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[ad_1] Zaza Cristina Robles worked as a pregnancy coach in her native Peru, so when she arrived in the U.S. at 16 weeks pregnant, the first thing she did after settling in with her in-laws was to seek medical care. "When they showed us the bill, it was so expensive, my husband and I thought, 'If this is just for the doctor's visit, imagine what the delivery will be?' It scared us," she said. Her sister-in-law put her in touch with the Hispanic Health Council, a nonprofit in Hartford, Connecticut. The organization's Comadrona — or midwife — program helps Latina immigrants and low-income pregnant women navigate the complications of the U.S. health-care system. "They really helped clear up a lot of my fears," Robles said. The program helped Robles gain health-care coverage as she and her husband seek asylum in the United States. Her comadrona helped her find a doctor who treats low-income patients and connected her with other services. "One of

[ad_1] A panel of independent advisors to the Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended Thursday that the antibody nirsevimab be approved for use to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus , the leading cause of hospitalization among newborns. If the FDA approves nirsevimab, the antibody would become the first medical intervention available in the U.S. that can protect all infants from RSV . The FDA, which is not obligated to follow the recommendation of its advisory panel, is expected to make a final decision on nirsevimab in the third quarter. Nirsevimab is a monoclonal antibody made by AstraZeneca . The medication would be marketed by Sanofi . The advisory panel voted 21-0 to recommend its approval. In a separate vote, the advisors also recommended nirsevimab's use in children up to 2 years old who remain vulnerable to the virus in their second RSV season. That vote was 19-2. RSV kills nearly 100 babies in the United States every year, according to sci

[ad_1] A variety of generic pills and capsules.  Nenov | Moment | Getty Images The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday said it is examining the role that drug wholesalers and companies that purchase medicines for U.S. health-care providers play in shortages of generic drugs, which account for the majority of Americans' prescriptions. The move follows an unprecedented shortfall of crucial medicine ranging from injectable cancer therapies to generics, or cheaper versions of brand-name medicines, over the last year, which has forced hospitals and patients to ration drugs. Problems from manufacturing quality control to demand surges can drive supply issues. But the Biden administration is zeroing in on other players in the drug supply chain to uncover the "root causes and potential solutions" to ongoing shortages.  In a joint request for information, the FTC and the Department of Health and Human Services are seeking public comment on the contracting practices, m

[ad_1] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about lowering health-care costs, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Aug. 29, 2023. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is placing a priority on reducing individual health-care costs as he seeks reelection in a country where medical spending accounts for 18.3% of the nation's gross domestic product, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "Boy, we've been fighting Big Pharma for a long time," Biden said Tuesday from the White House. "I promise you I'm gonna have your back and I'll never stop fighting for you on this issue, nor will Kamala." On Tuesday, the White House announced 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to the first-ever Medicare price negotiations, which will go into effect in 2026. The 10 medicines accounted for $50.5 billion, or about 20%, of total Part D prescription drug costs   between June 1, 2022, and May 31,

[ad_1] Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) arrives to the U.S. Capitol Building on June 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday called on the U.S. Health and Human Services Department to take action to ensure seniors can actually afford the expensive Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi . Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health Committee, in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra called the $26,500 annual price tag for Leqembi set by drugmakers Eisai and Biogen "unconscionable." The Vermont independent said the drug's current cost would put a substantial financial burden on Medicare and increase premiums for seniors. Medicare is the federal program that provides health coverage to primarily older Americans. Sanders said the "outrageously high price" of Leqembi "will prevent seniors who need this drug from receiving treatment." The lawmaker wrote that HHS should use its authority to break Leqembi's pa

[ad_1] A container holding boxes of Mifepristone, the first medication in a medical abortion, are prepared for patients at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, April 20, 2023. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters A federal appeals court on Wednesday imposed restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, though the ruling will not have an immediate impact. The order by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is almost certain to be appealed to the Supreme Court. Justice Samuel Alito in April preemptively paused any ruling from the appeals court pending a petition for the high court to take the case. If the Supreme Court does not take the case, the restrictions will go into effect. Should the restrictions go in to effect, women would no longer be able to obtain the abortion by mail. Patients would have to receive a prescription from a doctor and have follow-up appointments in person. The restrictions would also shorten the time period when women can take the pill to 49 days into t

[ad_1] Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images Many people will soon be picking their health insurance plans for 2024: November is a common month for workplace open enrollment, and the public marketplace opens Nov. 1. But choosing a health plan can be tricky. In fact, a 2017 study found many people lose money due to suboptimal choices: Sixty-one percent chose the wrong plan, costing them an average $372 a year. The paper, authored by economists at Carnegie Mellon University and the Wisconsin School of Business, examined choices made by almost 24,000 workers at a U.S. firm. More from Personal Finance: 'Cash stuffing' may forgo 'easiest money' you can make These credit cards have had 'increasingly notable' high rates Home 'affordability is incredibly difficult,' economist says Health plans have many moving parts, such as premiums and deductibles. Each has financial implications for buyers. "It is confusing, and people have no idea how much they

[ad_1] Respiratory syncytial virus vial. Manjurul | Istock | Getty Images Vaccinating one million adults ages 65 and above with a single RSV shot from Pfizer or GSK may prevent thousands of hospitalizations over two seasons of the virus, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis .  A CDC medical officer presented the analysis, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, at an advisory committee meeting on Wednesday. The committee recommended that adults ages 60 and older may receive one dose of Pfizer's or GSK's respiratory syncytial virus shot after consulting their doctor.  The analysis found that vaccinating one million adults 65 and older with a single dose of Pfizer's shot may prevent 2,500 hospitalizations and 25,000 outpatient visits over two seasons of the virus. RSV season typically lasts from October to March in the Northern Hemisphere.   The analysis also found that vaccinating one million adults in the same age gr

[ad_1] The Alzheimer's drug Leqembi is seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on January 20, 2023. Eisai | via Reuters Medicare has agreed to pay for the Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi , a major turning point for patients who are diagnosed with the early stages of the disease. Leqembi is the only drug on the market right now that has demonstrated the ability to slow the progression of early stages of Alzheimer's disease in a clinical trial. The monoclonal antibody, administered twice monthly through intravenous means, slowed cognitive decline by 27% over 18 months in the trial. Leqembi is made by Japanese drugmaker Eisai and its partner Biogen , which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Medicare's decision to cover Leqembi, which came moments after the Food and Drug Administration fully approved the drug Thursday, promises to make the treatment more accessible to patients. Medicare coverage is crucial for most patients to have any hope of being

[ad_1] A voter wearing a protective mask enters a polling location in Opelika, Alabama, U.S., on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Elijah Nouvelage | Bloomberg | Getty Images Alabama Republicans on Friday defied a U.S.  Supreme Court  order by passing a new congressional map that includes only one  majority-Black district . The GOP-controlled Legislature had called a special session to redraw an earlier map after the Supreme Court reaffirmed a federal court order to include two districts where Black voters make up voting-age majorities, "or something quite close to it." But on Friday, state Republicans approved a new map with just one majority-Black seat and a second district that is approximately 40% Black. The map was completed Friday afternoon — hours before the court-ordered deadline for the Legislature to draw up new boundaries — as a compromise between the House and Senate versions. Democrats slammed the map and its drafters, arguing that legislators ignored a court order an

[ad_1] Chiquita Brooks-LaSure testifies before the Senate Finance Committee during her nomination hearing to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in Washington on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Caroline Brehman | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Biden administration on Thursday called on companies to help keep their employees insured as millions of people across the U.S. suddenly coverage through Medicaid . Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told employers in a letter that workers who have lost Medicaid coverage should be allowed to enroll in group health plans at any time over the next year via a special enrollment period. related investing news Companies are required to give employees a minimum of 60 days to enroll in their group health plans. Brooks-LaSure said, however, this isn't enough time given how many people are suddenly losing Medicaid coverage. More than 3 million people have lost Medic

[ad_1] A whopping 150 million jobs will shift to workers over the age of 55 by 2030, according to a new global study from Bain & Company .   In the Group of Seven countries , Bain predicts, older and experienced workers will make up more than quarter of the workforce by 2031. "That's a massive shift," Andrew Schwedel, partner at Bain & Company, told CNBC's " Squawk Box Asia " on Tuesday. "Japan is already at the vanguard of this with almost 40% of the workforce over age 55. Europe and the U.S. are not far behind, [with] anywhere from 25 to 30%."  But an aging workforce isn't unique to developed markets — China's elderly population (65 and older), for example, will double by 2050, according to the study.  "Fewer young people are entering the workforce, due partly to lower fertility rates, partly to longer education," Bain added.  "According to OECD data, a long-term trend toward earlier retirement is slowly going

[ad_1] Jay Reinstein, who suffers from Alzheimer's, sits on a bed after receiving a PET scan at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC on June 20, 2023.  Michael Robinson Chávez | The Washington Post | Getty Images Medicare plans to expand its coverage of PET scans that are used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease, a major shift in policy that could make it easier for patients to access new treatments that are entering the U.S. market. The proposal would abolish Medicare's current nationwide policy. Right now, the program for seniors will only cover one PET scan per lifetime for patients participating in clinical trials. The Medicare proposal would allow regional organizations, called Medicare Administrative Contractors, to decide whether to cover the diagnostic tool. These regional contractors make coverage decisions based on whether a services is "reasonable and necessary" for the diagnosis of an illness. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, head of

[ad_1] Supporters hold up Save Medicaid signs during the Senate Democrats' news conference at the Capitol with disability advocates to oppose the Republicans' Graham-Cassidy health-care bill. Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Nearly three million people have been kicked off Medicaid since Covid-19 pandemic protections expired in April, with three-quarters of those individuals losing coverage despite the fact they may still be eligible for the public health insurance program, according to data from health researcher KFF . Medicaid is the public health insurance program for lower-income individuals and families. It is heavily financed by the federal government but largely managed by state governments. The widespread removal of coverage is a worrying trend because people who lose one form of insurance often struggle to find alternative coverage due to the complexity of the U.S. health insurance system, putting them at risk of ultimately becoming uninsured. About