Category: Diabetes

States Target Health Insurers’ ‘Prior Authorization’ Red Tape

Doctors, patients, and hospitals have railed for years about the prior authorization processes that health insurers use to decide whether they’ll pay for patients’ drugs or medical procedures. The Biden administration announced a crackdown in January, but some state lawmakers are looking to go further.

Beyond the headlines: the truth about weight loss drugs [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! We sit down with David Ahn, an endocrinologist. Join us as we delve into the impact of weight-loss drugs, the role of incretin medications, and their potential to reshape our approach to ob…

High-deductible health plans: a barrier to care for chronic conditions

At the peak of the coronavirus crisis in 2020, American policymakers were faced with the critical challenge of how to encourage as many Americans as possible to be tested for and vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Fortunately, Congress rose to this…

Will GLP-1s allow our society to eschew its responsibility to create a healthy environment?

Since Ozempic entered the cultural zeitgeist, I have been overwhelmed with requests from my patients – both those who meet criteria to start the medication and those who do not – for this new class of “miracle” drug. While it does work like…

Beyond Insulin: Medi-Cal Expands Patient Access to Diabetes Supplies

California’s Medicaid program is making it easier for people with diabetes to obtain the supplies and equipment they need to manage their blood sugar, partly by relaxing preauthorization requirements that can cause life-threatening delays.

Emergency department burnout: a cry for change

It’s a busy day in the emergency department. The waiting room is full, and we are short-staffed. I just read an email from administration that morning about how our treat and release times are “slipping,” and in the same breath, they …

Overcoming health challenges: one patient’s story

The patient was a typical one in my primary care practice, and for those of you in my field, one familiar to you as well. Jim, as we will call him, was a middle-aged, obese male with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, whose most c…

California Expands Paid Sick Days and Boosts Health Worker Wages

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation expanding paid sick leave to five days, extending bereavement leave to miscarriages and failed adoptions, and approving an eventual $25-an-hour health care minimum wage. Still, in a possible sign of national ambitions, the Democrat vetoed free condoms in schools and refused to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.

Diabetes and liver disease: urgent screening needs highlighted by personal tragedy

The American Diabetes Association recently released screening guidelines for liver disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Notably, 70 percent of people with type 2 diabetes have liver disease, and the most common form is non-alcoholic fatty liver…

KFF Health Tracking Poll July 2023: The Public’s Views Of New Prescription Weight Loss Drugs And Prescription Drug Costs

About half of adults are interested in taking prescription weight loss drugs. though interest drops when presented with obstacles or drawbacks. Many adults struggle with affording prescription drugs and say there should be more price regulation. Few ar…