What’s New in Health Care Reform

Top highlights include: Flu shot kept about 50% from going to doctor, racial disparities in cancer incidence and survival rates are narrowing, having anesthesia once as a baby does not cause learning disabilities, personalized diet predicts blood sugar spikes better than carb-counting, and scientists mark success in first human test of novel anti-aging therapy.

By Andy Tofilon • February 20, 2019

Top highlights include: College education doesn't protect against Alzheimer's, A.I. shows promise as a physician assistant, how machine learning is crafting precision medicine, CVS introduces new concept store with more health care, and would you be happy to see your doctor online?

By Andy Tofilon • February 13, 2019

Top highlights include: New U.S. experiments aim to create gene-edited human embryos, death-cap mushrooms are spreading across North America, daily exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure, scans show female brains remain youthful as male brains wind down, and new online tool can predict if you'll have another kidney stone.

By Andy Tofilon • February 6, 2019

Top highlights include: Alcohol overtakes Hepatitis C as the top reason for liver transplants, new research call vitamin D benefits into question, NIH funds first artificial pancreas study in the United States for pregnant women, cervical cancer screenings save lives, and the health benefits of olive oil.

By Andy Tofilon • January 30, 2019

Top highlights include: Physician burnout now essentially a public health crisis, Americans more likely to die from opioid overdose than in a car accident, study identifies biomarkers to stratify patients for prostate cancer treatment, the time of day you should stop drinking coffee, and these 4 CEOs created a new standard of leadership.

By Andy Tofilon • January 23, 2019

Top highlights include: Up to 84,000 Americans hospitalized with flu in past three months, scientists seek real way to measure, severe flu raises risk of birth problems for pregnant women, babies, deep sleep linked to early Alzheimer's signs, and adding ultraviolet light to disinfection reduces C difficile infection.

By Andy Tofilon • January 16, 2019

Top highlights include: new research shows sugar substitutes are not healthier than real sugar, how light therapy helps Minnesotans during winter, what you must know about Parkinson's disease, new law requires hospitals post prices online, and millions of Americans are wrong about having a food allergy.

By Andy Tofilon • January 9, 2019

Top highlights include: "big pharma" returning to raising U.S. prices in January after pause; crowdfunding drives funds and attention toward questionable medical treatments; Americans rate health care providers high on honesty, ethics, cancer treatment, and arthritis; and suicide rates on the rise in Minnesota.

By Andy Tofilon • January 2, 2019

Top highlights include: FDA panel backs prescribing opioid overdose reversal drug along with painkillers, Surgeon General warns youth vaping is now an "epidemic," international patients seeking cures in the states, Mayo Clinic President and CEO Dr. Noseworthy looks back at his legacy, and technology changes outlook for spinal cord injury recovery.

By Andy Tofilon • December 26, 2018

Top highlights include: NIH to spend up to $20 million on search for alternatives to fetal tissue for research, hospital beds get digital upgrade, cocaine deaths increase amid ongoing national opioid crisis, health insurers look to digital tools to improve customer experience, and teen vaping soared in 2018.

By Andy Tofilon • December 19, 2018

Top highlights include: how hospitals are fighting burnout, U.S. health spending hits $3.5 trillion but growth slows, why states might start taxing opioids, telemedicine in reverse. and health care providers are teaming with chatbots to assist patients.

By Andy Tofilon • December 12, 2018

Top highlights include: Minnesota OKs medical marijuana to treat Alzheimer's, U.S. life expectancy declines again, polio-like disease in U.S. kids appears to have peaked for 2018, methamphetamine use by pregnant women, and the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency.

By Andy Tofilon • December 5, 2018