Author: Rodrigo H

While the United States continues to suffer from poor health outcomes and low equity despite record health spending, top performers such as Australia and the Netherlands offer valuable lessons on health care access, affordability, and efficiency. Report: Mirror Mirror 2024: The U.S. Healthcare System is Broken – Comparing the Performance of 10 Countries A recent report by the Commonwealth Fund compared the performance of health systems in 10 countries. “Mirror, Mirror 2024” is the Commonwealth Fund’s eighth report comparing the performance of health systems in selected countries. Its purpose is to highlight lessons learned from these countries’ experiences and how…

First, to clear up any misconceptions, let us explain that “embedded finance” is the process of embedding financial services into non-financial platforms, making it easier for consumers to obtain financial products through regular digital interactions such as loans, insurance, and payments. As consumer preferences shift towards easy, seamless experiences, and technology improves (especially via APIs), this integration is becoming more and more common. Embedded finance is rapidly transforming the banking and finance industry by integrating financial processes directly into the digital platforms of non-financial businesses. Therefore, making financial transactions simple and integrated not only improves the experience for consumers, but…

A recent follow-up study of the MAVIDOS trial confirmed that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy improves bone mineral density in children, with benefits lasting up to age 7. Study: Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and bone mineral density in children. Follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Image credit: April stock / Shutterstock.com Previously, the MAVIDOS trial reported that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy significantly improved children’s bone mineral density (BMD) measured at age 4. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers looked at whether this BMD improvement persisted beyond early childhood. What is the…

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Kentucky ranked 11th in fruit and vegetable consumption by state in the American Health Rankings, with just under 9% of adults reporting eating two or more types of fruits and three or more types of vegetables daily.Need More Acres is working to change that through partnerships with area universities, including the University of Kentucky, and the results were showcased at the farm’s Farm to Health Festival.Michelle Howell, a full-time farmer from Need More Acres, said the festival was aimed at bringing the community together around local farmers and showcasing local eating habits and the benefits…

The following story originally appeared in the Ohio Capital Journal and is featured on News5Cleveland.com under a content sharing agreement.The owner of one of the nation’s three largest drug brokers filed a lawsuit on Sept. 16 to throw out the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to investigate industry practices, but the suit is based on research funded by the medical conglomerate and conducted by economists who have gotten rich by backing megamergers.In July, the FTC released a scathing interim report alleging that Cigna/Express Scripts, CVS Health, and UnitedHealth Group used pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to inflate drug prices and potentially worsen…

If you’ve been shopping online and made a purchase only to be told your card has been declined, don’t bother – you may have fallen victim to a new scam.Several victims reported that after their card was declined, they tried a different card or two, only to receive the same error message. But the site wasn’t a legitimate e-commerce site. The site was designed to look like a well-known retailer’s site, but was run by scammers.Each time the victim entered their credit card details, the scammers would steal their credit or debit card information and make a series of fraudulent…

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia will receive $9 million in grant funding for women’s health under the Affordable Care Act.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday launched a grant program that will provide about $9 million to 14 states and Washington, D.C., to improve levels of health insurance and health benefits.The funds can be used for education campaigns to address disparities in access to reproductive health care and information.In addition to the District of Columbia, the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and…

Explore integration of HMIS with other HIS portals India’s Union Health Minister Apurva Chandra has called for the country’s health management information system to be integrated with other health information systems in the public sector. This is to “reduce the workload of health officials and ensure that data is uploaded in a timely manner and carefully analysed,” he said. The call came following the release of this year’s India Health Trends, a resource document on manpower and infrastructure within the National Health Mission. Mumbai University launches AI project to target PCOS and women’s cancers Mumbai University aims to develop AI…

The cranberry-based beverage offers a new avenue to smoother, firmer skin, especially for women over 40, by improving elasticity and protecting skin from UV damage. Study: A polyphenol-rich cranberry drink positively impacted skin health, skin lipids, skin microbiome, inflammation, and oxidative stress in women in a randomized controlled trial. Image credit: nadianb / Shutterstock.com In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers evaluated the effects of a polyphenol-rich cranberry drink on women’s skin health, lipids, and microbiome. Can polyphenols slow down skin aging? Skin ageing occurs through intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. Intrinsic ageing is caused by the natural…

Detroit will consider an ordinance that would ban protests within 15 feet of medical facilities and limit certain interactions to within 100 feet of medical facilities.”The ordinance, proposed by Detroit City Council Member Gabriela Santiago Romero, aims to provide protesters with unimpeded access to health care services while protecting their First Amendment rights,” said Thomas “TJ” Rogers, communications and engagement manager for Santiago Romero.”She believes we need to protect our health care facilities and their ability to operate smoothly while ensuring the safety of staff and patients, while also safeguarding freedom of speech,” he said. “We’ve seen too many instances…