Health Care Cost

Flood exposure was more strongly associated with increased health care use and cost during the summer months and among Medicare beneficiaries aged 85 or older.

Older, generic medications, including ones for cyclosporine, nicotinamide, and dapsone, can effectively treat patients with various dermatological conditions while helping to reduce insurance and cost barriers.

Physicians are more likely to order respiratory pathogen testing since the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting testing rates and costs.

The Center on Health Equity & Access delves into the latest research, policy shifts, and expert viewpoints on advancing equity and improving access to care.

Time costs, often overlooked in health care, create economic burdens for patients and caregivers, impacting income and well-being.

Delays in receiving coverage for essential medications like insulin and albuterol can worsen symptoms, increase costs, and add stress for patients.

The Center on Health Equity & Access explores recent research, policy, and expert perspectives on equity and care access.

Higher telemedicine adoption among Medicare beneficiaries was associated with a slight increase in total visits but a reduction in certain low-value tests and related spending.

President Donald J. Trump pushed for significant health care changes during his first month back in office, through executive orders affecting managed care, drug pricing, and clinical trial diversity guidance.

As enrollment shifts to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace following the unwinding of Medicaid and the Trump administration begins to implement health policy changes, Molly Dean, MSW, Siftwell's policy advisor, shares insight on how to adapt.

The executive order calls for recommendations on how to expand access and reduce costs for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

For this retrospective study, the authors examined data on more than 3 million screening mammographies for more than 1 million female patients; of the screenings, 23.6% had abnormal results and only 6.7% were recommended for biopsy.

The Center on Health Equity & Access strives to improve health care delivery and outcomes by addressing disparities through education, training, frontline insights, and evidence-based approaches.

Service utilization is the biggest factor behind spending variation, with prices, disease prevalence, and demographics playing smaller roles.

Expert perspectives shed light on complex care and prior authorization. Despite DEI rollbacks under the new administration, disparities are still prevalent in health care and research.

During the unwinding of continuous Medicaid provisions, 8.7% of pediatric patients at community-based health organizations became uninsured, with higher rates among older children, females, and those with chronic medical conditions.

The removal of FDA guidance on clinical trial diversity and related anti–diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) actions may hinder progress toward equitable health care, impacting workforce diversity, patient outcomes, and research.

Access and affordability are among the top priorities in health care for Americans who participated in the survey.

Abandoning efforts to reform payment for cell and gene therapies for Medicaid beneficiaries could allow ongoing access barriers to persist, said Adam Colborn, JD, of AMCP.

Within the past week, news has emerged from the Trump administration, from the HHS secretary confirmation hearings to retracted FDA guidelines on diversity in clinical trials.

New research highlights the significant health care resource utilization burden of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), revealing higher hospitalizations and costs among patients experiencing flares.

With historical data showing migraine to be underdiagnosed and undertreated, new guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP) encompasses 3 recommendations on treating episodic migraine in adult patients in the outpatient setting.

A polypill for preventing cardiovascular disease has the potential to address health inequities and expand health care access for low-income populations.

This week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr sat before the Senate for 2 separate hearings, to decide the fate of his confirmation as secretary of HHS.

Adam Colborn, JD, of AMCP, discusses the complexities of drug pricing and what policymakers must consider in efforts to reduce prices and increase access.

Adam Colborn, JD, of AMCP, discussed how President Trump's rescission of several Biden-era executive orders may impact Medicaid and Medicare initiatives.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, (R, Louisiana) holds a key vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr's HHS Secretary confirmation. When Cassidy asked for a strategy on Medicare and Medicaid, Kennedy could not provide one.

According to the CDC, frequent consumption of sugary drinks is linked to adverse health outcomes that include obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, nonalcoholic liver disease, and gout.

Amazon Pharmacy's RxPass program shows promise in boosting medication adherence and reducing costs, according to a study.

Highlights from last week include President Trump's executive orders, the FDA approval of esketamine nasal spray for depression, mental health access through Medicaid Managed Care, the impact of travel time on surgical outcomes, and life expectancy disparities.