Advocates call on lawmakers to increase DSP wages
Advocates took to Springfield Wednesday to call on more support for those who work with the intellectual and developmental disability community. Several lawmakers joined members of AFSCME Council 31 to support a $2 per hour wage increase for direct service personnel. “An investment in DSP wages is an investment in improving the lives of people […]
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 […]
Five Companies Sign Agreement to Participate in National Health Data-Sharing Network
WASHINGTON — Five healthcare companies took another step toward becoming part of a nationwide network to exchange patient health information on Tuesday. “I feel like we’re watching the Big Bang occur in 2023,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said during an event held at HHS headquarters here. He congratulated “the entities who stepped up early to […]
COVID Upended Bronchiolitis Admission Patterns in Kids
Pediatric bronchiolitis hospitalizations took a brief downturn during the pandemic before consistently rising thereafter, with seasonal patterns yet to return to normal, a nationwide study found. After admissions plummeted by 69.2% in the 2020-2021 season, the subsequent 2022-2023 season tracked at 75.3% above the pre-pandemic median. Patients who were ages 12 to 23 months saw […]
This 1 Habit May Help Reduce The Risk Of Dementia In Older Adults
Hinterhaus Productions via Getty Images A new study found that people who took adult education classes have a lower risk of developing dementia. There are certain habits, like exercising and eating nutritious foods, that are synonymous with healthy aging. A new, large-scale study highlights another method that middle-aged and older adults should also add to […]
U.S. Suicides Hit All-Time High In 2022
NEW YORK (AP) — About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which posted the numbers, has not yet calculated a suicide rate for the year, but available data suggests suicides are more […]
Family Of Henrietta Lacks Settles With Biotech Company Accused Of Profiting From Her Cells
BALTIMORE (AP) — More than 70 years after doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cells without her knowledge, a lawyer for her descendants said they have reached a settlement with a biotechnology company they sued in 2021, accusing its leaders of reaping billions of dollars from a racist medical system. Tissue taken […]
John Fetterman Describes Deep Depression After Dr. Oz Debate: ‘I Wasn’t Functional’
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) says his mental health took a sharp turn for the worse last year after he struggled during a nationally televised debate against his opponent in the Senate race, Mehmet Oz. The Pennsylvania politician, 53, opened up about his personal experience with depression in an interview alongside his wife, Gisele Fetterman, published […]
Medicare Advantage Plans Take Top Spot in Shkreli Awards
Medicare Advantage plans took the top spot in this year’s Shkreli Awards, the annual list from the Lown Institute that calls attention to some of healthcare’s most greedy and unethical behavior. The plans’ penchant for defrauding or overbilling Medicare by an estimated $25 billion in 2020 alone by saying beneficiaries were much sicker than they […]
Celine Dion’s Stiff-Person Syndrome
Singer Celine Dion, 54, took to Instagram this week to tell fans that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called stiff-person syndrome. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve […]