Latest Morning Briefing Stories
California Aid-In-Dying Bill Heads To Governor’s Desk
California would become the fifth state to allow doctors to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients who request it.
Medicare Yet To Save Money Through Heralded Medical Payment Model
The government expected accountable care organizations to save Medicare millions by now, but the program is falling short of targets, records show. KHN also has performance data for all 353 ACOs in 2014.
This model of care is one of the ways created by the Affordable Care Act to reduce health care costs while improving quality of care. You can also watch the accompanying video that explains ACOs.
Calif. Lawmakers Approve Bill Requiring Drug Labeling In 5 Foreign Languages
If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the measure, all pharmacies will have to provide medication instructions in Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean, the most common languages in California after English.
When The Hospital Is Boss, That’s Where Doctors’ Patients Go
Hospital ownership of doctors’ practices “dramatically increases” odds that a doctor will admit patients there instead of another, nearby hospital, researchers say.
Consumers With COBRA Coverage Should Weigh Moving To Health Law Plans
COBRA, which employees can buy when they leave a workplace if they pick up the entire cost of the plan, can be more expensive.
Heart-Attack Patients More Likely To Die After Ambulances Are Diverted
A study finds patients who suffered heart attacks in California were more likely to die within a year if their ambulances were diverted from the closest emergency room.
Private Money Saves Colorado IUD Program As Fight Continues For Public Funding
A dozen foundations contributed a total of $2 million to help more low-income teens and women obtain IUDs and other long-acting contraceptives.
NIH analysis quantifies who is in pain and when, including more than 25 million people who say they have pain every day.
Poll: Americans Favor Government Action On Drug Prices
A majority of Americans would allow Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies and consumers to buy drugs from Canada.
Rural Hospitals Team Up To Survive
Dozens of rural hospitals have closed in recent years, prompting others to form alliances.
Bad Health Outcomes For Adults Who Don’t Get Help As Teens
Study reports adolescents’ unmet health care needs foreshadow problems later in life.
For Hospitals, Sleep And Patient Satisfaction May Go Hand In Hand
As hospitals try to improve their consumer ratings, many are revisiting nighttime policies to help patients maximize their chances to get some rest.
VIH: Promueven Píldora Preventiva Entre Hispanos
La medicación, que se usa como “Profilaxis de Pre Exposición” (PrEP), conocida comercialmente como Truvada fue aprobada por la Administración de Drogas y Alimentos (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) en el 2012 para prevenir el VIH, y ha demostrado ser más de un 90 por ciento efectiva, cuando se la usa correctamente. Pero los trabajadores de salud están encontrando barreras culturales y económicas entre muchos latinos.
To Address Doctor Shortages, Some States Focus on Residencies
Some states are spending millions of dollars to train medical students, only to see them leave because of a shortage of residency positions.
Patients In Iowa Worry About Private Management Of Medicaid
Many in Iowa get Medicaid — the state-federal health program for poorer Americans — especially after the state expanded the program under the federal health law. But a plan to switch administration of the program to private health care companies has patients worried that their care will suffer.
Pregnancy – A Touchy Subject In Employee Wellness Health Assessments
Pregnancy questions included in many wellness program questionnaires hit a nerve, and advocates are asking the Obama administration to ban these types of queries as part of a pending Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rule.
Half Of Nation’s Hospitals Fail Again To Escape Medicare’s Readmission Penalties
The fines, in their fourth year, are assessed on hospitals that have patients frequently return and will cost nearly 2,600 hospitals $420 million in total.
Advocates Say Mental Health ‘Parity’ Law Is Not Fulfilling Its Promise
A landmark federal law requiring insurers to cover mental illness as they would any other disease is not being followed or enforced, say patient advocates and attorneys. Insurers say they have taken “tremendous steps.”
No Easy Feat: Promoting The PrEP Pill For HIV Prevention Among Latinos
The drug Truvada, used to halt HIV infection, has been shown to be more than 90 percent effective when used correctly. But many Latinos haven’t heard of it or are deterred by the cost and the stigma associated with being gay or bisexual.
