Single-Payer Health System in California Could Cost $400 Billion
A proposed bill that would cover all Californians under a government-funded healthcare system would cost $400 billion in a state with an annual budget of $125 billion, the AP reports. Some of the hefty price tag would be canceled out by using all public funds currently spent on healthcare, but an analysis indicates there would still be a $50 to $100 billion annual increase in total healthcare costs under the single-payer system. The remaining money would need to be gathered through higher taxes, which would translate to a 15% payroll tax.
Breast Cancer Risk Increases With 1 Daily Drink, Decreases With Exercise
A report published by the American Institute for Cancer Research has indicated that women’s risk of breast cancer increases by 5% before menopause and 9% after menopause if they drink just 10 grams of alcohol per day, the equivalent of a small glass of wine or beer. However, women who engage in frequent vigorous exercise have a 17% lower risk of developing breast cancer premenopause and a 10% lower risk post menopause. According to the Washington Post, the study authors say the findings highlight the importance of healthy lifestyle choices.
Health Technology Workers Report High Rates of Burnout, Cite Inadequate Resources
A survey of health information technology (IT) employees and clinical professionals indicates that working with technology is taking a mental toll, Fierce Healthcare reports. Of the IT employees surveyed, 83% said they were “somewhat” or “moderately” burned out, and nearly two-thirds said the feeling of burnout was because they did not have the budget or resources to meet demands. The clinical respondents also said that technology requirements were contributing to burnout, but said improving workflow with IT can reduce the burden on doctors and nurses.
Dr Kathy Zackowski Discusses the Importance of Rehabilitation Research and Trials in MS
April 26th 2024Kathy Zackowski, PhD, National MS Society, expresses the inherent value of quality rehabilitation trials for broadening clinical understandings of multiple sclerosis (MS) and bettering patient outcomes.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
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Kaiser Permanente was hit by a data breach in mid-April, impacting 13.4 million health plan members; GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) sued Pfizer and BioNTech for allegedly infringing on its messenger RNA technology patents in the companies’ COVID-19 vaccines; the CDC announced the first-known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections.
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