NEW YORK (Reuters)—Three hospitals in New York’s Mount Sinai Health System will pay $2.95 million to settle Medicaid fraud charges for taking two years to repay more than $844,000 of improper billings that had been flagged by a whistleblower, authorities say on Wednesday. The accord resolves claims that Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St….
Articles by Natasha Yetman
Placebo Outperforms Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee OA
(Reuters Health)—Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are not more beneficial than placebo treatments for patients with knee osteoarthritis, a recent trial suggests. In a double-blind study, researchers investigated the efficacy of a medicine that delivered both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. The 164 participants all had osteoarthritis and moderate to severe knee pain. Half the participants…
Can Anything Contain Drug Costs in the U.S.?
(Reuters Health)—The U.S., which spends more on drugs than any other country, might contain costs by limiting market exclusivity for brand name medicines and changing coverage requirements for government health plans, some doctors argue. Although brand-name drugs account for only 10% of all dispensed prescriptions in the U.S., they make up 72% of drug spending,…
A Morphine Alternative with Less Overdose Risk?
(Reuters Health)—Scientists are testing an experimental drug that’s designed to have the painkilling power of morphine without some of the side effects that can lead to overdose deaths. Initial results in mice with the compound known for now as PZM21 suggest it might be less addictive than morphine and other opiate painkillers and avoid respiratory…
Aetna CEO Warned It Would Cut Obamacare If Humana Deal Was Blocked
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Aetna Inc.’s CEO said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) during the review of its deal to buy rival Humana Inc that the insurer would exit much of the individual Obamacare insurance market if the agency challenged the merger. In the July 5 letter, Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini…
Aetna Pulls Back on Obamacare Health Insurance Plans in 2017
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Aetna Inc., the No. 3 U.S. health insurer, on Monday said that due to persistent financial losses on Obamacare plans, it will sell individual insurance on the government-run online marketplaces in only four states next year, down from the current 15 states. Aetna’s decision follows similar moves from UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Humana…
Senior Drivers Taking Opioid Painkillers Have Higher Crash Risk
(Reuters Health)—Seniors who get behind the wheel soon after starting to use narcotic pain relievers have twice the risk of getting into a serious car crash as their peers who use non-opioid painkillers, Swedish researchers say. Senior drivers who’d been using opioid painkillers regularly for several months also had higher odds of getting into accidents,…
Most Seniors Won’t Abuse Opioids After Surgery
(Reuters Health)—Seniors who receive prescriptions for opioid drugs to control pain after major surgery don’t usually end up addicted to them, research from Canada shows. One year after having major surgery, less than 1% of patients over age 66 were still taking opioids, according to a report in JAMA Surgery. Recent research has suggested the…
Mesoblast Cell Treatment Shows Promise in Rheumatoid Arthritis
(Reuters)—Mesoblast Ltd. on Monday said its experimental stem-cell treatment led to significant improvements of symptoms and disease activity in patients whose rheumatoid arthritis had stopped being helped by widely used biotech medicines, according to data from a mid-stage trial. Treatment with the Australian company’s mesenchymal precursor cell (MPC) product, MPC-300-IV, was deemed well tolerated with…
Health Has Improved in States That Expanded Low-Income Insurance Options
(Reuters Health)—In states that expanded either their Medicaid programs or private insurance options for low-income Americans, beneficiaries used more outpatient and preventive care and less emergency care. They also had better subjective overall health, compared with low-income residents of states with no expanded coverage. All states participate in Medicaid, a partnership with the federal government…
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- …
- 97
- Next Page »