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Results for search "Health Care Access / Disparities".

14 Jul

HealthDay Now: Are you being “gaslighted” by your doctor?

HealthDay’s Mabel Jong is joined by Dr. Christine Metz, professor and endometriosis researcher at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, and April Summerford, an endometriosis patient and advocate, to discuss the reasons why women are particularly vulnerable to medical gaslighting and what can be done if you find yourself in this situation.

14 Jul

HealthDay Now: Endometriosis Patients Face Medical “Gaslighting”

HealthDay’s Mabel Jong is joined by Dr. Christine Metz, professor and endometriosis researcher at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, and April Summerford, an endometriosis patient and advocate, to discuss the reasons why women are particularly vulnerable to medical gaslighting and what can be done if you find yourself in this situation.

Health News Results - 390

Child's Hospital Stay Can Cost Plenty, Even With Insurance

When a child is hospitalized, cost may not be the greatest worry but the out-of-pocket expense can be substantial in the United States, even for those with insurance.

A Michigan Medicine study found that U.S. families covered by private insurance s...

IUDs, Contraceptive Implants Tough to Access for Women on Medicaid

People covered by Medicaid insurance may not have easy access to some of the most effective, longer-acting birth control methods, new research claims.

Investigators found that while about 48% of physicians who treat Medicaid patients provided prescription contraception like the birth control pill, only 10% offered longer-acting methods like IUDs and implants. Birth control is considered a...

Florida's Board of Medicine Bans Gender-Affirming Care for Minors. Does the Science Back That Up?

In state after state, doors are quickly slamming shut on the ability of doctors to provide gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The newest restriction is set to take effect Thursday in Florida, where that state’s Board of Medicine decided last month to ban the use of all puberty blockers, hormone therapies and/or surgeries for any patient under 18, whether or not those minors h...

Black Patients Fare Worse With Deadly Lung Disease Pulmonary Fibrosis

Black patients are dying of pulmonary fibrosis, a devastating disease marked by progressive scarring of the lungs, at significantly younger ages than white patients.

A new study probes factors contributing to earlier onset of disease, hospitalization and death in Bl...

Primary Care Visits Shorter, More Prone to Error for Non-White Patients: Study

Do all patients get the same amount of face-to-face time when visiting their primary care doctor?

Apparently not, claims a new study that found Black and Hispanic patients -- as well as patients with public health insurance like Medicaid or Medicare -- tend to get the short end of the stick when it comes to the length of office visits.

In some cases, shorter visits can potentially ...

Poll Finds More Americans Worried About Health Care Understaffing

A growing number of Americans are feeling the effects of the health care staffing crisis in the United States, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll has revealed.

Health care has witnessed the greatest recent increase in consumers affected by staffing shortages, more so than retail, hospitality, education, customer support and manufacturing, poll results show.

More than a third (35%)...

Young Americans Face Rising Rates of Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes

Young adults in the United States carry an increasing burden of heart health risk factors, making it more likely they’ll suffer a heart attack and stroke as they age, a new study warns.

More adults ages 20 to 44 are obese and diabetic than a decade ago, and they are more likely to have poorly controlled blood pressure, according to the study published March 5 in the

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • March 6, 2023
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  • Older Black Men Face Higher Risk of Death After Surgery

    Older Black men are more likely than others to die after surgery, according to a new study.

    Black men have a higher chance of dying within 30 days of surgery compared to Black women and white adults, and their odds of death after elective procedures is 50% higher when compared to white men, researchers found.

    This may be because of the “especially high cumulative amounts of stres...

    Black Patients With Dementia Are Less Likely to Get Appropriate Meds: Study

    When Black patients struggle with dementia, they are less likely to receive helpful medications than their white peers, a new study warns.

    Researchers looked at how often patients received one or more of five classes of medications commonly given to dementia patients living at home.

    The study builds on prior research that has identified a racial gap in use of dementia medicine among...

    Almost Two-Thirds of U.S. Doctors, Nurses Feel Burnt Out at Work: Poll

    America’s health care workforce is under unprecedented strain, and leaders of the medical profession are scrambling to shore up doctors and nurses who are burning out in record numbers.

    Nearly two-thirds (63%) of a nationwide group of doctors and nurses said they are experiencing a moderate or great deal of burnout at work, according to a new HealthDay-Harris Poll online survey...

    Black Patients Face More Screening Delays for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis

    Black women are not getting the tests they need to diagnose uterine cancer early, according to a new study.

    Previous research had found that Black patients are less likely to receive early diagnoses than people from other racial and ethnic groups. The new study showed that it’s because Black women were more likely to face testing delays or to not get recommended tests at all.

    That...

    Allergists Less Likely to Check Black Kids for Eczema

    Doctors have dubbed kids' progression from eczema to asthma the "atopic march," and they know more about how it affects white children than their Black counterparts.

    Research scheduled for presentation at an upcoming meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) sheds new light on racial disparities.

    The atopic march typically begins early in life with ato...

    Emailing Your Doctor Could Soon Cost You

    Email has become an easy and essential form of communication between patients and physicians -- so much so that doctors are deluged daily with messages from patients.

    Now, some hospitals and health systems have started charging for doctors' responses to those messages, depending on the amount of work needed to respond. Only a handful of health systems have started billing for these, and t...

    Seniors' Dental Care Declines After Medicare Kicks In

    Without dental coverage, many American seniors on Medicare stop getting the fillings and crowns they may need, a new study finds.

    The result isn't pretty.

    “Without dental coverage for adults who are eligible [for] Medicare, we are seeing a rise in loss of teeth after age 65 among nearly 1 in 20 adults, which represents millions of Americans,” said

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 9, 2023
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  • Big Changes Are Coming to U.S. Health Care as Pandemic Emergencies Expire

    Americans received unprecedented access to health care during the pandemic, including hassle-free public insurance and free tests, treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

    Now, they need to prepare for most of that to unwind, experts say.

    “Essentially, Congress and the administration moved to a model of universal health coverage for COVID vaccines, treatments and tests” during the ...

    Hispanic, Black Americans on Dialysis Face Higher Risks for Dangerous Infections

    Kidney disease patients on dialysis are 100 times more likely to contract a dangerous blood infection than people not receiving the treatment -- and that risk is borne primarily by Hispanic and Black Americans, U.S. government health officials say.

    Hispanic patients are 40% more likely than white patients to develop a staph bloodstream infection while on dialysis, according to a new

    Pregnant Women in Rural America Often Lack Health Insurance, Upping Risks

    New research suggests that pregnant women and new moms in rural U.S. areas are at greater risk of adverse outcomes, including death, because they are more likely to be uninsured.

    Women living in rural communities had lower rates of uninterrupted health insurance before, during and after pregnancy compared to those in urban areas, a University of Michigan study found.

    “Being uninsu...

    Obamacare Helped Women in Some Southern States Get Better Breast Cancer Care

    The Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid makes it more likely that a woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer earlier rather than at an advanced, harder-to-treat stage, new research suggests.

    Not all U.S. states expanded Medicaid coverage after the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) made it possible in 2010. That's because the Supreme Court made it optional for states ...

    Black Stroke Survivors Less Likely to Get Treated for Complications

    Having a stroke is a life-altering experience, and complications can crop up afterwards, but a new study finds the color of your skin may determine whether you are treated for them.

    In the year following a stroke, Black and Hispanic patients were not treated for common complications as often as white patients were, researchers found.

    "Black patients were less likely to receive...

    U.S. Leads in Health Care Spending, But Is Last for Health Outcomes Among Rich Nations

    The United States spends up to four times more on health care than most wealthy nations, but it doesn't have much to show for it.

    Life expectancy in America continues to decline even though this country spends nearly 18% of its gross domestic product on health care, according to a new

  • Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 31, 2023
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  • Utah Becomes First State to Ban Transgender Health Care for Minors

    Transgender youth in Utah are now blocked from receiving gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy after Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill Saturday that largely bans such care for youth.

    Cox said that the ban was necessary until more research was done o...

    Medicare Will Save U.S. Billions Negotiating Drug Prices

    The U.S. government could save billions every year once Medicare begins negotiating drug prices in 2026, new research suggests.

    The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress last year allows Medicare to bargain with drug companies on the prices of 10 of the highest-priced drugs in 2026 before ...

    U.S. Parents Face Big Disparities in Access to Autism Care Services

    Autism services are harder to find in many of the places where Black, Hispanic and Native American families live, new research shows.

    It's known that there are racial disparities in U.S. families' receipt of autism services — ranging from diagnosis and behavioral therapy to school and community programs.

    The

  • Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 30, 2023
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  • In a First, Medicaid Extends Coverage to Prison Inmates

    Some inmates in California could begin getting certain limited health services, including substance abuse treatment and mental health diagnoses, using Medicaid funds.

    Typically, inmates lose Medicaid coverage while in the prison, jail or juvenile justice system.

    This change will be the first time ever that Medicaid has provided some coverage for inmates, the Associated Press

    Risks for Heart Failure Rise in Rural America

    Adults who live in rural areas, and Black men in particular, are at much higher risk for developing heart failure.

    Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition that develops when the heart fails to pump enough blood for the body’s needs.

    Researchers from the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., an...

    'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli In Trouble Again for Forming New Drug Company

    MONDAY, Jan. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) – “Pharma bro” Martin Shkreli may have violated a judge’s order banning him from being involved in the pharmaceutical industry, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced Friday.

    Shkreli, who was convicted for an illegal scheme to maintain a monopoly on the lifesaving toxoplasmosis drug Daraprim, could now be held in contempt of court for fo...

    Hundreds of Hospitals Could Close Across Rural America

    Hundreds of rural hospitals across the United States are teetering on the edge of closure, with their financial status increasingly in peril, a new report reveals.

    More than 200 rural hospitals are at immediate risk of closure because they aren’t making enough money to cover the rising cost of providing care, and their low financial reserves leave them little margin for error,

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 16, 2023
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  • Black, Hispanic People With Epilepsy Often Miss Out on Latest Meds

    American adults who have epilepsy and are Black or Hispanic are less likely than white adults to be prescribed the latest medications, according to new research.

    “While finding the right medication is often a trial-and-error process that is based on the individual, studies have shown that use of newer medications improves outcomes, and some newer medications have fewer side effects,” ...

    Millions Could Lose Medicaid by April as Pandemic Rules Ease

    Millions of Americans are about to lose Medicaid coverage that they gained — and maintained hassle-free — through the pandemic.

    The end-of-year spending bill that Congress passed will “unwind” a continuous Medicaid enrollment requirement that states had to honor to get additional federal pandemic funds, explained

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 4, 2023
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  • It's Getting Tougher to Afford Health Care, Even With Employer-Sponsored Insurance

    Most working-age Americans get health insurance through their employer, but even they are finding it tougher to afford medical care these days, a new study shows.

    Researchers found that over the past 20 years, a growing number of Americans with job-based health insurance have been skipping medical care due to costs. Women have been particularly hard-hit.

  • Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
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  • December 29, 2022
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  • Black Patients More Likely to Get Riskier Heart Surgeries

    Insured Black patients are less likely to undergo minimally invasive heart valve replacement or repairs -- relatively safe procedures -- than their white counterparts, new research shows.

    Black patients who need a mitral valve replacement are more likely to have operations that involve opening the chest and cutting through the breastbone to reveal the heart, a

  • Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
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  • December 28, 2022
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  • Long Stays Common for Kids Who Visit ERs in Mental Health Crisis

    It's a scenario no parent would ever want to witness: Their child suffers a mental health crisis and is taken to the emergency room, only to have to wait 12 hours or more for the right medical care.

    Sadly, it is what 1 in 5 of these young patients now face, new research finds.

    "For kids with mental health conditions, long waits in the emergency department have been a compounding pr...

    Language Barriers Hold Back Many Asian Americans From Good Health Care

    Many Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults may have trouble accessing health care and insurance because of language barriers, a new analysis indicates.

    In a new repor...

    U.S. Men's Race, Residence Could Raise Odds for Fatal Prostate Cancer

    The color of his skin and where he lives may influence an American man's odds of dying from prostate cancer, a new study reveals.

    Black men and men living in the Western United States face the most dire prognosis, American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers report.

    "Why prostate cancer mortality is so high in the Western region, including California, despite lower incidence rates over...

    Homelessness Can More Than Double Odds of Fatal COVID-19

    Homeless people in California's largest county are more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as the general population, a new study finds.

    Researchers from the county, UCLA and the University of Southern California found that homeless people in Los Angeles County who contracted the virus were 2.35 times more likely to die, suggesting that homelessness is a unique risk factor for...

    Obamacare May Have Helped Extend Lives of Young Cancer Patients

    Young adults with cancer, especially those who are Hispanic or Black, had better outcomes because of coverage available to them under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

    New research explored the impact of Medicaid coverage under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, linking it to with better survival for 18- to 39-ye...

    Higher Price Tag Doesn't Guarantee Better Quality Joint Replacement: Study

    The prices that health insurers agree to pay for joint replacement surgery vary widely and are unrelated to conventional measures of the quality of care.

    That's the conclusion of a new study that found who is footing the bill is the biggest influence on the price tag.

    Total joint replacements (TJR) — especially of knees and hips — are the most common in-hospital surgeries for U....

    FDA Updates Guidance on ‘Morning After' Pill, Making Clear It Does Not Cause Abortions

    For many years, Plan B One-Step and it generic equivalents — collectively known as “morning after” pills to prevent a pregnancy -- included information in packaging that suggested that the pill might work by interrupting the implantation of a fertilized egg into the womb.

    There was, however, no scientific evidence that that was the case, experts have long contended.

    With the ...

    When Rural Hospitals Close, Nearby Hospitals Suffer

    When rural hospitals shut down people need to go elsewhere, and a new study finds that nearby hospitals bear the strain of that patient overflow.

    "Previous studies have shown that rural hospital closures can have negative health consequences for the communities they serve," said researcher Daniel George, an associate p...

    Many U.S. Women Must Travel Far to Get Mammograms

    Many American women have to travel long distances to reach the nearest mammography center, a new study finds -- raising questions about whether that keeps some from receiving breast cancer screening.

    Researchers found that 8.2 million women had limited access to mammography screening in 2022 -- defined as living more than a 20-minute drive to the nearest facility. That was up from 7.5 mil...

    States That Restrict Abortions Have More Maternal, Infant Deaths

    In U.S. states with more restrictive abortion policies, rates of pregnant women, new mothers and infants dying were higher, a new report finds.

    The analysis, conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, found that states with heavily restricted...

    Insulin Pumps Ease Diabetes Care. So Why Are Black Patients Less Likely to Get One?

    Insulin pumps can help folks with type 1 diabetes get better control of their disease and minimize how often they inject insulin, and use of the devices has taken off in the past 20 years.

    That's the good news from a new study.

    The not-so-great news is that a large gap in wh...

    Black Patients More Likely to Need Emergency Surgery for Colon Cancer

    Black patients are more likely than their white peers to need emergency surgery for colon cancer, which increases their risk for complications and death, study authors say.

    "Overall, these results suggest that racial and ethnic differences persist" among colon cancer patients, and "these differences likely contribute to disparities in postoperative outcomes among these groups," said firs...

    Race, Income Can Determine Blood Cancer Outcomes, Studies Show

    If someone is stricken with a blood cancer or life-threatening clot, they'll probably fare better if they are white and wealthy, three new studies show.

    The ongoing impact of patient race and income to medical outcomes was in the spotlight Saturday in New Orleans at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

    In one study, a team led by

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • December 12, 2022
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  • Black Patients With Brain Tumors Less Likely to Get Surgery Than Whites

    Black patients with brain tumors may be less likely to have surgery recommended to them than white patients are, according to a large U.S. study.

    The research, which looked at two national databases, found that on average, Black patients were less likely to have surgery recommended for any of four types of brain tumor. That included three considered benign (non-cancerous) and one that is ...

    'How Can I Prevent Heart Disease?' Docs Give Different Answers to Men, Women

    Doctors give men and women different advice to head off heart disease, even though guidelines for both are the same.

    Men were 20% more likely to be prescribed statins to lower blood levels of bad cholesterol compared with women, a new study found.

    Women, meanwhile, were 27% more likely to be advised to lose weight or reduce their salt intake, and 38% more likely to receive recommen...

    Cost of Epilepsy Meds Continues to Soar

    Costs for epilepsy medications in the United States are skyrocketing, outpacing inflation and straining federal insurers Medicare and Medicaid, according to new research.

    Spending on antiseizure medications more than doubled in eight years for the government insurers, largely because of third-generation and brand-name drugs, the study found.

    "While it's very important that Medicare ...

    On World AIDS Day, White House Announces Plan to End Epidemic by 2030

    The United States will renew its focus on ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030, with new funding and a five-year strategy, the White House said Thursday.

    The Biden administration announced its ambitious p...

    The 'Great Resignation' Is Taking a Toll on U.S. Health Care

    The nationwide shortage of health care professionals -- a so-called "Great Resignation" of providers -- is impacting patient care in ways large and small, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll shows.

    One in four Americans (25%) have noticed or personally experienced the impact of staffing shortages in health care, second only to staff shortages in the retail sector (35%), the poll found.

    Black Patients Fare Worse Than White Patients After Angioplasty, Stents

    Black adults who undergo a common procedure to open up clogged arteries are readmitted to the hospital more often than their white peers. They're also more likely to die in the years after treatment, a new study finds.

    Researchers looked at how patients fared following balloon angioplasty and coronary stenting -- "one of the most common cardiovascular procedures performed in the U.S....

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