New Report Highlights Giant Health Care Costs Associated With Dementia
A new study from the University of Michigan highlights how massive the out-of-pocket health care financial burden can be for families of people with dementia. Meanwhile, a separate study shows how the cost of giving birth in the U.S. is already high, and is getting ever higher over time.
Fox News:
Dementia’s Staggering Financial Cost Is Revealed In New Report: It’s ‘Bankrupting Families’
A great deal of emphasis is placed on the emotional and mental impact of dementia — but a new study from the University of Michigan highlights the financial burden it puts on families as well. Among people who were diagnosed with dementia, out-of-pocket health care costs more than doubled within the first eight years, researchers found. Dementia patients also experienced more than a 60% reduction in their net worth, according to the study findings, which were published in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Rudy, 10/23)
More on the cost of health care —
The Hill:
Giving Birth Is Pricey In The US, And Growing Pricier
Having a baby is expensive in the U.S. — and it’s getting costlier. The median cost for an in-network C-section in the U.S. last year was about $15,500, while the median cost of a vaginal birth with no complications was almost $13,000, according to FAIR Health’s cost of giving birth tracker. And the national median price for an out-of-network birth is more than twice as expensive, according to the tracker. (O'Connell-Domenech, 10/22)
Military.com:
Pentagon Raises Cap On Service Members' Medical Malpractice Claims
Service members now can file claims related to alleged malpractice at military medical facilities for up to $750,000, after the Pentagon proposed an increase from the previous limit of $600,000. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder announced in an email to media outlets that the proposed change applies "to any pending claims" and was published in the Federal Register on Friday. (Novelly and Kheel, 10/20)
In other health and wellness news —
NBC News:
Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Or Prevent PTSD Symptoms, New Research Shows
A Mediterranean diet that's rich in vegetables, fruits and fish may help reduce or stave off symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to research published this week in the journal Nature Mental Health. The peer-reviewed findings are based on patient data from two studies — one in 2008 and another in 2013 — which collectively involved tens of thousands of female participants. The researchers behind those studies gathered stool samples, as well as information about the women's mental health and dietary habits. (Bendix, 10/22)
The Mercury News:
Can Psilocybin Help Ease Existential Despair In Patients With Advanced Cancer? Researchers Hope To Find Out
A new study in Colorado is trying to answer definitively whether psychedelics help at least some patients dealing with distress over advanced cancer. Dr. Stacy Fischer, co-leader of cancer prevention and control at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, said several small studies have found that psychedelic drugs may help patients who are experiencing demoralization or despair because of their impending mortality. (Wingerter, 10/20)
AP:
A Month After A Pig Heart Transplant, Man Works To Regain Strength With No Rejection So Far
It’s been a month since a Maryland man became the second person to receive a transplanted heart from a pig –- and hospital video released Friday shows he’s working hard to recover. Lawrence Faucette was dying from heart failure and ineligible for a traditional heart transplant because of other health problems when doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine offered the highly experimental surgery. (Neergaard,10/20)
Stat:
How An ER Doctor In Chicago Is Tackling Trauma From Gun Violence
Abdullah Pratt was only ever interested in science and in sports because of his older brother Rashad. He saw his brother excel at what he did, but Pratt’s life changed in 2012 when his brother was shot and killed in Chicago’s South Side. “The most important thing that his life represented for me was that he relieved me of the burden to prove myself,” Pratt said. (Balthazar, 10/20)
