CARBON RULES COULD CUT ASTHMA COSTS
The Obama administration's plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal-fired power plants could help poor and minority communities that disproportionately suffer the health consequences of exposure to air pollutants. Read more here.
TELEMEDICINE DETECTS EYE PROBLEMS, BUT DOCTORS MUST PREPARE FOR MORE PATIENTS
Setting up a telemedicine screening option for patients in primary care clinics can catch many potential eye problems early on. Read more here.
PROVIDER SHORTAGE CITED IN DELAYS AT VA HOSPITALS
In Washington, the number of lawmakers in Congress calling for the resignation of Eric Shinseki, the Veterans Affairs secretary, grew by late Thursday to nearly 100 - including almost a dozen Democrats - as President Obama prepared to receive an internal audit on Friday from Mr. Shinseki assessing the breadth of misconduct at veterans hospitals. Read more here.
WHEN HOSPITAL WORKERS GET VACCINES, COMMUNITY FLU RATES FALL, STUDY SHOWS
For every 15 healthcare providers who receive the influenza vaccination, one fewer person in the community will contract an influenza-like illness, according to a study using California public health data. Read more here.
HISPANICS CUT MEDICATION ADHERENCE GAP AFTER MEDICARE PART D LAUNCH
After the 2006 launch of Medicare's prescription drug benefit, Hispanics reduced the gap for taking prescribed heart medicines by more than 15 percentage points. Hispanics, African-Americans and white Medicare participants all improved medication adherence after Part D, with whites continuing to have the highest adherence rate. African-Americans in Medicare appear to have fallen further behind in medication adherence. Read more here.
CHICAGO SUES OVER OPIOD RISKS
The City of Chicago sued several pharmaceutical companies for "misrepresenting the benefits of opioids, a class of highly addictive narcotic painkillers, and concealing the serious health risks associated with these drugs. This deception has led to an increase in prescription painkiller abuse, addiction and overdose that plagues communities in Chicago and in other cities across the country." Click here for a copy of the City's news release. This follows the filing of a similar lawsuit by Orange and Santa Clara (CA) counties in May.
LATEST CMS DATA DROP SHOWS REGIONAL VARIATION IN SPENDING ON INPATIENT, POST-ACUTE CARE
The CMS' release of per capita spending for Medicare beneficiaries shows that some states, particularly in the South, Midwest and mid-Atlantic, are spending significantly more on inpatient and post-acute care than Northern and Western states. Read more here.
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