U.S. States Maintain Outdated Laws That Create Barriers to Screening and Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Eighteen U.S. states have laws that allow insurance companies to deny health care payments to treat people who were intoxicated when they sustained an injury, despite evidence showing that these laws prevent people from receiving treatment for alcohol use disorder and shift costs from insurance companies to the health care system, the government, individuals and families.

Even with insurance, many patients with diabetes turn to GoFundMe to offset high cost of care

An analysis of medical crowdfunding campaigns reveals the types of expenses that patients with diabetes may struggle to afford. The data showed that even insured patients with diabetes used GoFundMe to offset the excess costs of treatment beyond insulin, such as uncovered co-pays, indirect care, and alert dogs. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

UCLA-led research suggests no difference in health outcomes, care costs for patients treated by traditional MDs or osteopaths

New UCLA-led research suggests that patient mortality rates, readmissions, length of stay, and health care spending were virtually identical for elderly hospitalized patients who were treated by physicians with Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degrees.

Study Finds Computer-Based Intervention Is Cost-Effective at Reducing Binge Drinking among Adolescents

A computer-based intervention associated with reduced binge drinking episodes among high school students could yield a cost savings of eight thousand euros, according to a Spanish study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. The study found the computer-based intervention cost-effective, resulting in societal savings of €8,000 for each binge drinking episode averted. Computer and web-based interventions can potentially reach a far larger number of students than face-to-face screening and intervention.

Laws Allowing Insurers to Deny Alcohol-Related Claims Do Not Deter Drinking, Study Suggests

State laws designed to prevent dangerous drinking behaviors do not appear to have that effect, according to a study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Alcohol exclusion laws allow insurance companies to deny payment for injuries caused by alcohol consumption and were adopted more than seventy years ago to prevent problem drinking and related insurance costs. But a rigorous analysis of drinking behaviors found no evidence that repealing these laws increases alcohol consumption or binge drinking. Previous reports have found these laws to be a barrier to screening and treatment for alcohol issues, resulting in billions of dollars in added healthcare costs.

High costs of nonoperative treatment in the year before total knee replacement

In the year before total knee arthroplasty (TKA), patients incur considerable costs for nonoperative treatments and other procedures for osteoarthritis (OA) – raising questions about the value of those procedures, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.

UCLA-led Evaluation Shows Improved Outcomes for Medi-Cal Patients Under a Demonstration Program for Public Hospitals

An evaluation led by Dr. Nadereh Pourat, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor of health policy and management, found a decreased use of emergency department visits and hospitalizations and slower growth in estimated Medi-Cal payments found in public hospitals compared with other hospitals

Helping people save for health costs: Poll finds tax-free accounts used less by those who may need them most

Most older adults are not using tax-advantaged savings accounts to save for future health expenses, a new poll of people age 50 to 80 suggests, and those who do are more likely to have high incomes and education levels, and to be in good health and under Medicare eligibility age.

Costs, COVID-19 risk and delays top older adults’ concerns about seeking emergency care, poll finds

Even before the pandemic, older Americans had concerns about seeking emergency care because of the costs they might face, the amount of time they might spend in the waiting room and more. But the risk of catching the novel coronavirus in the emergency department added to those worries, according to a national poll of people ages 50 to 80.

Proactive Steps Linked To Reduced Medical Costs, Hospital Visits for Children With Asthma

A new study looking at data from tens of thousands of children with asthma finds that several widely available interventions are associated with both reduced medical costs and a reduced likelihood that the children will need to visit an emergency room or stay in the hospital.

Call to action for stronger, better-funded federal nutrition research

A paper from research, policy, and government experts provides a compelling vision to strengthen existing federal nutrition research and improve cross-governmental coordination in order to accelerate discoveries and improve public health, food security, and population resilience. A coalition of organizations is standing in support of the paper and the need for greater investment and coordination in federal nutrition research.

Middle-Aged Adults Worried About Health Insurance Costs Now, Uncertain for Future

Health insurance costs weigh heavily on the minds of many middle-aged adults, and many are worried for what they’ll face in retirement or if federal health policies change, according to a new study. More than a quarter of people in their 50s and early 60s lack confidence that they’ll be able to afford health insurance in the next year, and the number goes up to nearly half when they look ahead to retirement.