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☆ Weight loss drug Wegovy is now approved for heart health — but that won't mean broad insurance coverage just yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The blockbuster drug — one of a handful of weight loss treatments to skyrocket in popularity over the last year — is now approved in the U.S. for heart health, too. The spokesperson added that state Medicaid programs would be required to cover Wegovy for its new cardiovascular use. But Gremminger said the standard of care for the long-term use of weight loss drugs is "in flux." State employees will no longer have insurance coverage for GLP-1s when used for weight loss at the beginning of next month. Both drugmakers have launched programs to help patients, with or without commercial insurance coverage, afford their weight loss treatments.

Persons: Klesty, John Crable, Wegovy, Jaime Almandoz, Joe Buglewicz, Shawn Gremminger, Hartley, Gremminger, Dale Folwell, We've, Folwell, Phelan M, Eli Lilly, Ceci Connolly, Julie Stich Organizations: Reuters, Novo Nordisk, CNBC, Medicare, Services, FDA, CVS, Aetna, International Foundation of Employee, Drug Administration, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Washington Post, Getty, National Alliance of Healthcare, Taft, Nordisk, Nordisk's Ozempic, GOP, Carolina, Republican Governors Association, AP, Alliance of Community Health, U.S . Health, IFEBP, BMI Locations: U.S, Novo, Dallas, North Carolina, Orlando , Florida

☆ Venture capital firm's plan to buy nonprofit hospital system has Ohio community on edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

In late 2022, Harrison joined venture firm General Catalyst, which has backed tech highfliers like Stripe, Snap and Airbnb . This is the first holistic transformation of a health system to a thoughtful combination of digital and in-person care." "It just makes people a little nervous, and it doesn't feel quite aligned with this concept of health care being a human right." To revolutionize how we care for patients, we in health care are doing the same." "This is not like a turnaround, this is not a distressed system," Harrison said.

Persons: Marc Harrison, who's, Astrid Stawiarz, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, He's, screeds, Harrison, Catalyst, HATCo, Fitch, Ceci Connolly, Connolly, She's, Freddy Krueger, John Bass, Bass, he's, Chris Bischoff, Bischoff, it's, Harrison isn't, Michael Greeley, Greeley, Beaumont, Cliff Deveny, hadn't, Deveny, Ben Sutton, Sutton, Shammas Malik, James Hardy, Hardy, Mayor Malik, Malik, we've, Capital's Greeley, Catalyst's Organizations: Healthy, CNBC, Intermountain Healthcare, Catalyst, Summa Health, Health Assurance Transformation Corporation, Summa Health Medina, Urban Institute, Fitch Ratings, Alliance of Community Health, General Catalyst, HCA Healthcare, University of California Davis Health, Intermountain, Flare Capital Partners, Beaumont Health, Health, Akron, Ideastream Public Media, HATCo Locations: New York City, Silicon Valley, Utah, Ohio, Harrison, PitchBook, U.S, Canada, Israel, Michigan, Beaumont, Akron, Summit County, Akron's

☆ As Medicaid Shrinks, Clinics for the Poor Are Trying to Survive
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Noah Weiland | Desiree Rios | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Appointment cancellations and financial distress have become a constant at Bethesda Pediatrics, a nonprofit medical clinic in East Texas that is heavily dependent on Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. On a recent Monday, the mother of a toddler who had a primary care appointment broke down in tears after learning the child had just lost Medicaid coverage, wondering how she could pay the bill. Another mother told Dr. Danny Price, the clinic’s lead pediatrician, that she was afraid to get her child a flu shot because of the $8 fee she would have to pay now that the child had been dropped from Medicaid. A child with depression did not show up, most likely, Dr. Price presumed, because of having lost Medicaid coverage. The loss of coverage has not only affected families, but is also threatening the financial stability of vital components of the American safety net.

Persons: Danny Price, Price, ”, Kyu Rhee Organizations: Bethesda Pediatrics, Medicaid, National Association of Community Health Centers Locations: East Texas, Tyler , Texas, United States

“I feel comfortable.”Plaza del Sol is one of two dozen sites run by Urban Health Plan Inc., which is one of nearly 1,400 federally designated community health centers. Sometimes, it’s just that.”Fifty years ago, Dr. Acklema Mohammad started as a medical assistant in Urban Health Plan’s first clinic, San Juan Health Center. About 150 elders get at-home visits, said Dr. Manuel Vazquez, Urban Health Plan’s vice president of medical affairs who oversees the home health program. Building community trustOne of the nation’s first community health centers opened in the rural Mississippi delta in 1967, in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement’s Freedom Summer. Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, Mississippi today operates the health center has 17 locations in five counties, including free-standing clinics and some in schools.

Persons: Elisa Reyes, ” Reyes, they’ve, Matthew Kusher, ” Kusher, “, ”, Kyu Rhee, Yelisa Sierra, “ It’s, Sierra, Acklema Mohammad, Mo, pediatricians, ” Mohammad, telehealth, Manuel Vazquez, isn’t, ‘, there’s, Temika Simmons, New York City’s, Angelica Flores, DaSilva, they’re, ” Simmons, You've, Kasturi Pananjady, Robert Wood Johnson Organizations: del, Family Health, Urban Health, Inc, Associated Press, U.S . Health Resources, Services Administration, —, National Association of Community Health Centers, Urban Health Plan’s, San Juan Health Center, El Nuevo San Juan Health Center, Civil, Delta Health Center, Delta Health Center’s, Staff, Press, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AP Locations: Queens, Sol, U.S, El Nuevo, Mississippi, Mound Bayou , Mississippi, Leland, Greenville, Jackson, Memphis, del Sol, Corona, New York, In Mississippi

☆ A dietitian and health professor shares the 2 supplements she recommends for improving heart health
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementA dietitian shared the two supplements she recommends for lowering cholesterol levels and improving heart health. When thinking about supplements for heart health, cholesterol is typically the target, Lauren Ball, a dietitian and professor of community health and wellbeing at the University of Queensland, Australia, told Business Insider. AdvertisementOne meta-analysis of eight clinical trials published in 2000 found that taking 10g psyllium husk daily appeared to lower total cholesterol levels by 4% and LDL cholesterol levels by 7%. Similarly to fiber supplements, they are thought to work by improving the body's ability to pass stools. You are also less likely to experience side effects such as constipation from probiotics than from fiber supplements, she said.

Persons: —, Lauren Ball, Ball, Probiotics, probiotics Organizations: Service, University of Queensland, FDA Locations: Australia

☆ What do we know about China’s respiratory illness surge?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Andrew Silver | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A request by the World Health Organization for more information on a surge in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children in China has attracted global attention. The following is what we know about the surge in illness in the world's second most populous country so far, and why experts think there is no need to panic. The National Health Commission told a news conference on Nov. 13 that there was an increase in incidence of respiratory disease without providing further details. IS MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE A BIG WORRY? One concern about the surge in respiratory illness is mycoplasma pneumoniae, which has also spiked in other countries.

Persons: Maria Van Kerkhove, Rajib Dasgupta, mycoplasma pneumoniae, it's, Cecille Brion, Van Kerkhove, We're, Andrew Silver, Miyoung Kim Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Program, National Health Commission, Reuters, Pacific, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Doctors, Raffles Medical Group Beijing, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Taiwan, WHO China, COVID, South East Asia, New Delhi

☆ Some healthcare systems are taking on the challenge of health inequity — but ending the disparities isn't a quick process
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Heather Lindsey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some health systems are embedding health-equity programs in their business strategies. The report said health inequities led to increased costs associated with premature death, loss of work productivity, and excess medical spending. "When you lean into health equity, you can create value, better outcomes, and lower costs," he said. Bhatt said health systems can push for health equity by creating diverse care teams. "If you lean into health equity," Bhatt said, "there is opportunity to improve outcomes, build consumer loyalty and trust, and create economic value."

Persons: —, Keneica Moore, Moore, MAAME doulas, Sarahn Wheeler, Wheeler, who's, inequity, Jay Bhatt, Bhatt Organizations: Healthcare, Service, Empowerment, Duke Health, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute, Minority Health, Deloitte Health Equity Institute, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Locations: Durham, North Carolina

Brian Kemp's new health plan for low-income adults has enrolled only 1,343 people through the end of September about three months after launching, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Georgia Department of Community Health has projected up to 100,000 people could eventually benefit from Georgia Pathways to Coverage. But the nation’s only Medicaid program that makes recipients meet a work requirement is off to a very slow start. In addition to imposing a work requirement, Pathways limits coverage to able-bodied adults earning up to 100% of the poverty line — $14,580 for a single person or $30,000 for a family of four. State officials and supporters of Pathways say the work requirement will also help transition Medicaid recipients to better, private health insurance, and argue that working, studying or volunteering leads to improved health.

Persons: Brian Kemp's, ”, ” Laura Colbert, Biden, Barack, Kemp Organizations: ATLANTA, —, — Georgia Gov, Atlanta, Georgia Department of Community Health, of Community Health Locations: — Georgia, Georgia, Carolina

ATLANTA (AP) — The state of Georgia will start paying for gender-affirming health care for state employees, public school teachers and former employees covered by a state health insurance plan, settling another in a string of lawsuits against Georgia agencies aiming to force them to pay for gender-confirmation surgery and other procedures. The December lawsuit argued the insurance plan illegally discriminated by refusing to pay for gender-affirming care. But Brown said Thursday's settlement requires the health plan to pay for care deemed medically necessary for spouses and dependents as well as employees. That means the health plan could be required to pay for care for minors outside the state even though it's prohibited in Georgia. “The plan can’t treat the care any differently from other care that’s not available in the state,” Brown said.

Persons: “, ” David Brown, Micha Rich, Benjamin Johnson, Brown, it's, ” Brown, John Doe, ” Rich, Jeff Amy Organizations: ATLANTA, State, of Community Health, Civil, University, Georgia, University of Georgia, Department of Community Health, Circuit, Appeals, Georgia Department, School District, Family, Children Services, U.S, Opportunity Commission Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Clayton County, Houston, Houston County, U.S, Bibb, Macon ., Paulding County, North Carolina, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Iowa, Florida, Arizona

Over the past few years, she has administered some 10,000 coronavirus vaccines in her community in eastern Ethiopia. “But I keep going because I value the work.”Ms. Yusuf is one in a legion of more than three million community health workers globally and is one of a small minority that are actually paid anything at all. Eighty-six percent of community health workers in Africa are completely unpaid. But now, spurred by frustrations that arose during the Covid pandemic and connected by digital technologies that have reached even remote areas, community health workers are organizing to fight for fair compensation. The movement stretches across developing countries and echoes the labor actions undertaken by female garment workers in many of those nations 40 years ago.

Persons: Misra Yusuf, ”, ” Ms, Yusuf Organizations: Ethiopian Locations: Ethiopia, Africa

☆ Insurers face long road, high cost to cover obesity drugs after promising Wegovy heart health data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

There is likely a long way to go before the U.S. sees increased insurance coverage for obesity drugs. While the trial results demonstrate that obesity drugs may have significant health benefits beyond shedding unwanted pounds, organizations representing U.S. insurers emphasized that the data is still preliminary. "Health insurance providers will continue to analyze new evidence as it becomes available," he added. Ceci Connolly, CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, acknowledged the promise of the data but said "outrageous prices should give everyone pause." The organization represents regional, community-based health plans that cover more than 18 million Americans across the U.S.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Wegovy, Eli Lilly, David Allen, Ceci Connolly, Jared Holz, It's, Debra Tyler's, Joe Buglewicz, Eduardo Grunvald, George Frey, UCSD's Gunvald, Eli, Ethan Lazarus, Lazarus Organizations: Reuters Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk, America's Health, Alliance of Community Health, U.S, Drugs, Pfizer, Medicare, CVS, Aetna, CNBC, Washington Post, Getty, UCSD Health's Center, International Foundation of Employee, University of Texas System, UTS, Novo, Reuters, Obesity Medicine Association, New England, of Medicine Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Mizuho, Killingworth, Conn, Texas

☆ Tired after eating? Here’s why, and how to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The tendency to get tired after eating isn’t inherently suggestive of something amiss. If you had a meal high in fat — such as fried foods or pizza — that could make you feel tired. “That can really be an energy zapper.”Just like high-sugar foods, sugary drinks can also make you feel tired once the crash hits, Stefanski said. Choosing more balanced meals and snacks can help you feel less tired after eating, experts said. The test measures average blood sugar levels and shows how much glucose is attached to hemoglobin in red blood cells, Stefanski said.

Persons: I’ve, ”, Julie Stefanski, Sandra Arévalo, Stefanski, “, overeat, overindulging, Arévalo, ” Stefanski, it’s, Fats, Kristin Kirkpatrick, ” Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, ” Arévalo Organizations: CNN, Academy of Nutrition, Montefiore Nyack, Cleveland Clinic Locations: New York, United States, Spain

☆ Her dad was diagnosed with cancer. This teen has donated thousands of books to kids in hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

At the age of 17, Emily launched a neighborhood book drive in honor of her dad, Mike Bhatnagar. Her initial goal was to collect books for children undergoing cancer treatment, but she’s expanded it to all patients under 18. The neighborhood book drive that began with a lone teen in a cloud of despair over her dad’s illness has grown into a nationwide initiative. “We are grateful to have been chosen by Emily … Hospitals are a scary place for kids, and the books will help enhance the healing environment.”Whenever possible, Emily specifies the books go to hospitals with pediatric cancer units. Her not-so-little book drive is teaching her how to run a nonprofit and build relationships with community leaders.

☆ Two researchers aim to better understand L.A.’s homelessness crisis with smartphone surveys
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Jake Traylor | Jake Traylor Is An Associate Producer For Msnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Two California researchers aim to get a real-time understanding of homelessness using a perhaps unexpected resource found among unhoused people: smartphones. Larry Posey works in MacArthur Park to share information about the PATHS study. Amy Stein / USC/UCLAOnce a month, a growing number of PATHS participants in Los Angeles County are texted a link to a 15-minute survey. Recruiters for the PATHS study share information with participants via postcard and directly into a web-based interface. The PATHS study found that 90% of participants would be interested in some type of interim or permanent housing.

☆ Community health groups that played crucial role during Covid-19 pandemic say they’re being left out of government funding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elizabeth Cohen Lauren Mascarenhas | Elizabeth Cohen | Lauren Mascarenhas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“A lot of times, the funding streams have names that say ‘community,’ ‘community-based organizations’ or ‘community health workers,’ but the funding often goes to states and doesn’t end up helping at a grass-roots level,” said Denise Smith, executive director of the National Association of Community Health Workers. “HRSA strongly values the critical role that community health workers play – and can increasingly play – in supporting the health and well-being of communities. “Community health workers are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of the community they serve. The group’s promotores de salud, or community health workers, encouraged vaccination and set up a hotline to distribute accurate information about the virus. “Grantees will be able to hire community health workers, as needed and appropriate,” said Nordlund, the CDC spokesperson.

☆ Long waiting lists, long drives and costly care hinder many kids’ access to mental health care
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Nearly half of those parents, 47%, say the pandemic has negatively affected their kids’ mental health, with 17% saying it had a major negative impact. Mental health providers who specialize in care for kids are concentrated in urban areas but missing from rural communities. One, TeamUp for Children, has placed full-time mental health providers in seven federally qualified health centers around the Boston area. She says this model – integrating mental health services into primary care – is being copied to varying degrees in pilot projects across the country. The KFF CNN Mental Health Survey was conducted by SSRS from July 28 through August 9 among a random national sample of 2,004 adults.

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