Weekly Edition: January 19, 2018
Podcast: What The Health? Our First Live Show: What The Health Will Happen In 2018?
In this episode of “What The Health?” — taped before a live audience — panelists discuss the potential federal government shutdown and what may be in store for health in 2018. They are joined by former Medicare and Medicaid head Tom Scully.
Home Care Agencies Often Wrongly Deny Medicare Help To The Chronically Ill
By Susan Jaffe and Heidi de Marco
Agencies sometimes turn away Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health problems by incorrectly claiming Medicare won't pay for their services, say patient advocates.
Judge Orders New Olympus Trial Over Superbug Death
By Chad Terhune
The Seattle jurist finds that Olympus Corp. failed to properly disclose evidence that it knew of concerns about cleaning problems with its redesigned medical scopes years before they hit the market and were linked to dozens of deaths. The company maintains the devices were not defective and intends to appeal.
If Poor Neighborhood = Poor Health, Relocation Is One Solution
By Sarah Varney
Research shows that living in more affluent, less segregated neighborhoods can improve health problems like asthma and high blood pressure. Communities around the country are experimenting with moving some families to boost their health.
Inside The Global Race To Deliver A Vital Radioactive Isotope Used To Detect Cancer
By Sarah Varney
Moly-99, as it’s called, is created in just six government-owned nuclear research reactors — none in North America — raising concerns about the reliability of the supply.
When You Need A Breast Screening, Should You Get A 3-D Mammogram?
By Michelle Andrews
The newer images are more expensive, but it’s not yet clear if they are more effective in catching cancers that will kill.
When Food Stamps Pass As Tickets To Better Health
By Courtney Perkes
A federally funded program is partnering with a Latino grocery chain to reward people who use their food stamps to put more fresh produce on their tables.
It’s In The Mail: Aetna Agrees To $17M Payout In HIV Privacy Breach
By Elana Gordon, WHYY
In a low-tech snafu, information about HIV treatment was visible through the cellophane window on envelopes sent to about 12,000 consumers.
Postcard From California: Alzheimer’s ‘Looks Like Me, It Looks Like You’
By Ana B. Ibarra
At a panel discussion this week in Sacramento, patients, caregivers and others shared their perspectives on how Alzheimer’s disease affects women, who account for two-thirds of those living with the condition.