Michelle Andrews

Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Navigators Say Feds Don’t Appreciate Scope Of The Job

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration has dramatically trimmed money for the groups that help people enroll in marketplace plans, but those navigators say federal officials have unrealistic assessments of the tasks involved.

Prevention Experts Propose Easing Advice On Number Of Cervical Cancer Screenings

KFF Health News Original

A draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says women between ages 30 and 65 should get a Pap test every three years or an HPV screening every five years, but they don’t need to do both.

If You’re Blindsided By Health Plan Changes, Learn The Root Causes — And Your Rights

KFF Health News Original

Insurers can reduce benefits or change cost sharing, but they are generally supposed to tell enrollees about the change beforehand. And although plans must tell patients when they are denied coverage, sometimes treatment is affected for other reasons.

Mayo Pain Expert: Holistic Approach Helps Patients Ditch Opioids

KFF Health News Original

Painkillers were never designed to be used over the long term, says the head of the Mayo Clinic’s pain rehabilitation center. Instead, patients should try other approaches, including relaxation therapies. But getting insurers to cover them might take coaxing.

Too Few Patients Follow The Adage: You Better Shop Around

KFF Health News Original

Three-quarters of participants in a newly released study said they did not know of resources for comparing health care costs, while half said that if a website were available to provide such information, they would use it.

S.C. Taps Private Donors To Expand In-Home Services For At-Risk Moms

KFF Health News Original

The expansion of the Nurse-Family Partnership, financed initially by the federal government and several philanthropies, must meet specific goals to get state contributions. Officials hope to add 3,200 women to the program.

Many Still Sidestep End-Of-Life Care Planning, Study Finds

KFF Health News Original

Only about a third of U.S. adults have advance directives in place to guide the care they receive in the event that they are unable to make their own decisions about life-sustaining medical treatments.

Over-The-Counter Devices Hold Their Own Against Costly Hearing Aids

KFF Health News Original

In a head-to-head comparison, several of the cheaper devices performed nearly as well as the expensive hearing aids. The study lends credence to lawmakers’ efforts to get the FDA to set standards for over-the-counter versions.

Cuentas médicas no afectarán de inmediato el crédito

KFF Health News Original

Las agencias de crédito están cambiando la manera en que reportan y evalúan la deuda médica para reducir algunas de las dolorosas consecuencias financieras de tener un problema de salud.