LocalHealthGuide - Part 210

October 12, 2018 Health Policy

Health ‘must reads’ of the week

Top stories from this week on health, health care and health policy.

October 12, 2018 Ethics / Research

Sloan Kettering Cancer Researchers Correct the Record by Revealing Company Ties

Top researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have filed at least six corrections with medical journals recently, divulging financial relationships with health care companies that they did not previously disclose.

October 12, 2018 Health Policy

Being born in the wrong ZIP code can shorten your life

Babies born 10 miles apart can see a life expectancy difference of almost 33 years.

October 12, 2018 Dementia / Injury Prevention / Seniors

Dementia And Guns: When Should Doctors Broach The Topic?

Why don’t doctors talk to patients about guns? Lack of time, being unsure what to say and believing patients won’t heed their advice.

October 12, 2018 Medicare / Seniors

Beware of Medicare enrollment scams

Open enrollment for Medicare starts soon. That means we’re starting to see scammers try to trick consumers into buying illegal products.

October 11, 2018 Brain and Nervous System / Infectious Disease

Sixth case of ‘polio-like’ illness reported in Washington child.

A sixth child is reported to have paralyzing condition called acute flaccid paralysis. All cases have had sudden onset of paralysis in one or more limbs.

Obama's signature on the Affordable Care Act

October 11, 2018 Health Insurance

Obamacare Premiums Dip For First Time. Some Call It A Correction

Administration officials claimed credit for the price drop, saying it was due to their actions to make changes to the law. Health policy experts are skeptical.

October 11, 2018 Medicare

Medicare 2019 open enrollment starts Oct. 15 – Get help in your local community

The Washington state Insurance Commissioner’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program is ready to provide Medicare counseling help in your local community.

October 11, 2018 Drugs / Health Costs

No More Secrets: Congress Bans Pharmacist ‘Gag Orders’ On Drug Prices

When the cash price for a prescription is less than what you would pay using your insurance plan, pharmacists will no longer have to keep that a secret.

October 11, 2018 Infectious Disease / Research

Meet the trillions of viruses that make up your virome

Every surface of our body – inside and out – is covered in microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi and many other microscopic life forms.

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October 11, 2018 Medicare

Medicare open enrollment begins October 15

Did you know you have choices in how you get Medicare hospital, medical, and prescription drug coverage? Open Enrollment is your chance to compare your options.

October 10, 2018 Brain and Nervous System / Child Health / Infectious Disease

Five children hospitalized with sudden onset paralysis in Washington state.

All cases are among infants and children under age six who all reportedly had symptoms of a respiratory illness in the week prior to developing symptoms of “acute flaccid paralysis.”

October 9, 2018 Addiction

Black Market For Suboxone Gives Some A Glimpse Of Recovery

A Suboxone black market exists in part because addiction treatment can be hard to find.

October 9, 2018 Healthcare Providers

Spurred By Convenience, Millennials Often Spurn The ‘Family Doctor’ Model

Millennials’ preferences for convenience, fast service, connectivity and price transparency — are upending the time-honored model of office-based primary care.

October 8, 2018 Health Costs / Healthcare Providers / Medicare

Medicare Advantage Plans Shift Their Financial Risk To Doctors

Insurers are shifting the financial risk of costly patients to physician-management companies. giving them more money upfront and control over patient care.