Category Archives: Health Care

Breast Cancer and Young Women

Young women account for 11% of all new cases of breast cancer in the United States. They tend to be diagnosed at a later stage and experience worse outcomes and unique issues—such as fertility concerns. Listen to Marcia Crosse, a … Continue reading

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Thinking about Joining Medicare Advantage?

If you have Medicare, this time of year always brings an opportunity to switch health plans during the annual open enrollment period, which starts this weekend and runs through December 7. About 30% of Medicare participants choose Medicare Advantage plans—the … Continue reading

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Veterans’ Health Care Physician Credentials (podcast)

Are our veterans always being treated by qualified physicians? Millions of vets rely on the Veterans Health Administration to provide them with health care services, and VHA contracts out some of these services. How much does VHA know about these … Continue reading

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Prescription Drug Costs

The high costs of new drugs, as well as the dramatic price increases of some older and traditionally less expensive generic drugs, have thrust drug prices into the headlines. But what’s the full story? Today, we’re shedding some light on … Continue reading

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Long Term Care Workforce (podcast)

As the U.S. population ages, a growing number of older Americans are expected to need help with routine activities, such as bathing, dressing, and eating. Will the caregiver workforce be ready for them? A team led by Kathleen King, a … Continue reading

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Fighting Female Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation is a form of gender-based violence that has affected over 200 million women and girls worldwide. The practice involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other harm to the female genital organs for … Continue reading

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All About Medicaid

We’ve talked a lot about Medicare on this blog but Medicaid, a federal-state health care program, is also on our radar. In fact, it’s one of our High Risk issues. Today’s WatchBlog looks at the size and complexity of Medicaid, … Continue reading

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Answering the Calls of Veterans in Crisis (podcast)

Many servicemembers returning from Afghanistan, Iraq, and other deployments have struggled with mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance abuse. The Department of Veterans affairs established the 24-hour Veterans Crisis Line in July 2007 to help veterans … Continue reading

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Older Adults, Dementia, and Antipsychotic Drugs

About 15% of older adults have dementia. Some of them are prescribed antipsychotic drugs to help treat the symptoms of the disease. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved those drugs to treat dementia. May is Older Americans … Continue reading

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High-Containment Labs (podcast)

To protect the public’s health, scientists working on things like anthrax and bird flu keep those diseases in “high-containment labs.” Yet, government agencies have mistakenly shipped live samples of anthrax from such labs, raising some serious management questions. A team … Continue reading

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