financial impact of more than $40 million annually for academic medical centers, according to a new study. Findings will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting. Prior authorization is a cost-control process used by

The thought of moving into a new apartment may be thrilling enough as we’re about to open a new chapter in our lives. It serves as a milestone in our lives since moving in means we’re independent enough to live on our own. We cannot wait to relish in the freedom and control we’ll have

(HealthDay)—Even as the coronavirus pandemic has postponed the delivery of many kinds of health care, a new study suggests that delaying cancer treatment by even a month can raise your risk of dying by 6% to 13%, and that risk keeps rising the longer treatment is delayed. The increased risk of death for seven types

The pandemic, which has disrupted so much of our lives, has shaken up health benefits, too—and sometimes for the better. Over 150 million Americans, including nearly half the population of Texas, get health coverage through an employer. And next month, many workers will select their health benefits during open enrollment. They’re likely to see a

In 2005, before most low- and middle-income countries started vaccinating children routinely for pneumococcal disease, it caused approximately 1.5 million deaths worldwide annually. About 700,000 to 1 million of these deaths were in children under five years. Pneumococcal disease occurs when Streptococcus pneumoniae invades a normally sterile area of the body, causing meningitis, pneumonia, septicaemia

Every morning, Britta Vander Linden dons compression stockings, a cumbersome process she calls “putting on my legs.” She relies on the garments to stand and walk without intense leg pain and swelling. That’s because Vander Linden, 44, was born with lymphedema. The condition affects the lymphatic system, a network of lymph nodes and vessels that

A new survey from Child Care Aware of America reports some discouraging (although, are we really surprised though?) stats on the costs of child care across the country. Spoiler alert: they’re hella high. Notably, in 30 states and the District of Columbia, the annual price of center-based infant care is actually more than in-state tuition

A unique clinic for patients with terminal lung disease is leading to dramatic reductions in hospital deaths, better symptom management and lower costs for the health-care system. The multidisciplinary team at Alberta Health Services’ Kaye Edmonton Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic delivers palliative care and encourages treatment at home for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

As the Medicare system seeks to improve the care of older adults while also keeping costs from growing too fast, a new University of Michigan study suggests that one major effort may not be having as much of an impact as hoped. A new analysis of data from the Medicare Shared Savings Program finds that

Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office is suing multinational tobacco companies to recover costs by the public health care system in treating smoking-related illnesses. The suit, filed against British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International on Tuesday, seeks to recover costs spent treating 26 diseases with scientifically proven links to tobacco usage in the last five years.

A new electromyography biofeedback device that is wearable and connects to novel smartphone games may offer people with incomplete paraplegia a more affordable, self-controllable therapy to enhance their recovery, according to a new study presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico. Electromyography (recording electrical activity of muscles) biofeedback

Even when they had good health insurance coverage, women with breast cancer reported having financial worries related to their care, and the vast majority said they preferred to know about treatment costs at the time of diagnosis. The findings from a study by Duke Cancer Institute researchers highlight the importance of considering medical costs as

TUESDAY, July 24, 2018 — The Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (VA MISSION) Act may increase costs and reduce quality of health care for veterans, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online July 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Joel Kupfer, M.D., from the University of Arizona

Children who are born severely ill or who develop serious illness in the first few weeks of life are often difficult to diagnose, with considerable implications for their short and longer-term care. Whole genome sequencing carried out quickly has the potential to provide an early diagnosis, and thus improve the clinical care of these infants

More hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in correctional facilities, a possibility if medication costs were to drop, is essential to controlling the hepatitis C epidemic in the US, according to researchers from the Rollins School of Public Health and Harvard University. In a new paper published in the June 2018 edition of the Infectious Disease

An analysis of outcomes and costs for German patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) who develop compensated cirrhosis was presented today at The International Liver Congress 2018 in Paris, France. Healthcare costs for this population spiked in the first year after compensated cirrhosis diagnosis. Comorbidities were common and one in five patients

(HealthDay)—Outcomes-based pricing does not reduce the costs of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, according to a research letter published online April 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Dhruv S. Kazi, M.D., from the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues examined the effect of outcomes-based pricing on the cost-effectiveness of PCSK9