A law driving down some Medicare drug prices remains on the books, but one expert says efforts toward a $2 drug list and coverage for obesity drugs are now uncertain.
Michigan Health Watch
In-depth reporting on the intersection between public policy and important health topics ‒ such as insurance coverage, hospital admissions, opioid abuse, access to care, medical research and the business of health care ‒ that impact nearly every Michigan resident.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Report warns fatal deer disease could jump to humans. Unlikely, Michigan says
News of a chronic wasting disease case in Mecosta County came just days after Minnesota researchers said CWD could eventually pose a risk to other wildlife, livestock and potentially humans.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
1 in 4 older Michiganders lack enough friends. That’s a health concern
Researchers at the University of Michigan sought to measure loneliness and isolation among Americans 50 and older. There’s good news amid the bad: Post-COVID, the rate of loneliness has receded.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Sick with norovirus? Do all of Michigan a favor: Stay home
Highly contagious noroviruses cause miserable symptoms, and infections have been on the uptick in recent weeks.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
COVID deaths decline steeply in 2024; spread muted so far in winter
Once the No. 3 cause of death in Michigan, COVID-19 is attributed to 1,400 deaths so far in 2024. That’s half of the number who died in 2023 and a small percentage of those who died in 2020-22.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
'Wind phones' give those in grief a connection to lost loved ones in Michigan
Rituals can help us ride out acute grief and connect us to the deceased. For those in mourning, 10 locations in Michigan offer one of the most familiar rituals of all — a phone call.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan-based group reframes dementia: There's life after diagnosis
Words such as ‘dementia’ or ‘Alzheimer’s’ can conjure images of confusion and solitude. A growing group of people with dementia say there’s still a lot of living and laughter.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
New Medicaid benefit for some Michigan patients: Better food
Healthier meals for some low-income Michiganders are part of a “food as medicine” effort and theoretically cut overall health care costs, according to some experts.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Whooping cough cases skyrocket in Michigan, as vaccinations decline
A potentially deadly disease in infants, whooping cough — pertussis — has exploded in Michigan this year, in part because of decreased vaccination rates.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
New for 2025: A cap on drug prices for nearly 2 million older Michiganders
Portions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which called for a reduction in drug prices, continue to click into place, including a $2,000 cap in 2025 for some Medicare beneficiaries. But there are limits.