Physicians can now bill Medicare $86 for an office-based, end-of-life counseling session with a patient for as long as 30 minutes. Medicare has set no rules on what doctors must discuss during those sessions.
Kaiser Health News
Study Links Kindergartners’ Stumbles With Rocky Home Lives
Very young children who endure neglect, abuse and dysfunctional home lives go on to struggle as kindergartners, leaving them at risk for more difficult years as adolescents and adults, a new study finds.
UCLA Freshmen Learn About Growing Old
April Pearce is in the middle of her freshman year at UCLA, settling into life away from home for the first time. But instead of thinking about dorm food or exams, the 19-year-old is focused on something a little more abstract: old age.
The Agonizing Limbo Of Abandoned Nursing Home Residents
“Federal and state law have created a complicated and expensive process to ensure residents are not abandoned by their nursing homes. It fundamentally doesn’t work.”
Medicine’s Power Couples: A Challenge In Recruiting Physicians To Rural Areas
Rural areas have for years been facing a doctor shortage. That means for the roughly 20 percent of Americans who live in those areas, it’s harder to get care when it’s needed.
As Rural Hospitals Struggle, Some Opt To Close Labor And Delivery Units
Comprehensive figures are spotty, but an analysis of 306 rural hospitals in nine states with large rural populations found that 7.2 percent closed their obstetrics units between 2010 and 2014.
For Hospitals, Treating Violence Beyond The ER Is Good Medicine And Good Business
As experts increasingly view violence as a medical concern, hospitals see it as an opportunity. “
A Lifesaving Flight, With A Price Tag Of $56,000
When patients need an air ambulance, the first priority is getting them the care they need as fast as possible. So, patients don’t always know who is going to pick them up or if the ambulance is an in-network provider.
Research Gives Context To Addressing Nation’s Drug Abuse Crisis, Review Finds
Prescription painkiller abuse is drawing national attention as states battle increasing abuse cases, presidential candidates offer possible solutions and even President Barack Obama includes the issue in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Making The Most Of Military Medics’ Field Experience
Veteran Dave Manning served two combat deployments in Iraq and was the sole medical provider for more than 100 people on a Navy ship. But as he contemplated his post-military job prospects, he struggled.