Dentists seek greater Medicaid reimbursement for pediatric care
Illinois dentists are asking lawmakers to increase the Medicaid dental reimbursement rates they receive for pediatric care.
Whooping Cough Cases Far Outpacing Last Year’s as Measles Illnesses Continue to Spread
April 30, 2025 Pertussis Cases Increase During Worst Measles Outbreak in Decades Amid the worst measles outbreak Texas has seen in over 30 years; pertussis cases are spiking as well. While over 650 cases of measles have been reported in the state (nearly 900 cases nationwide), Texas’ cases of pertussis – or whooping cough – are outpacing […]
After Lariat LAA Ligater Disappoints in aMAZE, is a Path Ahead Still Possible?
Adjunctive left atrial appendage (LAA) ligation failed to increase the efficacy of catheter pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in the aMAZE trial, though it appeared safe enough for further clinical investigation. In a population of people with nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation (Afib), LAA ligation plus PVI was associated with no better primary effectiveness by 12 months — […]
Increasing BMI in Kids Tied to 100% Fruit Juice Consumption
Daily consumption of 100% fruit juice was associated with a small increase in body mass index (BMI) in children, while an association between consumption and weight gain among adults appeared mixed, a systematic review and meta-analysis found. In prospective cohort studies involving kids, each 8-oz serving of 100% fruit juice was associated with a 0.03 […]
Scientists identify how dietary restriction slows brain aging and increases lifespan
Restricting calories is known to improve health and increase lifespan, but much of how it does so remains a mystery, especially in regard to how it protects the brain. Buck scientists have uncovered a role for a gene called OXR1 that is necessary for the lifespan extension seen with dietary restriction and is essential for […]
Testosterone for Hypogonadism Cleared So Far of Prostate Cancer Risk
Men treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for hypogonadism didn’t have an increase in adverse prostate events, the TRAVERSE trial found. Over a mean follow-up of 33 months, those who used topical 1.62% testosterone gel had a 0.19% incidence of high-grade prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥4 + 3), similar to the 0.12% among placebo-treated men […]
Health Spending Rose 4.1% in 2022, Government Report Says
Health spending in the U.S. rose by 4.1% — to $4.5 trillion — in 2022, up from a 3.2% increase in 2021 but not as much as the 10.6% growth seen in 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Wednesday. The lower growth in 2021 and 2022 compared with 2020 was largely […]
MedPAC Draft Recommendation Calls for 1.3% Pay Bump for Medicare Clinicians
Physicians who treat Medicare patients would get about a 1.3% pay increase in 2025 under a draft chairman’s recommendation released Thursday by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). That figure represents half of the projected 2.6% increase in the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), a measure of the costs of running a medical practice, Brian O’Donnell, […]
Vitamin C Flops for Severe COVID-19
Intravenous vitamin C did little to increase days free of organ support in adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19, two harmonized clinical trials known as LOVIT-COVID and REMAP-CAP found. Among critically ill patients given vitamin C, the median number of organ-support free days was 7 versus 10 in the control group, with an adjusted OR of […]
House Members Mull Bills to Cut Red Tape and Improve Docs’ Medicare Pay
A House hearing on ways to increase payments and cut red tape for physicians who treat Medicare patients also included a discussion over whether Republicans wanted to cut Medicare benefits for seniors. “Just yesterday, in a speech on the House floor nominating [Rep.] Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as their candidate for Speaker, Republicans expressed concern with […]