JoNel Aleccia, Kaiser Health News When Patrick Mannion heard about the Michigan woman denied a heart transplant because she couldn’t afford the anti-rejection drugs, he knew what she was up against. On social media posts of a letter that went viral last month, Hedda Martin, 60, of Grand Rapids, was informed that she was not…
The manufacturer of a common children’s over-the-counter pain medication is pulling some of its products off the shelves of several big box and discount stores amid concerns that the products might be too potent for infants to take. Late Wednesday night, Tris Pharma announced a voluntary recall of three lots of its infants’ liquid ibuprofen…
By Araceli Gómez-Aldana Side Effects Public Media Smoking looks a lot different these days. It’s been on the decline, due to restrictions at work and in bars and restaurants. But there is one segment—teenagers who use e-cigarettes—that is growing fast. And health experts are worried about the consequences. In the same way Facebook became a…
Jordan Rau, Kaiser Health News The federal government announced plans Friday to crack down on nursing homes with abnormally low weekend staffing by requiring more surprise inspections be done on Saturdays and Sundays. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it will identify nursing homes for which payroll records indicate low weekend staffing…
Anna Gorman, Kaiser Health News The number of people hospitalized because of amphetamine use is skyrocketing in the United States, but the resurgence of the drug largely has been overshadowed by the nation’s intense focus on opioids. Amphetamine-related hospitalizations jumped by about 245 percent from 2008 to 2015, according to a recent study in the…
When Liz Tidyman’s elderly parents moved across the country to be closer to their children and grandchildren years ago, they carried their medical records with them in a couple of brown cardboard folders tied with string. Two days after their arrival, Tidyman’s father fell, which hadn’t happened before, and went to a hospital for an…
By Michelle Andrews Don’t procrastinate. Most consumers who buy their own insurance on the federal health insurance marketplace face a Dec. 15 deadline. Advocates are reminding these customers that if they miss the deadline, they may not have a plan that starts in January 2019. Despite repeated efforts by Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care…
Lung cancer is commonly associated with people who smoke, but the reality is not everyone who smokes gets cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women (not counting skin cancer) and is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising U.S. consumers not to eat any romaine lettuce and as it may be contaminated with E. coli. Thirty-two people, including 13 who have been hospitalized, have been infected with the outbreak strain in 11 states, according to the CDC. One of the hospitalized people developed hemolytic…
Jennie-O Turkey recalled packages of ground turkey in a salmonella outbreak, and regulators say additional products from other companies could be named as their investigation continues. The recall was the first — not counting pet food — tied to a widespread and ongoing outbreak that has resulted in one death and 164 reported illnesses in…
By Isaiah Seibert, Side Effects A number of states, including Wisconsin, have tied Medicaid coverage to work requirements. But legal challenges have followed — a sucessful attempt to stop the program in Kentucky, an ongoing lawsuit in Arkansas and possibly more to come. The first substantive arguments were filed last week in a lawsuit against Arkansas’…
The United States Food and Drug Administration is recalling the blood pressure medication losartan after finding contamination that could cause cancer. The FDA and Sandoz announced on Friday that the Novartis unit is recalling one lot of losartan that was manufactured by its Lek Pharmaceuticals unit in Ljubljana, Slovenia, because its contains N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), a suspected…
While November is American Diabetes Month, health experts advise one of the most important facts to know about type 2 diabetes — a disease of high blood sugar — is this: You could have it and not know it. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly and can be subtle. And many people with the…
By Richard Gunderman, Chancellor’s Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University This year marks the 100th anniversary of the great influenza pandemic of 1918. Between 50 and 100 million people are thought to have died, representing as much as 5 percent of the world’s population. Half a billion people were infected. Especially remarkable…
WAUSAU — “Look Good … Feel Better” is a free, national public service program to help cancer patients cope with the possible appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Local beauticians offer help with wigs and make-up application to help restore self-confidence and self-esteem. Meetings take place on the third Monday of every month and are…
Julie Rovner, Kaiser Health News Voters this year have told pollsters in no uncertain terms that health care is important to them. In particular, maintaining insurance protections for preexisting conditions is the top issue to many. But the results of the midterm elections are likely to have a major impact on a broad array of…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal website where consumers can get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is up and running after a slow start as sign-up season for 2019 opened days before the midterm elections. During early morning hours Thursday, people accessing the site were directed to a screen that said work was underway.…
(Merrill, WI)- The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health (WORH) has selected Ascension Good Samaritan Hospital as the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Rural Health Award in recognition of the facilities innovative approach to help those in their rural community, according to a news release. Two of Ascension Good Samaritan’s programs and the effort…
By Shereen Siewert The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday that there are 191 patients under investigation so far this year for acute flaccid myelitis, a polio-like condition that that can cause paralysis and mostly affects children. Of these, 72 have been confirmed by the CDC in 24 states, and the remainder…
By Patricia Foster, Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University The 2017-2018 flu season was historically severe. Public health officials estimate that 900,000 Americans were hospitalized and 80,000 died from the flu and its complications. For comparison, the previous worst season from the past decade, 2010-2011, saw 56,000 deaths. In a typical season, 30,000 Americans die.…
