Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Organ Donation: State Efforts Have Done Little To Close The Supply Gap
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that most state-based policies to encourage organ donation in the United States have fallen flat.
Pa., Del. Move To Maintain Health Insurance Subsidy Access
A soon-to-be-announced Supreme Court ruling could threaten health insurance subsidies for millions of people in about three dozen states. But many state officials aren’t sharing contingency plans lest they be seen as supporting Obamacare.
Study: Highest-Charging U.S. Hospitals Are For-Profits, Concentrated In Florida
Most of the 50 hospitals with the highest charges are in the South and about half are owned by for-profit Community Health Systems.
Bill To Speed FDA Approvals Includes Rewards For Drugs Designed For Kids
The 21st Century Cures bill now being considered by Congress would extend a program that promotes pediatric drug research.
New Preventive Health Services Approved For No-Cost Coverage
Two new procedures have been added to the list of what should be covered by insurance without charge to consumers under provisions of the health law.
Florida To Review Proposed Obamacare Rate Hikes For First Time
After two years with its hands tied, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will be able to review proposed rate increases in a market seeing double digit hikes.
Bringing Doctors To Patients Who Need Them Most
California’s sprawling Inland Empire is making vigorous efforts to train and attract primary care doctors attuned to the needs of the fast-growing and under-served population.
Paramedics See Roles Expand – Minus The Lights And Sirens
In Reno and around the country, community paramedics are providing more primary and preventive care and taking nonemergency patients to facilities other than ERs.
Texas Puts Brakes On Telemedicine — And Teladoc Cries Foul
The Texas Medical Board issued tough new rules for telemedicine, and the nation’s largest telemedicine provider, based in Dallas, is suing to stop the rules from going into effect.
For Many Patients, Delirium Is A Surprising Side Effect Of Being In The Hospital
The problem, which is often preventable, is estimated to cost more than $143 billion annually and disproportionately affects people older than 65. It is often misdiagnosed as dementia.
What Patients Gain By Reading Their Doctor’s Notes
Doctors are increasingly making their records available to patients. Advocates say the concept makes the doctor-patient relationship less paternalistic and can lead to better patient outcomes and satisfaction. But there could be downsides, too.
Asthma Sending More Kids To California ERs
California children are increasingly seeking care for asthma in emergency rooms – despite medical advances and millions of dollars spent to control symptoms statewide.
Patient Finds Shopping For Low-Priced CT Scan Doesn’t Pay Off
Despite efforts to keep costs down, Douglas White gets a bill nearly three times what he expected.
A Top Medical School Revamps Requirements To Lure English Majors
At Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City, many of the medical students majored in things like English or history, and they never took the MCAT. The institution sees that diversity as one of its biggest strengths.
Improved Economy, Obamacare Boost Demand For Travel Nurses
Rising admissions are driving up the need for nurses willing to travel across the country to work in hospitals.
Second Opinions Often Sought But Value Is Not Yet Proven
Medical reviews are recommended for patients facing serious illnesses and some individuals glean important advice, but researchers do not have much data showing whether they lead to better outcomes.
The Gray Areas Of Assisted Suicide
In bizarre, veiled conversations, some doctors vaguely hint to dying patients and their families how to hasten death. But overwhelmed families are left with profound questions and the feeling that there is no one who can answer them.
Facing Death But Fighting The Aid-In-Dying Movement
A young mother with a grave lung disease worries that a California bill that would make assisted suicide legal could pressure terminally ill people to end their lives.
Telemedicine Under Attack As Abortion Rights Supporters Seek More Options For Women
Only two states offer telemed abortions, in which a woman confers with a doctor through an Internet video connection before being prescribed drugs to terminate a pregnancy. Supporters say the practice improves early access to abortion, thus cutting down expenses and complications, but opponents say it is dangerous.
Feds Say That In Screening Colonoscopies, Anesthesia Comes With No Charge
In an announcement this week, federal officials made clear that insurers should not charge patients for the anesthesia used in a screening colonoscopy, but some other routine charges are still in dispute.
