Access to fertility insurance coverage in the United States is hard to come by, and a round of IVF can cost upwards of $12,000 — not including medication, according to a University of Iowa study cited by the National Conference of State Legislatures. In the United States, only 19 states require some level of insurance coverage for infertility. That means that in the other 31 states, insurance companies in the fully insured market (when a company purchases a plan from a commercial insurance carrier) don’t have to offer fertility benefits. more
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- Utah’s ban on fluoride in public water is a simple change that raises complicated new health risks, experts say
Dentists in Utah can tell rather quickly whether their patients grew up in the Salt Lake City area or in a different part of the state. Salt Lake County, neighboring Davis County to the north and nearby Brigham City – home to about half of the state’s population – have been adding fluoride to the public drinking water for decades with local voter approval while other parts of the state generally have not. more
- When speaking with vaccine-hesitant patients, pediatricians turn to these tips
In the early 2000s, when Dr. Alexandra Cvijanovich was completing her medical training in Utah, her team cared for a 13-year-old boy with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a degenerative neurological disease that can be fatal. It’s a rare complication of the measles virus that appears years after the initial infection. Now a pediatrician in Albuquerque, New Mexico, treats people from all over the state. She often tells the story of her 13-year-old patient to families that are hesitant to vaccinate their children. more
- US spends most on health care but has worst health outcomes among high-income countries, new report finds
The United States spends more on health care than any other high-income country but still has the lowest life expectancy at birth and the highest rate of people with multiple chronic diseases, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group. more
- Genome sequencing trial to test benefits of identifying genetic diseases at birth
Genomics England is to test whether sequencing babies’ genomes at birth could help speed up the diagnosis of about 200 rare genetic diseases, and ensure faster access to treatment. The study, which will sequence the genomes of 100,000 babies over the next two years, will explore the cost-effectiveness of the approach, as well as how willing new parents are to accept it. more
- Ligų prevencija Lietuvoje dar vis nepakankama
Ligonių kasos ragina Lietuvos gyventojus labiau rūpintis savimi ir periodiškai tikrintis sveikatą pagal Privalomojo sveikatos draudimo fondo (PSDF) lėšomis apmokamas ligų prevencijos programas. Šios programos skirtos tam, kad liga būtų pastebėta anksti – kai jos simptomų dar nėra. more
- If Covid vaccine refusers are turned away at hospitals and doctor offices, is that ethical?
Dr. Jason Valentine, a family medicine physician at the Diagnostic and Medical Clinic Infirmary Health in Mobile, Alabama, informed his patients this month that, effective Oct. 1, he would no longer treat those who hadn’t been vaccinated against Covid-19. Around the same time, a leaked memo indicated that the North Texas Mass Critical Care Guideline Task Force was considering whether to take Covid vaccination status into account in deciding who gets ICU beds when more of them are needed than are available. Can either of these actions be considered ethical? In short, it depends. more
- Why Americans lack adequate access to fertility treatments
-Is it ever OK to jump the vaccine line? We asked an ethicist
Months before the US Food and Drug Administration even authorized the first Covid-19 vaccine, there were many conversations and debates going on about who should be put at the front of the line to get it. Different advisory panels and patient advocacy groups came out with suggested recommendations.
At the time, it all seemed so logical. But soon after the first vaccines were authorized by the FDA, things started to become a bit confusing. more
- Vakcinavimo eilės rebusas: kodėl Izraelis skuba skiepyti moksleivius, o Indonezija neskiepija senjorų
Ką pirmiausia skiepyti, kad koronaviruso sukelta situacija kuo greičiau gerėtų, – šį klausimą patvirtinus vakcinas nuo COVID-19 sprendė visas pasaulis. Lietuva, kaip ir daugelis šalių, pasirinko pradėti nuo pažeidžiamiausių grupių – vyresnių žmonių. Tačiau pasaulyje yra pavyzdžių, kai prioritetas suteikiamas moksleiviams, kurių laukia egzaminai, arba dirbantiesiems. daugiau
- WHO: Low Income Countries Not Getting COVID-19 Vaccine
The World Health Organization says wealthy nations have bought most of the current supply of available COVID-19 vaccine, leaving the world’s poorest nations unable to obtain them. The WHO chief said the hoarding of vaccine by the richest nations – which he calls “vaccine nationalism” – is self-defeating and hurts the entire world. more
- The Elderly vs. Essential Workers: Who Should Get the Coronavirus Vaccine First?