To advance patient experience and health equity, a team at Northwell Health’s Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital (MEETH) identified an opportunity to reduce language as a barrier to care by improving language interpretation services. The cumbersome interpretation process required clinicians to access landline telephone devices locked behind nurse’s station, move them to pre-op/post-op patient bays, and ensure connectivity. Two-handset devices limited interaction […]
President Biden is injecting new vigor into the fight to protect abortion rights, seemingly nudged into action by criticism from within his own party about a lackluster response to date. Biden branded the Supreme Court’s decision last week to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling as “outrageous” and “destabilizing” during a Thursday news conference in Madrid. More […]
Published on June 30, 2022 Moving can be an exciting time. As you get ready for your move, it’s important to remember moving may impact your health insurance coverage options and savings. Don’t forget to update your application to get the best plan and right amount of savings available to you and your household in your new area. […]
Yuki Noguchi, NPR News Lori Mangum was 32 when apple-size tumors sprouted on her head. Now — six years and 10 surgeries later — the skin cancer is gone. But her pain lives on, in the form of medical debt. Even with insurance, Mangum paid $36,000 out-of-pocket, charges that stemmed from the hospital, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the pharmacy, and […]
How do efficiently is care provided for patients at Veteran Affairs’ hospitals as compared to private hospitals? This is not an easy question to answer as the composition of patients differs between these hospitals. Even among dually-eligible individuals–those with both VA and commercial insurance–individuals treated at VA hospitals are generally more severely ill. To better […]
The Stanley Cup, already dented from the Colorado Avalanche’s on-ice celebration, was delivered to the wrong house. (There are worse mistakes to find on your doorstep.) Today in health care, we’ll look at some of the small revisions Senate Democrats have made to their drug pricing plan. And Democrats are hoping to have another go at including it in a larger economic […]
Sanofi multiple sclerosis drug candidate tolebrutinib boasts a key feature: the ability to reach into brain and spinal cord tissue to provide its therapeutic effect. But liver problems have been reported in some patients dosed with the experimental treatment, leading the FDA to pause the drug’s pivotal clinical trials. According to Sanofi, the FDA based the partial clinical hold […]
In order for the home-based care industry to push back against the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2023 proposed payment rule, industry leaders must understand where CMS’ intentions and motivations are coming from. Industry leaders also need to focus mainly on the behavioral adjustments that CMS is targeting and planning to change. Those guidances were laid out […]
Dive Brief: Aetna is no longer requiring prior authorization for cataract surgeries, a controversial policy the payer adopted a year ago, according to a new provider notice. Aetna is also rolling back prior authorization requirements for video EEGs and home infusion for some drugs. It’s adding two new-to-market drugs to the precertification list. The payer said in a statement that […]
As Pride Month comes to a close, it is important to remember that members of the LGBTQ community still experience significant health disparities compared to the general population in the U.S. Research shows nearly one-sixth of LGBTQ Americans avoid or delay medical treatment because of discrimination, and about 30% find it difficult to access care due to cost. A key […]