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Congress may give dental coverage to millions of Medicare recipients

Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental Healthcare

Did you know around 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day and can sign up for Medicare? While the program’s 60 million beneficiaries can access dental, vision and hearing through supplemental options such as Advantage plans or standalone insurance policies, original Medicare — Part A and Part B — excludes dental, vision and hearing coverage except in very limited circumstances. But Medicare recipients might just see better coverage and more services in the new year. Several bills now before Congress would give Medicare participants access to dental, vision and even hearing coverage if passed.

Study suggests tranexamic acid could reduce TBI deaths by as much as 20%

Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied Healthcare

The results of a new study, published in The Lancet, suggest that tranexamic acid (TXA) could reduce traumatic brain injury (TBI) deaths by as much as 20%, depending on the severity of the injury. In 2014, about 2.87 million cases of TBI occurring the United States each year, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and there are approximately 69 million new cases of TBI each year worldwide. Accounting for upwards of 90% of all TBIs, mild to moderate TBIs are much more common than severe TBIs. Serious complications can still occur in mild to moderate TBI.

Survey: Prior authorization remains a pain for a huge majority in healthcare

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

A consensus has been reached in healthcare, and the crescendo of hatred for prior authorization is clear. Medical practice professionals are sick of the red tape associated with the practice of getting the OK from an insurer regarding a proposed course of treatment for a perhaps-stricken patient. The opposition's angst for the process is overwhelming. According to a Medical Group Management Association survey, medical practice leaders say they are frustrated with "red tape and reporting requirements." Eighty-six percent say regulatory burdens increased in the past 12 months.

Survey: Healthcare costs rise at greater pace than workers’ wages

Seth Sandronsky Medical & Allied Healthcare

There is a reason that healthcare is so contentious in the Democratic Party’s presidential debates this year. "The single biggest issue in healthcare for most Americans is that their health costs are growing much faster than their wages are," Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) President and CEO Drew Altman said in the group’s Employer Health Benefits Survey. While the rate of unemployment is at a 50-year low, the amount of money that "employers and workers pay toward premiums continues to rise more quickly than workers’ wages and inflation over time," the survey found.

5 ways your hospital can better ensure C-section safety

Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare Administration

As a hospital administrator, you know that C-sections represent a potential minefield for health and malpractice issues. You want all OB-GYN patients who need or request a C-section for legitimate medical reasons to receive this important option immediately and safely. However, minimizing risk for your physicians and facility is an important consideration, too. The good news: research has looked at these concerns and has great guidance to offer.

Study reveals the best time to take blood pressure medications

Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied Healthcare

About 7 in 10 adults with high blood pressure use medications to treat the condition. However, what time of day should patients take their blood pressure medications? A new large study investigated the effect of time of day when people take their blood pressure medications on their risk of cardiovascular problems. The study, led by Professor Ramón C. Hermida, found that patients who took their medications at bedtime had nearly half the risk of dying from or suffering heart attacks, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure or requiring coronary revascularization compared to patients who took their medications in the morning.

Researchers make a huge step towards a universal flu vaccine

Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied Healthcare

Researchers around the world are feverishly working to develop a universal flu vaccine that would cover all influenza strains. They may now be a step closer to creating such a vaccine, thanks to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who collaborated with the international nonprofit PATH, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the University of Chicago, and the Duke Early Phase Clinical Research Unit. The team of researchers focused their attention on hemagglutinin, which is a protein present on the surface of flu viruses.

Infographic: Optimizing reputation management with AI

Brian Wallace Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Customers read the reviews, but it's not enough to have good reviews. Those reviews also have to be believable. Your company's online reputation can make or break your business, and your ratings even influence your ranking in searches. Increasing your company's ratings from three to five stars can increase your visibility on Google by up to 25%. Learn more with this infographic.

Innovative programs help pharmacists prepare for cold and flu season

Sheilamary Koch Pharmaceutical

As temperatures cool, days shorten and store aisles fill with holiday displays, pharmacists in the Northern Hemisphere know cold and flu season is imminent. Pharmacies are perhaps best known for their key role in preventing infections and reducing transmission of influenza by dispensing flu immunizations. Pharmacists can also make a positive impact in other methods of infection prevention, symptom management, patient self-care, and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS).

Study: Financial waste in healthcare remains significant

Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied Healthcare

Despite its reputation for saving things, healthcare can be a pretty wasteful environment. In fact, there’s so much excess that nearly a quarter or more of all the money in the sector gets wasted, a new study suggests. The sum of all waste is estimated to range from $760 billion to $935 billion, according to a recent report in JAMA. There’s a small sliver of good news: Things could be worse. The study authors suggest that the amount of waste was worse, by as much as 5%, in 2011.

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