New study raises concerns about the safety of long-term ADHD medication treatment in children
A recent study by the University of Turku and the University of Helsinki in Finland and the Finnish Social Insurance Institution Kela reveals that the average duration of ADHD medication for children and adolescents is more than three years. However, reliable, controlled data on the safety of marketed ADHD medicines in children are available for […]
Dining Out? Check the Bill for a ‘Health Insurance’ Surcharge
A restaurant in Atlanta took some heat on social media for adding a 4% health insurance surcharge to customers’ bills, but it wasn’t the first and likely won’t be the last. Restaurant owner Emily Chan told CNN that the fee covered almost all health insurance costs for employees. “We feel like there’s a pretty huge […]
Impaired Neurodevelopment in Preemies Screened for Retinopathy: Nature or Nurture?
Having public health insurance was associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment among infants screened for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a retrospective cohort study suggested. In a diverse cohort of 706 premature neonates, public heath insurance was associated with an increased risk of moderate to severe neurodevelopmental impairment in cognitive and language domains, and […]
How Can the U.S. Achieve Universal Coverage? With a Two-Part Plan, Expert Says
What’s the best way to ensure that everyone in the U.S. has health insurance and access to care? Amy Finkelstein, PhD, who has studied health economics for 20 years, is pretty sure she finally knows the answer. After her father-in-law challenged her to tell him what was needed to fix the healthcare system, Finkelstein, at […]
UnitedHealthcare in the Hot Seat Over GI Procedure ‘Advance Notification’ Policy
Provider groups shared varied reactions to changes that insurance giant UnitedHealthcare is making to its policies for coverage of various gastroenterology procedures, including colonoscopies. In January, UnitedHealthcare informed providers that beginning June 1, it would be instituting a prior authorization policy. According to the proposed policy — which was previously on the insurer’s website and […]
Insurance Loss After Pregnancy Tied to Less Postpartum Prescription Contraception
BALTIMORE — Women who lost insurance coverage shortly after pregnancy had lower odds of prescription contraception after giving birth than women with continuous insurance, survey data from nearly 250,000 people showed. Compared with continuous insurance, the likelihood of postpartum prescription contraception was 26% lower with loss of insurance 2 months or more after delivery (adjusted […]
Affordable Care Act Enrollment Just Hit A New Record High
More than 16 million Americans have signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, setting a new record, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday. The private plans at HealthCare.gov and state-run marketplaces like Covered California are designed for people who can’t get affordable coverage through an employer and whose incomes are too high […]
State Insurance Mandates Don’t Improve Racial Disparities in ART Live Births
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Insurance mandates for fertility treatment with donor oocytes may improve overall live birth rates, but the current policies fail to reduce racial disparities in assisted reproductive treatment (ART), according to a retrospective study. Overall, state insurance requirements for coverage of donor oocytes were linked to a 10% increase in the odds of […]
GOP Objections Kill Proposed Cap On Insulin Costs In Private Insurance
A proposal to cap insulin costs for people with private insurance won’t be part of the sweeping climate and health care legislation that Senate Democrats are about to pass after Republicans moved to strip it out of the bill on Sunday. The Democratic proposal needed 60 votes to survive, but only seven Republicans joined the […]
The Uninsured Rate Is Down, Just In Time For Congress To Debate Health Care Again
The percentage of Americans without health insurance has fallen again, according to a government study released early Thursday. But whether that progress continues will depends greatly on what happens in Congress in the next few weeks. The study was a long-planned, regular update to the National Health Insurance Survey, one of several tools that government […]