Browsing: Patients News

Prior authorization isn’t unique to the VA. Most private and federal health insurance programs require patients to secure preapprovals for certain treatments, tests, or prescription medications. The process is intended to reduce spending and avoid unnecessary, ineffective, or duplicative care, although the degree to which companies and agencies set these rules varies

Babies of covid-infected moms are 60% more likely to be born very prematurely, which increases the danger of infant mortality and long-term disabilities such as cerebral palsy, asthma and hearing loss, as well as a child’s risk of adult disease, including depression, anxiety, heart disease and kidney disease.

Nationwide, surveys have found increasing rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts during the pandemic. But many medical experts said it’s too soon to measure the related physical symptoms, since they generally appear months after the stress begins.

Black Philadelphians contract the coronavirus at a rate nearly twice that of their white counterparts. They also are more likely to have severe cases of the virus: African Americans make up 44% of Philadelphians but 55% of those hospitalized for COVID-19.

As hospitals prepared for a surge of COVID patients, officials advised people to avoid emergency rooms if possible. But soon ER physicians noticed that even truly urgent cases were not coming in.

Patients say doctors and insurers are charging them upfront for video appointments and phone calls, not just copays but sometimes the entire cost of the visit, even if it’s covered by insurance.

Many anti-vaccine activists — who have claimed that diseases such as measles aren’t that serious — now contend the coronavirus isn’t dangerous enough to justify staying home. They agree with President Donald Trump that the “cure” for the pandemic could be worse than the disease itself.

Federal officials allowed telemedicine providers to waive patient deductibles and copayments during the crisis. Under normal conditions, these actions can be construed as a kickback because they discourage patients from complaining.

“This absolutely does not mean the pandemic is nearing an end,” according to an infectious disease expert. “Once you get past the peak, it’s not over until it’s over. It’s just the starting time for the rest of the response.”

Across the U.S., thousands of pediatric practices that provide front-line care for the nation’s children are struggling to adjust to a dire new reality.