(Editor’s Note: This story previously appeared on the websites of PBS NewsHour and The Conversation.) More than two-thirds of Americans take dietary supplements. The vast majority of consumers, 84%, are confident the products are safe and effective, ac… Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) When Stacey Richter’s husband recently landed in a New Jersey emergency room, fearing a heart attack, she had an additional reason for alarm: a potential big bill from the hospital if the ER was… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This podcast is from The Not Old – Better Show.) In this episode of The Not Old — Better Show, I interview R. Douglas Fields, an adjunct professor in the neuroscience and cognitive science program at the University of Maryland, College … Continue reading
Change is hard, especially when it comes to health care for you or a loved one. Moving to a new location, switching employer-based health insurance or transitioning to a Medicare Advantage plan can all mean you have to find a new physician. Finding the… Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) Craig Holly was determined to fight when the home health agency caring for his wife decided to cut off services Jan. 18. The reason he was given by an agency nurse? His wife was disabled but sta… Continue reading
I was being wheeled at speed through the corridors of the MedStar Cardiovascular Surgery Center in Washington, D.C. on a stretcher bound for an operating theater. My driver, another Chris, was also to be my anesthetist — so I refrained from commenting … Continue reading
People facing a cancer diagnosis, particularly a late-stage cancer diagnosis, may feel that their locus of control over life has been removed. They are now “patients,” relying on their oncologist, surgeon, radiation therapist and nursing staff. But, co… Continue reading
Last time you visited your doctor, did he or she ask if you felt lonely? Did your doctor inquire about how many friendships you have or ask about how many community groups you are involved with? There’s a growing body of research showing that extended … Continue reading
Integrating social services into medical care helps improve outcomes, prevents costly hospital admissions and lowers cost of care for everyone. Social work professionals have long known this. Now, hospitals and insurers are finally stepping up to deliv… Continue reading
Medicare changed its payment policy for physical, occupational and speech therapy in skilled nursing facilities Oct. 1, 2019, moving to a new system called the Patient-Driven Payment Model (P.D.P.M.). It dramatically altered how companies that provide … Continue reading