Public Policy & Medical Economics

(HealthDay)—Insurance coverage for acupuncturist visits increased from 2010 to 2019, but most costs are paid out of pocket, according to a research letter published online Jan. 12 in JAMA Network Open.... Read more

Jay Reinstein and Michele Hall wouldn't seem to most people like they would be in danger of suffering from a disease typically associated with aging.... Read more

The crisis sociology research group of the University of Tartu Institute of Social Studies and European researchers studied how the care organizations of nine European countries coped during the coronavirus crisis, showing their resilience in providing support to people who had fallen into economic difficulties during the crisis or were... Read more

The NSW government this week decreed that anyone returning a positive COVID-19 reading using a rapid antigen test must report their result (through the Service NSW app or website). Failing to do so can result in a $1,000 fine.... Read more

Even though clinical trials haven't shown it works against COVID-19, doctors continue to prescribe ivermectin—and a new study suggests health insurers are heavily subsidizing the cost of those prescriptions.... Read more

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has assessed the prevalence of common mental health problems experienced by people from ethnic minority backgrounds and investigated the longstanding treatment inequalities experienced in these groups.... Read more

JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s annual healthcare conference in San Francisco, which will wrap up on Thursday, has long been considered the industry's flagship event. Executives flock to outline priorities for the year ahead, or set plans in motion behind closed doors. It's a stage on which to announce deals or... Read more

The Red Cross is currently experiencing what it's calling "the worst blood shortage in over a decade."... Read more

Prostate cancer is the second deadliest cancer in men in the United States. The incidence of prostate cancer in Black men is nearly 60% greater than the incidence in white men. The mortality rate for prostate cancer in Black men is more than double that of other race/ethnic groups. It... Read more

On Jan. 10, 2022, the Biden Administration issued guidance requiring private insurers to cover colonoscopy when needed as a follow-up to a non-invasive colorectal cancer screening test. This will prevent patients from receiving surprise bills for a colonoscopy when they receive a positive result from a stool-based test.  ... Read more

(HealthDay)—A program to offer high-quality face masks to Americans is being weighed by the Biden administration as a way to help slow the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.... Read more

(HealthDay)—President Joe Biden plans to announce Thursday that a "surge" of U.S. military medical personnel will soon be deployed to hospitals struggling with staff shortages amid soaring COVID-19 cases.... Read more

A recent report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) finds that much needs to be done if we want to be prepared to respond to a potential influenza pandemic, particularly when it comes to manufacturing and distributing flu vaccines.... Read more

In 2020, when COVID-19 infection rates were at their peak, the world looked to science and global cooperation to find a vaccine that would prevent further illness and deaths.... Read more

As the pandemic stretches into its third year, people around the globe have benefitted from cutting-edge vaccines that have prevented infection with COVID-19 or mitigated its impact. Yet, vaccine access has not been distributed evenly across populations. In the United States, data show significant disparities in vaccine adoption among more... Read more