You know the old expression, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” I sometimes feel that way about the high cost of health care. But Dr. Marty Makary, author of the new book about America’s health care system — The Pri… Continue reading
When Celeste Jordan, 70, was admitted to a New York hospital for removal of a parathyroid gland (tiny glands in the neck), her daughter, Jasmine Pearlman, was by her side. The parathyroidectomy treated only one of Jordan’s many medical conditions, and … Continue reading
Have you ever wondered how pharmaceutical companies decide whether that pill you take costs $3 or $3,000? Or why some new drug, or a potentially life-enhancing procedure, may not be covered under your insurance plan? In the U.S., the Food and Drug Admi… Continue reading
Some 85% of people over 60 use prescription drugs, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Yet, older people are not well represented in clinical trials, the gold standard for testing the safety and efficacy of medications, the N… Continue reading
In its effort to temper the sky-high prices Americans pay for many vital medications, the Trump administration in July unveiled a plan that would legalize the importation of selected prescription drugs from countries where they sell for far less. But t… Continue reading
All 10 Democratic candidates for president who’ve qualified for the debate on Thursday, September 12 have voiced support for various pieces of legislation to lower drug prices. Some of their ideas even align with proposals from President Donald Trump, … Continue reading
As people get older, they’re more likely to need medications on a regular basis to manage one or more chronic conditions. Some of these medications fall into a class known as anticholinergics and may not be ideal to take for long periods because they c… Continue reading
(This piece was originally published by the Association of Health Care Journalists and is being republished with permission.) Experts on aging are sounding the alarm about another U.S. drug crisis: Too many older adults taking too many medications. Thi… Continue reading
(For this analysis of the first national debates with Democrats running for president in 2020, the public media websites of Next Avenue and Rewire joined forces. Next Avenue’s audience is older Americans and Rewire’s is younger Americans. So, as editor… Continue reading
(Update: On July 8, 2019, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration order that would have required drug companies to include prices in their TV ads. A Health and Human Services spokeswoman said the administration “will be working with the Depart… Continue reading