Michigan’s two health care giants have partnered, and that could mean big savings for the new system. The question is whether savings will be passed to the consumer. Recent studies give reason to be skeptical.
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
Deaths exceed births in Michigan. Blame COVID, but long-term trends are grim
The pandemic turbocharged a problem years in the making: Michigan is aging faster than the nation as a whole and newcomers aren’t replacing old-timers. That’s not a recipe for a winning economy.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
COVID may be here to stay. So much of Michigan is weighing risks, moving on
Omicron may be a turning point. Unlike previous waves, data indicates Michiganders this time are still going out to eat, attending concerts and carrying on almost as normal.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
U-M study: Ivermectin doesn’t treat COVID, but insurers pay for it anyway
Studies have since dashed the initial promise of the anti-parasitic drug to treat COVID-19, but a U-M-led study finds ivermectin is still being prescribed, and is still being covered, in part, with taxpayers dollars.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Mailbox-bound: Free COVID tests now available for Michigan homes
A federal ordering website, due to open for business Wednesday, opened Tuesday, a day earlier than expected.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Omicron requires a better mask. How to choose one that’s best for you.
Two years after a global scramble to manufacture masks, options abound — some legit and some not. We know that N95-type masks are best and cloth masks are worst. Here’s how to choose.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
As omicron rages, rural Michigan shrugs shoulders and resists vaccine
Inside the effort to change people’s minds in Cass County, which has the lowest vaccination rate in Michigan. ‘People just don’t want to deal with COVID.’
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Report: More than 8,000 COVID deaths in Michigan were in long-term care
The report from the Michigan Auditor General places the death toll in long-term care higher than the state’s official count, but notes that some of those may be at facilities not required to report.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan to end most contact tracing as COVID overwhelms effort
The state will stop trying to contact everybody infected or exposed to COVID — something it has not been able to effectively do for some time. It will now focus on schools, nursing homes, prisons and other congregate settings.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan accused of undercounting COVID deaths in long-term care facilities
The head of the state’s health department says she stands by the data, claiming a state auditor general review is politically motivated.