Doctors And Insurers Are Key To Fighting Obesity
IOM report says physicians need to be more rigorous in dealing with patients’ weight, and insurers should reverse stingy reimbursement policies and help develop evidence-based programs that can help curb the epidemic.
Even Small Reductions In Obesity Would Generate Major Savings, Report Finds
Cut the growth in rates of obesity by just 1 percent a year over the next two decades, and you’ll slice health care costs by $85 billion. Keep obesity rates at their current levels – which is well below a 33 percent increase being projected — and you’ll save nearly $550 billion during the same […]
War On Smoking Offers Some Lessons For Obesity Fight
But the scope of the nation’s weight problem is much more extensive than tobacco ever was and public health campaigns must address issues as complex as food and beverage choices, television viewing, exercise routines and even the design of cities.
Poll: Doctors Fall Short In Helping Many Seniors
Large numbers of seniors aren’t receiving recommended interventions that could help forestall medical problems and improve their health, according to a new survey from the John A. Hartford Foundation. Notably, one-third of older adults said doctors didn’t review all their medications, even though problems with prescription and over-the-counter drugs are common among the elderly, leading to over […]
Some Women’s Groups See Another Agenda In Attacks On Contraceptive Coverage
Opponents of the Obama administration’s contraception coverage mandate emphasize religious freedom, but others say the real issue is birth control.
Seniors Need To Reevaluate Their Needs For Popular Medical Treatments: The KHN Interview
Dr. Nortin Hadler argues in a new book that older Americans need to be more aggressive about challenging doctors on prescribed procedures. “People should want to know the likelihood that death will be postponed by doing something,” he says.
Heavy Doctors Avoid Heavy Discussions
Research already demonstrates that physicians are sometimes uncomfortable talking about weight with their obese patients. Now, a new study shows that the doctors’ weight makes a difference too. Physicians who pack on the pounds discuss weight loss less frequently with obese patients than doctors who have normal body-mass indexes (18 percent versus 30 percent), according to […]
Offering Rehab Services Soon After Diagnosis Proves Beneficial
National Naval Hospital in Bethesda helped pioneer this model of treatment for breast cancer patients and found it saved money and helped the women fully recover their range of motion.
Cancer Patients Could Benefit From Greater Use Of Rehabilitation
Oncologists often overlook therapies that can ease the debilitating effects of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy and insurance plans frequently limit coverage.
