Covid no discrimina por edad: dramático aumento de casos en adultos jóvenes

Después de pasar gran parte del año pasado atendiendo a pacientes de edad avanzada, los médicos están viendo un cambio demográfico claro: los adultos jóvenes y de mediana edad constituyen una parte cada vez mayor de los pacientes en las salas de covid-19 de los hospitales. Es tanto una señal del éxito del país en la protección de los adultos mayores con la vacunación como un recordatorio urgente de que las generaciones más jóvenes pagarán un alto precio si se permite que siga habiendo brotes en todo el país. “Ahora vemos personas de 30, 40 y 50 años, jóvenes que están realmente enfermos”, dijo el doctor Vishnu Chundi, especialista en enfermedades infecciosas y presidente del grupo de trabajo de covid de la Sociedad Médica de Chicago. “La mayoría de ellos lo superan, pero algunos no… acabo...

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Covered California dice que el seguro de salud se ha vuelto demasiado barato como para ignorarlo

Una nueva ley federal podría hacer que sea mucho más barato comprar tu propio seguro si no tienes cobertura a través de un empleador o un programa del gobierno como Medicare o Medicaid. La ley proporciona miles de millones de dólares federales para reducir las primas de las personas que compran cobertura a través de los mercados de seguros establecidos por la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA). Esta ayuda amplía un crédito fiscal federal creado por ACA que se puede recibir por adelantado como un descuento en tu prima, o como un reclamo en tus impuestos del año siguiente. Estos subsidios está disponible para quienes compran pólizas individuales o familiares en el mercado privado por fuera de los intercambios de ACA. Por lo tanto, si tienes un plan de salud por fuera de estos mercados,...

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Trouble Managing Money May Be an Early Sign of Dementia

After Maria Turner’s minivan was totaled in an accident a dozen years ago, she grew impatient waiting for the insurance company to process the claim. One night, she saw a red pickup truck on eBay for $20,000. She thought it was just what she needed. She clicked “buy it now” and went to bed. The next morning, she got an email about arranging delivery. Only then did she remember what she’d done. This story also ran on The New York Times. It can be republished for free. Making such a big purchase with no forethought and then forgetting about it was completely out of character for Turner, then a critical care nurse in Greenville, South Carolina. Although she was able to back out of the deal without financial consequences, the experience scared...

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Hit by Higher Prices for Gear, Doctors and Dentists Want Insurers to Pay

SACRAMENTO — Treating patients has become more expensive during the pandemic, and doctors and dentists don’t want to be on the hook for all the new costs. This story also ran on Los Angeles Times. It can be republished for free. For instance, the box of 100 gloves that cost $2.39 in February 2020 costs $30 now, said Dr. Judee Tippett-Whyte, president of the California Dental Association, who has a private dental practice in Stockton. Her practice used to rely on surgical masks that cost 20 cents each but has upgraded to N95 masks at $2.50 a pop. On top of that, her office is scheduling two or three fewer patients each day to accommodate physical distancing and give staff members time to disinfect between patients, she said. “We’ve sustained...

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Covid Shot in the Arm Not Enough to Keep Pharmacies in Business

Tobin’s pharmacy and department store had already stocked its shelves with Easter and Mother’s Day items last spring, and the staff had just placed the Christmas orders. The shop in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, had been operating on a razor’s edge as retail sales moved online and mail-order pharmacies siphoned off its patients. It was losing money on 1 out of 4 pill bottles filled, so the front of the store, where it sold clothing, cosmetics and jewelry, had been compensating for pharmacy losses for years. This story also ran on Fortune. It can be republished for free. “And then covid hit,” said Dave Schultz, who co-owned the store with his brother. “And that was the final straw.” The covid-19 pandemic sank many businesses in 2020, particularly...

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A Primary Care Physician for Every American, Science Panel Urges

The federal government must aggressively bolster primary care and connect more Americans with a dedicated source of care, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine warn in a major report that sounds the alarm about an endangered foundation of the U.S. health system. Use Our Content It can be republished for free. The urgently worded report, which comes as internists, family doctors and pediatricians nationwide struggle with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, calls for a broad recognition that primary care is a “common good” akin to public education. The authors recommend that all Americans select a primary care provider or be assigned one, a landmark step that could reorient how care is delivered in the nation’s fragmented medical system. And the report...

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In Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, Millions Face Long Drives to Stroke Care

Debbie Cook was in her pajamas on a summer morning in 2019 when she got a call from her son: “Something bad is wrong with Granny.” This story also ran on Investigate TV. It can be republished for free. The fear in his voice told Cook it was serious. She dialed 911 immediately, knowing it could take time for an ambulance to navigate the country roads in Fentress County, Tennessee. She got dressed and made the short drive across the family farm, over two bridges and a creek, to her mother’s house. Cook prayed that one of the three ambulances covering their roughly 500-square mile county was near. When Cook arrived, she found her mother, Lottie Crouch, in the bathroom, unable to stand or walk. Cook, a licensed practical nurse, quickly recognized...

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En los Apalaches y el delta del Mississippi, millones deben viajar lejos para recibir atención por accidentes cerebrovasculares

Una mañana de verano en 2019, Debbie Cook estaba todavía en pijamas cuando recibió una llamada de su hijo: “Algo malo le pasa a la abuela”. This story also ran on Investigate TV. It can be republished for free. Por el miedo en la voz de su hijo supo que se trataba de algo serio. Marcó el 911 de inmediato, sabiendo que una ambulancia podría tardar un buen tiempo en recorrer las carreteras rurales del condado de Fentress, en Tennessee. Se vistió y condujo a través de la granja familiar, dos puentes y un riachuelo, hasta la casa de su madre. Cook rezó para que una de las tres ambulancias que cubrían su condado de aproximadamente 500 millas cuadradas estuviera cerca. Cuando llegó, encontró a su madre, Lottie Crouch, en el baño, incapaz de pararse...

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